The CX-5 crossover is a top seller for Mazda and I see a lot of them on the road. I told my dentist, who was considering a new ride, how much I liked the CX-5 so he went and traded his BMW 3-Series for a CX-5 Turbo, and subsequently told me he loves it.
CX-5 Turbo that we tested is offered starting with the base 2.5 S and goes upward to the CTheX-5 2.5 Carbon Turbo we tested, and atop that, the CX-5 Turbo Premium and CX-5 Turbo Signature. The 2025 CX-5 is also a big larger than earlier models.
First off, CX-5 has a suave, slippery look. It appears to be moving 55mph standing still. It even looks nimble which makes it easy to park and allows it to make quick evasive maneuvers when necessary.
CX-5’s interior, with a low 19-inch step-in, is upscale with good quality materials. Heated front seats have leather outer edges and sueded inserts. They’re nicely supportive and comfy over long hauls. Rear seats are equally as soft with good leg room unless the fronts are racked well-rearward plus the backs recline. Headroom is ample and wide opening doors allow easy ingress/egress.
A 10.25-inch display is nicely embedded midway down the dash and is controlled by a large rotary dial. It offers a host of apps that includes XM Travel Link with traffic alerts, weather radar, weather alerts, some voice recognition plus rearview front view and side view camera views. Below it are traditional push button and rotary dials for HVAC functions and it shares the vertical stack with a wireless phone charger. A burly gear selector joins the arrangement that is supplemented with paddle shifters.
A combination analog and digital gauge cluster includes a driver information display between the analog tach and digital speedometer that displays CX-5’s drive modes of Sport, Normal and Off-Road that are selected via a rocker switch on the console next to the gear selector.
Back in the cargo area, that has a low lift over of 29.5 inches and with the rear seats upright, there’s 29.1 cubic feet of cargo space that measures 37.5 inches deep, 43 wide and 29.5. Flip the rear seatbacks and cargo depth expands to 59.3 cubic feet. Beneath the cargo floor is a space saver tire and two bins on either side for small item storage.
Operationally, our test car came with a 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder that generates 227-hp and 310 lb/ft of torque. Coupled to the 6-speed automatic transmission, EPA rates the CX-5 at an impressive 22 city, 27-highway mpg. Without question, the 2.5 Turbo had no want for power. It moved the CX-5 with quickness and excellent passing power especially when the turbo kicked-in and it did so ever so quietly. Actually, under full throttle, the 2.5 felt more like a small V6 under the hood.
Handling wise, the CX-5 likes the twisties as it can be tossed in the turns and it remains planted. Its suspension nicely soaks up road imperfections including tar strips, offering a smooth ride on Toyo 19-inch tires. And with electrically steering assist, CX-5 parks easily with its tight 18-foot curb-curb turning radius.
CX-5 Carbon Turbo remains an affordable car. With an extensive list of standard features such as rain-sensing wipers, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, rear cross traffic alert, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, smart and advanced brake support, rear seat alert and a host more.
The only extra cost option were Zircon Metallic Paint ($450), Mazda Navigation System ($450) and delivery that took the bottom line to $39.455.
And here’s what makes the CX-5 even more attractive. It comes with the government’s full five overall safety score; five each for driver/passenger front crash; five for front/rear seat side crash and four for rollover These are most impressive and important scores for new car buyers.
Warranty coverage includes 60 months/60K powertrain; 36/36K new vehicle warranties plus 24-hour roadside assistance.
With all of the above, Mazda’s CX-5 Turbo has it all and then some. It’s certainly a compelling AWD crossover that stands above the competition.
