2024 Mazda CX-5 Review: Old School But Still So Cool
An upscale interior and sweet handling make the Mazda CX-5 a popular compact crossover, despite lacking some interior and trunk space compared to the Honda CR-V. Mazda fixed that with its slightly bigger CX-50 sibling launched last year, but the two cars are being sold alongside each other, despite some thinking the newer one will eventually take over the baton when the CX-5 is put out to pasture. The two similarly-named cars share the same engines - a 2.5L four-pot with 187 horsepower or a turbocharged one with 256 hp - but even after eight years, the CX-5 is still the top-selling Mazda in the USA. A lot rides on the CX-5 name, and a name is important - just look at the evergreen Toyota RAV4, which is still the top-selling car in this class, despite not being the best one. So what makes the CX-5 so beloved?
New for 2024
Last year's base S trim is discontinued, so the starting price of a new Mazda CX-5 now exceeds $29k for the next-up S Select trim. The 2024 CX-5 range gets a new Carbon Turbo trim, available in only Zircon Sand or Rhodium White paint colors, and with blacked-out exterior trim, mirrors, and wheels. It's essentially an appearance package applied to last year's Turbo trim. Between it and the Turbo Signature flagship, a new Turbo Premium trim slots in, with a few exterior and interior cosmetic enhancements and the Premium features missing on the base Carbon Turbo. All the other changes are cosmetic. These include an updated grille on the Turbo Signature and standard color-coded body cladding on all but the two Carbon trims.
2024 Mazda CX-5 Price: Which One to Buy
The new starting price of the 2024 Mazda CX-5 is $29,300 for the S Select trim. Next in line is the S Preferred at $30,650, followed by the S Carbon Edition at $31,950, and the S Premium at $33,900. These all use the 187-hp base engine, but there are three 256-hp turbocharged trims - the new $37,000 Carbon Turbo and $37,800 Turbo Premium, as well as the $40,600 Turbo Signature. All trims come with standard all-wheel drive and all of these prices are MSRP, which means you still have to add Mazda's $1,375 destination charge to arrive at the final price.
Anything from S Preferred level and up gives you such a well-equipped compact crossover that most families won't need more, with the excellent ride and handling already baked in. But the base powertrain is more for town use and we've given our heart to the punchy turbocharged engine. The nice Premium-grade features add only $800 to the Carbon Turbo's price, but these are mostly cold-weather features, so go for it if you live in an area that gets snow. For the rest, the regular Carbon Turbo will do just fine and already has all the most important features.
2.5 S Select | 2.5 Carbon Turbo | 2.5 Turbo Signature |
---|---|---|
New Base Trim | Great Buy | Most Luxuries |
$ 29300 | $ 37000 | $ 40600 |
2.5L I4 (187 hp/186 lb-ft), six-speed automatic, AWD | Based on the 2.5 S Premium Plus, plus: | Based on the 2.5 Turbo Premium, plus: |
17-inch alloys, LED headlights | 2.5L turbo I4 (256 hp/320 lb-ft) | Silver 19-inch alloys, Gunmetal grille |
Leatherette upholstery, heated front seats, power driver’s seat | Gloss-black grille, rocker panels, wing, & lower bumpers | Nappa leather upholstery, genuine wood trim |
10.25-inch touchscreen, six-speaker audio | Black wing & wheel-arch moldings | Navigation, SiriusXM Traffic & Travel Link |
Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist | Terracotta leather with faux-suede inserts | Front and rear parking sensors |
De-icer, power-fold mirrors, & heated steering/rear seats deleted | Surround-view camera, traffic-sign recognition |
Best Deals on 2024 Mazda CX-5
Interior and Features
The feature count is impressive, with items such as a sunroof and leather upholstery standard on all but the base trims, and all the equipment is easy to use.
The cabin of the CX-5 is a cut above class standards and has a premium feel not expected at the mainstream price level. The dashboard is constructed from high-quality materials and there are soft-feel surfaces in abundance. The touchscreen sits high up and is easy to reach and the controls are simple enough to use. The seats are supportive but the rear bench's cushion is a bit flat, though its backrest can recline to improve comfort. Interior space is good, though not up to CR-V levels. Getting inside presents no problems thanks to a convenient step-in height courtesy of the crossover-typical ground clearance of just on eight inches.
Space
There's very little to complain about in terms of the available passenger space, and the CX-5 provides enough room for four adults in its comfortable interior. The second row is roomy, and caters adequately for headroom and legroom, though not as generously as the class-leading CR-V, the Honda almost exactly matching the CX-5's wheelbase of 106-odd inches. The rear bench's backrest is sculpted for two people, so it's a bit obstructive when getting in - and uncomfortable for the third, cramped rear-seat passenger.
Cargo
Trunk space is no longer impressive, such is the march of progress in this class, but the fact that we're complaining about the 30 cubic feet behind the CX-5's rear seats is an indication of how roomy compact crossovers have become, with the CR-V almost 10 cubes ahead of the Mazda. With the 40/20/40-split rear seat folded, the total trunk volume is dependent on the position of the adjustable trunk floorboard - it's 58.1 cu-ft with it up and 59.3 cu-ft with it down.
In the cabin, passengers have access to a glovebox, four door pockets with bottle holders, four cupholders, overhead sunglasses storage, and front seatback pockets, while the center console houses a storage tray, a phone rest/wireless charging pad, and a lidded storage bin.
Mazda CX-5 | Toyota RAV4 | Honda CR-V | |
---|---|---|---|
Seating | 5 Seater | 5 Seater | 5 Seater |
Headroom | 39.3-39.7 in. front 39 in. rear | 37.7-39.5 in. front 39.5 in. rear | 38.2-40 in. front 38.2 in. rear |
Legroom | 41 in. front 39.6 in. rear | 41 in. front 37.8 in. rear | 41.3 in. front 41 in. rear |
Trunk Space | 30-59.3 ft³ | 37.5-69.8 ft³ | 39.3-76.5 ft³ |
Materials and Colors
The S Select is the only trim with leatherette on the seats, and its cabin is available in one color scheme - Black. The S Preferred, S Premium, and S Premium Plus trims come with leather upholstery and a choice of two interior colors - Black or Parchment. The S Carbon Edition comes with a Black or Red interior with red stitching on the black shifter knob and steering wheel. The Carbon Turbo has an interior in Terracotta with black leather and faux-suede inserts, while the Turbo Premium gets a Black interior only, with red stitching on the shifter knob, steering wheel, and seats.
The Turbo Signature is the only trim to get Caturra Brown Nappa leather with a black interior; it also gets unique stitching on its steering wheel and genuine layered wood trim. All trims get leather trim on the shifter knob and steering wheel and a cloth headliner, but only in the three Turbo trims is the headliner black. The paint color can affect the available interior color scheme, so check the configurator if you're after a specific combination.
Features and Infotainment
With the S Select being the new entry-level model this year, all trims are generously equipped. Only the base car comes with leatherette upholstery, while all others have leather, but it still enjoys keyless entry with push-button start, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, a six-way power driver's seat, a 4.6-inch driver-information display, and a shifter knob and tilting/telescoping steering wheel trimmed in leather. Features are progressively added as you ascend the trim ladder and include a power panoramic sunroof, a power passenger seat, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a seven-inch driver-information display, paddle shifters, wood trim, and more.
The same basic infotainment system is used on all trims, but some additional features are added to the top trims. The base system has a 10.25-inch touchscreen, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth with audio streaming, HD Radio, four USB ports, and a six-speaker audio system. From the S Carbon Edition and up, a 10-speaker Bose audio system is fitted, and from the S Premium and up, SiriusXM with a three-month trial subscription is added. Starting from the S Premium Plus, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity becomes wireless, and a wireless charging pad is added. Only in the Turbo Signature is SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link with a three-year subscription standard.
2.5 S Select | 2.5 Turbo Premium | 2.5 Turbo Signature | |
---|---|---|---|
Heated front seats w/ power driver's seat | S | S | S |
Leather upholstery | N/A | S | S |
Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, & four USB ports | S | S | S |
10-speaker Bose audio system | N/A | O | S |
SiriusXM | N/A | S | S |
Performance
The base engine is perky at low speeds but a bit stretched elsewhere, making the sprightly turbocharged powertrain the best choice.
Every Mazda CX-5's engine is the same basic direct-injected 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder, but it is naturally aspirated in the lower five trims, where it puts out 187 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque. In the top three Turbo trims, it gains a turbocharger, which increases its outputs to 256 hp and 320 lb-ft on Premium gas. On Regular gas, this number falls to 227 hp. In terms of the drivetrain, all use the same layout - a six-speed automatic transmission and AWD. Performance is relaxed with the base engine, which gives the Mazda CX-5 a 0-60 time of around eight to 8.7 seconds, depending on the trim and conditions. The Turbo trims are far quicker, dispatching the sprint somewhere in the low- to mid-six-second range. Mazda says every CX-5's top speed is limited to 129 mph. It might say "SUV" on the tin, and the 7.9-inch ground clearance is good for this type of car, but the lack of wheel travel and low range precludes any off-road driving. Trailering is not a strong point, with a maximum towing capacity of 2,000 pounds for all trims - better than the CR-V's 1,500 lbs, but worse than the RAV4, which can tow up to 3,500 lbs.
Even eight years after launch, rivals still struggle to keep up with the CX-5's driving experience. It's a genuinely fun car to drive, with an alert, agile feel, great body control, little roll, and an ability to flit from one direction to the opposite with no wobbling or heaving. No doubt, Mazda's G-Vectoring Control system helps it turn in with such conviction. The ride feels firm, so it comes as a welcome surprise that bumps are absorbed, not transmitted to the cabin. The superb damping dispatches undulations in an instant, without any after-effects. The accurate steering offers some welcome feedback, too, but the brakes don't quite hold up their end of the bargain, taking longer to stop than most rivals. The six-speed auto might seem old-school, but it shifts smoothly and is nicely responsive. The base engine becomes breathless on the highway and when laden, but aggressive throttle mapping gives it a quick start from rest, so it doesn't feel lazy around town.
Fuel Efficiency
Gas mileage isn't up to class standards and, naturally, the CX-5 cannot match the hybrid versions of the RAV4 and CR-V. According to the EPA, the Mazda CX-5's mpg figures on the city/highway/combined cycles are 23/29/25 mpg for the naturally aspirated 187-hp powertrain and 22/27/24 mpg for the turbocharged 256-hp models. For comparison, the AWD, 190-hp 1.5L turbo CR-V gets 29 mpg combined.
Every CX-5 has a fuel capacity of 15.3 gallons, which means a limited range of around 382 miles for the base powertrain and about 367 miles for the turbos.
2.5L Inline-4 Gas 6-Speed Automatic AWD | 2.5L Turbo Inline-4 Gas 6-Speed Automatic AWD | |
---|---|---|
Power | 187 hp | 256 hp (Premium gas) 227 hp (Regular gas) |
Top speed | 129 mph | 129 mph |
MPG | 23/29/25 mpg | 22/27/24 mpg |
0-60 | Est. 8-8.7 sec. | Est. 6.1-6.6 sec. |
Max. Towing Capacity | 2,000 lbs | 2,000 lbs |
Safety
The CX-5 puts in a strong showing, with exemplary crash results from the NHTSA and IIHS, coupled with a comprehensive driver-assist suite.
Considering its age, it's surprising that the IIHS's safety review of the Mazda CX-5 is so favorable. Older cars often stumble when subjected to newer and more demanding tests such as the agency's updated ones, but the 2023 CX-5 was given the top Good score in all of them, bagging it a 2023 Top Safety Pick award. The partially tested but identical 2024 CX-5 has so far mirrored these results. The tests conducted by the NHTSA have yielded no surprises either, and here, too, the CX-5 was given a full five-star overall rating.
There's more good news in terms of active accident avoidance, with every CX-5 coming out of the box with a full suite of driver assist. They are front-collision alert with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure alert with lane-keep assist, hill-start assist, rain-sensing wipers, and automatic LED headlights with auto high beams. The S Preferred adds an auto-dimming rearview mirror with a HomeLink transceiver, while the S Premium adds adaptive headlights with a cornering function. The S Premium Plus gains a head-up display, the Turbo Premium gains traffic-jam assist, and the flagship Turbo Signature is the only trim with a surround-view camera, traffic-sign recognition, driver-alertness monitoring, and parking sensors front and rear.
2.5 S Select | 2.5 Turbo Premium | 2.5 Turbo Signature | |
---|---|---|---|
Front-collision alert w/ pedestrian detection | S | S | S |
Lane-departure alert w/ lane-keep assist | S | S | S |
Blind-spot monitoring w/ cross-traffic alert | S | S | S |
Adaptive cruise control w/ stop & go | S | S | S |
Surround-view camera & head-up display | N/A | N/A | S |
US NHTSA Crash Test Result
Overall Rating | Frontal Barrier Crash Rating | Side Crash Rating | Rollover Rating |
---|---|---|---|
5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Reliability
Another Mazda CX-5 strength is reliability. JD Power has given the 2024 model a very good score of 82 out of 100 for its Quality & Reliability assessment, while its recall history must be the envy of the industry - there hasn't been a single recall of the CX-5 so far for the past five model years.
This is just as well because the limited warranty of the Mazda CX-5 is valid for only three years/36,000 miles, the minimum the industry typically offers. The powertrain warranty runs for a longer five years/60,000 miles, though.
Warranty
Basic | Drivetrain | Corrosion | Roadside Assistance |
---|---|---|---|
3 Years / 36,000 Miles | 5 Years / 60,000 Miles | 5 Years / Unlimited Miles | 3 Years / 36,000 Miles |
Design
The Mazda CX-5 has aged really well, and it's a credit to designers who put together a package that remains modern and attractive to a range of buyers. It's still a sleekly attractive shape with sensuous curves and a stern stare thanks to those slim headlights and big grille. LED headlights are standard across the board, and they're upgraded to adaptive lights with a cornering function from the S Premium and up. A power glass sunroof and power liftgate are added from the S Preferred and up, while the base cars' 17-inch alloys increase in size to 19 inches from the S Carbon Edition and up. The Carbon trims get dark exterior accent trim, wheel-arch moldings, rocker panels, and wheels.
Verdict: Is The 2024 Mazda CX-5 A Good SUV?
The Mazda CX-5 still vies for a spot right at the top of the class, even at its advanced age, and it's mostly down to its premium cabin and superb road manners. It doesn't hurt that its safety credentials are top-notch and that it's equipped very well, even at the base level. But in terms of space utilization, it's now outdone by the latest CR-V and its own CX-50 stablemate. Although the latter is considered by some to inevitably supplant the CX-5, the fact that they are being sold alongside one another is proof of the CX-5's excellence - and it's a car we don't hesitate to recommend. Despite it getting on in years, it's still one of the best in the segment, in our opinion.