Mazda CX-5 (2012–2017) Review

The CX-5 seemed like a make-or-break product for Mazda, who were going through a tricky time before its introduction. The automotive market has changed massively in the last 10 years and in order for Mazda to keep up with competition, they had to enter unknown segments to which car buyers were flocking. Enter their large SUV, the Mazda CX-5, which we can happily report has been a real triumph for Mazda. Long may it continue. 

Mazda were kind enough to let us borrow a CX-5 featuring the 2.2litre Diesel engine, which we’d recommend as the one to go for. This engine has the option of two power outputs; 150PS which we had on test and 173PS also. The 150PS model definitely didn’t feel underpowered at any point and the turbocharger helped it gather momentum swiftly. You’d be forgiven for not even bothering to test a large SUVs abilities in the twisties, but we did. The steering is the best in-class by a margin; it’s precise, fluid and offers a nice amount of resistance when you take on a bend. The CX-5 sits surprisingly flat and you’re not put-off by unwanted body roll, we’d go as far as saying the CX-5 is actually really good fun to go on a blast with, even in 2WD form you’re not unnervingly waiting for torrid understeer to take you into the nearest roadside tree.

Both the diesel engines are powerful from low in the rev range right to the redline, which means you’re not stretching to get power and you aren’t changing gears too often either. We’d recommend steering clear of the petrol model because you really need to work the engine to get performance out of it, as power is hiding at the top of the rev range. Your fuel won’t be lasting long at this rate...

As mentioned, the handling is exquisite. It’s nicely weighted, the car goes exactly where you anticipate and it is rewarding too. For a 2-wheel-drive SUV it has the characteristics of a large hatchback and the centre of gravity doesn’t feel too tall either. Squeezing the turbo can really help you make some good progress on B-roads without having to over-work the gearbox. Speaking of the gearbox, it’s a cracker. If you’re old fashioned and ‘out of touch with the times’, like me, you’ll pick the 6 speed manual option and you will not regret it. The shifter is slick, linear and gear changes are encouraging. Engaging reverse gear by pressing the gear stick down and pushing across works naturally, which doesn’t sound like a huge achievement but plenty of manufacturers have been making a meal of this for years now.

The suspension is setup just about right for reaching a middle ground between fun and comfortable. There are others on the market that will glide over potholes more delicately, but those same cars also lean like that Italian tower once they hit the bends. The CX-5 does an above-average job of ironing out the road surface while sitting firm enough to lay flat while cornering.

This is probably the category where the CX-5 is at its weakest, but it’s still not that bad. The fussy buyers among us will complain of too much wind noise at speed, which is true but it’s not intrusive, the cabin is relatively well insulated. Similarly if you go for the Sport Nav with the 19” alloys then the tyres are audible too. It shouldn’t put you off buying the car, because only cars of Range Rover standard manage to block out the intrusions effectively. The quietest engine is the lower powered diesel. It’s hushed at normal speeds and only picks up when you’re really pushing it. The higher powered diesel causes a greater rumble, so too does the petrol.

We were lucky enough to drive the top-spec Sport Nav model, although there are only three trims available; the other two being the SE-L Nav and SE-L Lux Nav. As you might have guessed, Sat Nav is fitted with every model of the CX-5 and if you’re going for the manual, 2 wheel drive diesel option with 150PS, then there's only £700 between bottom and top spec. This additional £700 gets you keyless entry, 19” alloys, adaptive front LED lights, reversing camera, heated front seats, a full leather interior and a premium Bose sound system… That’s a lot of kit for not an awful lot of money.

As standard you do get hit with a cloth interior, 17” alloys and a normal key that you have to actually twist yourself, heaven forbid! Which ever spec you choose, we feel you’ll be pleasantly surprised with what is included in the package. The interior itself is well laid out with all major functions easily within arms reach and where you would naturally expect them to be.

Put simply it is a great car, but I wouldn’t be doing my job correctly if I didn’t nitpick, so nit-picking I shall… The centrally mounted touch screen isn’t as responsive as others, not even nearly. It’s not quick to acknowledge being touched and it often lags. Luckily Mazda fitted the CX-5 with a scroller next to the parking brake which works similarly to the BMW iDrive system and it means you never have to actually bother getting your screen covered in fingerprints. Nit-picked and countered.

I always snatch at the opportunity to take 4 team mates to our weekly Monday League 7-a-side football. The Bog-Standard Liege FC team have experienced plenty of press-cars over the last year or so. Some get lambasted, some get acknowledged and few get praised. My team mates aren’t particularly informed concerning cars, they’re just normal motorists with the ‘it gets me from A to B’ mentality, which is fine. This week, the CX-5 went down a storm. Two key comments; ‘Is Mazda german?’ and ‘It’s a bit like my Dad's Q5.’ These are telling signs that Mazda are doing all the right things. I had no trouble ferrying the team to and from the match, all of whom are relatively large males over the 6 foot mark and none of them complained. Leg and headroom is more than sufficient in the CX-5 and, yes, it could be better if the roofline weren’t quite so sporty, but it’s fine.

Can the CX-5 take a refrigerator to the tip? Yes. With ease. What a Sunday. @Mazda_UK pic.twitter.com/mZgTstOZEA

— Motoring.co.uk (@motoringcouk) September 25, 2016

On Sunday I also got the opportunity to take our old fridge to the tip (where it was disposed of to government standards.) Did the CX-5 break a sweat? Nope. Open the huge boot-lid, a lever on either side of the boot flattens the back seats, put down some old dust-mats to protect the paintwork and we were off. In numbers, you’ve got 503 litres of boot space with the seats in-place and 1,620 with them folded flat. Plenty.

As mentioned, we drove the most economical engine, the 2.2 diesel with 150PS. This model will return you up to 61MPG combined, with the figures climbing as high as 69MPG on a motorway run and as low as 52 around town under sensible driving. Not bad at all really, for a car of this size. The more powerful diesel with 175PS will offers a slightly reduced 54MPG combined, 60MPG on the motorway and 47MPG on around town. Again, not bad, but you’ll also be paying more on road tax as the former pushes out just 119g/km of CO2 whereas the latter is up to 136g/km of CO2. Is it worth the power upgrade for shaving off 0.4 seconds on the 0-62mph run? Probably not.

Inside the cabin everything feels nice and premium; maybe a cloth interior would detract from that slightly, but the interior build quality certainly feels up to scratch and Mazda have made some clever material selections on the bits you’re most like to touch. My favourite feature is the volume dial which you pinch between your index finger and thumb and twist with a satisfying click. Although it’s a tiny dial it doesn’t feel weak at all, it’s the little things like that which really come together nicely in the CX-5. Yes, there is some plastic on the exterior to protect the most vulnerable bits of paintwork, but all cars have that in this segment and it is in your own interest.

Reliability is another strong point for Mazda. Traditionally, they’ve always built long-lasting cars which can endure tough winters and still start every time. Look back at the very first Mazda MX-5 and even today, 25 years later, it’s still more reliable than a lot of new cars on the market. Does the CX-5 continue the trend? Yes. AutoExpress scored it at 93% on their Driver Power survey which includes 30,000 car owners. They scored build quality at an equally impressive 91%.

The CX-5 scored highly in the industry standard NCAP safety tests, a full 5 stars as expected. Interestingly the CX-5 scored a massive 95% in the adult safety category. The CX-5 is also fitted with technology whereby it the car will automatically apply the brakes on your behalf if it detects an imminent collision up to speeds of 20mph.