Our Opinion - 2024 Mazda Cx-5 Review It will help you understand where the Mazda CX-5 is now if you look at its past. The CX-5 has been one of our favorite cars for seven years, but it needs an update even though it has won more Car and Driver 10Best awards than tires. Even though it is still a better driver and much nicer than the cars that are coming after it, the newest ones have quickly topped its list of distinctions. The car has a 187-hp inline-four motor and all-wheel drive as standard. The recommended motor is the optional 2.5-liter turbocharged engine with 256 horsepower. Mazda made the smart choice to replace the popular CVT with a standard six-speed automatic transmission, which makes driving the CX-5 more enjoyable. You can tell a CX-5 is expensive just by sitting in it, even though it gives up some room for style. For space, we’d still choose the slightly bigger CX-50 or the newer Honda CR-V. But the CX-5 still feels like it’s trying to prove itself, which is why we think it deserves to be on our 2024 Editors’ Choice list. What's New? The Carbon Turbo trim level will be added to the CX-5 in 2024, just like it was added to the CX-30 crossover and the CX-3 car and hatchback. People can quickly spot the CX-5 Carbon Turbo because it has brown Zircon Sand paint and black mirror caps and wheels. All-wheel drive is standard on Carbon Turbo cars, and a 2.5-liter inline-four turbocharged engine with 256 horsepower is available as an option. Pros and Cons Pros It drives pretty well. It looks even better!. Safety gets high marks. Cons Quite a bit of cargo room. More fuel economy. No choice for a mix. Engine, Transmission, and Performance The base 187-horsepower four-cylinder engine in the CX-5 responds quickly to the accelerator, making it look like it is going faster than it really is. This happens when you speed up in traffic or slow down at a stoplight. At higher speeds, like when you’re trying to pass or move onto the highway, it feels like it doesn’t have enough power. When we tried it, the 256-horsepower turbocharged model moved much faster. All-wheel drive and a quick six-speed automatic transmission come with both engines. The CX-5 doesn’t need to be driven aggressively to be enjoyable or to show how great it is. Yes, it’s great for a Sunday cruise because it’s easy to guide, and the turns are smooth. On the other hand, it rides like SUVs that cost twice as much, and it’s great on rough roads. The ideal mix of dynamics that it offers can only be found here. There isn’t much noise from the road, flaws in the ground aren’t felt, and the damping is neither soft nor stiff. At the same time, the Mazda is great on roads that curve. The automatic assisted steering actions are good enough. When we pressed the brakes on the Signature model we were testing, it replied immediately and wasn’t too touchy. It was easy to press on the brake pedal. Safety The CX-5 comes with a full set of basic driving assistance technologies, as well as a few extras that can be added at extra cost. Visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) webpages to learn more about the CX-5’s crash test scores. Some important safety factors are: It is possible for the vast majority of automatic emergency brakes to identify the person who is operating the vehicle. A warning will be sent to you if you deviate from your lane, in addition to providing you with consistent support in maintaining your lane. It comes with adaptive speed control. Internal and External Cargo Capacity If you awake in a more expensive CX-5, you might think Audi or Mercedes have taken you hostage. The high-quality materials and beautiful design make it look even more elegant. The well-designed steering wheel is flat in front of the driver and not tilted in any way. The floor-hinged accelerator pedal feels better than the more common type that is suspended above the floor, and all of the armrests in the front seats are the same height to make them as comfortable as possible. Okay, let’s make some small changes. When we tested the CX-5, it could only fit nine carry-on bags behind the back seats. It is helpful for the loading floor of the storage bay to be fully flat. The cabin also has many small spaces where you can hide things like smartphones. For example, the front of the center console has a deep tray and a functional bin with a shelf that can be taken off. Fuel Economy and Actual MPG The CX-5 has two different fuel economy numbers based on the engine it comes with. The base 2.5-liter engine gets 24 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. It can get 22 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway, thanks to its stronger turbocharged engine. As part of our thorough testing process, we checked both out on a highway that goes 75 mph. It has 32 mpg with the basic engine and 30 mpg with the turbo four. Visit the EPA page to learn more about how fuel-efficient the CX-5 is. Infotainment and Connectivity Each model has a 10.3-inch infotainment screen that is mostly controlled by a volume knob and a rotary button in the middle console. The interface can also be managed by buttons on the steering wheel and voice commands. Google Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come standard on all models. With Mazda Connected Services, which comes with the CX-5, you can use a Wi-Fi hotspot and access remote vehicle features through a smartphone app. Towing and Payload Capacity The Mazda CX-5 can pull up to 2,000 pounds, which is a little more than some of its rivals, like the Volkswagen Tiguan and Honda CR-V. The bigger CX-50 can pull more than the smaller CX-5, but only if the turbo engine is added. It can pull up to 3,500 pounds. If not, it tows the same amount. Price and How to Choose We think the Turbo Premium trim is the best way to showcase the CX-5. The 256-hp turbocharged engine better suits its speed and handling. Thanks to gloss-black parts unique to each trim, it looks both elegant and sporty. The interior, with its red stitching and decorations, also feels sporty.
