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Sporty and Elegant: Mazda CX-5

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The CX-5 supplies a powerful presence among small SUVs.

2018 Mazda CX-5
The 2018 Mazda CX-5 in Grand Touring guise.

Mazda may be a small player in the automotive sphere, but not one model fails to garner the attention it deserves. Credit goes to Mazda designers for delivering a fetching design across its entire model line.

That model line now includes three cars (Mazda3, Mazda6 and MX-5 Miata) and three utility vehicles (CX-3, CX-5 and CX-9). Every model comes with a four-cylinder engine; Mazda offers nothing smaller or larger. No electric cars, no hybrids and no diesels (at least not yet).

2018 Mazda CX-5 Overview

My most recent Mazda model was none other than its compact CX-5 utility vehicle. This one comes in three trims: Sport ($24,150), Touring ($26,215) and Grand Touring ($29,645). Front-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive is available. Add $1,300 for all-wheel drive and another $975 for the destination fee.

Mazda introduced the CX-5 in 2013, replacing the previous Tribute. At that time, the new SUV represented a fresh break for Mazda, which previously shared its compact SUV platform with the Ford Escape (and the earlier Mercury Mariner). In 2017, the second-generation model rolled out, retaining the basic footprint of the original, while delivering a new nose and updated equipment.

For 2018, Mazda drops the Grand Select trim. Its lone engine now features cylinder deactivation technology for a slight boost in fuel economy. The standard features list now includes a leather-wrapped steering wheel along with blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

2018 Mazda CX-5

Exterior Highlights

Is it a raised hatchback or an SUV? No, the CX-5 doesn’t confuse with its design aspiration, at least not entirely. Mazda designers essentially applied the beautiful curves, sharp edges and gaping grille of its car models to this SUV. It looks great and offers proof that a crossover can be beautiful.

Standard features include LED lights, 17-inch alloy wheels and a roofline spoiler. Among the list of options you will find automatic leveling headlights, LED fog lights, heated side mirrors, 19-inch alloy wheels, a power-sliding moonroof and a power rear liftgate.

Interior Highlights

Do you want a roomy interior? The 2018 CX-5 does not disappoint. It is most comfortable for four, but you can fit five in a pinch. Its standard cargo space comes in slightly below competitors such as the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape at 30.9 cubic feet or 59.6 cubic feet with the second-row seat folded.

The CX-5’s front seats are comfortable, supportive and look extra special when wrapped in leather. The cabin is fairly quiet, although at highway speeds some wind noise intrudes. The climate control system on my Grand Touring tester worked quite well. The heated seats and heated steering wheel were also useful and most welcome on chilly mornings. The CX-5 doesn’t match the storage compartments of the top models, although I appreciated the large open storage compartment at the base of the center console.

Standard features include power windows, power door locks, a tilt-and-telescopic steering column, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and cloth seats. Available features include imitation or real leather seats, power front seats with driver lumbar support, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, heated outboard rear seats and dual-zone climate control.

2018 Mazda CX-5

Safety & Technology Features

Kudos to Mazda for delivering a model that is a 2018 Top Safety Pick award recipient from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The IIHS gave the CX-5 top marks in every crashworthiness category and also recognized this Mazda for its front crash prevention technology.

Speaking of safety technology, the 2018 CX-5 comes with blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, a rearview camera and brake support. Shoppers may also opt for Mazda’s I-Activsense Package with high beam control, lane departure warning with lane-keep assist, radar cruise control with stop and go, and brake support. The top-trim model also offers something called Active Driving Display with Traffic Sign Recognition.

Mazda equips the Sport model with a four-speaker audio system, supplies six speakers with the Touring edition and blesses the top-of-the-line Grand Touring edition with a 10-speaker Centerpoint audio system. Bluetooth, an auxiliary audio input jack and two USB ports come standard. Mazda also includes a 7-inch color display, HD Radio and Aha, Pandora and Stitcher radio integration.

Beginning on the Touring level, you’ll find a pair of rear USB ports. HomeLink and a trial satellite radio subscription accompany the Grand Touring model. All models comes with keyless entry and push-button start. Navigation is extra. Sorry, Mazda doesn’t supply Android Auto or Apple CarPlay integration. At least not yet.

2018 Mazda CX-5

On the Road: 2018 Mazda CX-5

Who knew a small SUV could be so fun? I found myself almost forgetting that I was behind the wheel of a utility vehicle whenever I drove the CX-5. This model comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, generating 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. Mazda pairs this engine with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Step-off acceleration is not super fast, but it is no laggard either. This SUV picks up speed steadily and the transmission complies with its smooth shifting. Under hard acceleration, the transmission doesn’t hunt for gears — that’s the kind of drama you don’t want in any vehicle.

This SUV’s chassis features sporty car tuning, enabling it to carve corners or at least come close to doing so. Engaged steering and firm brakes are two of its top attributes. We found the ride comfortable, but the engine is noisy under full throttle. I like how the CX-5 handles better than our leased Toyota RAV4. Yes, I said it.

The CX-5’s fuel economy is competitive, coming in at 25 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway with front-wheel drive. Those numbers drop by 1 mpg each with all-wheel drive. When properly equipped, this SUV has a tow rating of up to 2,000 pounds.

One important footnote to add: a second engine, this one a turbo-diesel, will also join the CX-5 engine family. Expected to arrive last fall, it has yet to appear. Figure that Mazda is working diligently to garner the approval of the EPA and CARB, before its official debut.

2018 Mazda CX-5

Parting Thoughts: Mazda CX-5

The 2018 CX-5 demonstrates Mazda has what it takes, delivering a level of sportiness not common to the segment. Notwithstanding its smaller than average storage compartment, the CX-5 acquits itself by delivering a premium and sporty offering in the top-trim Grand Touring edition.

Perhaps your most significant dilemma is where to start your search. I believe the Touring edition delivers what most people want. Opt for the Preferred Equipment Package ($1,250, Bose 10-speaker audio system, navigation, power moonroof, power liftgate and HomeLink) and you’ll come away with a well-equipped front-wheel drive model for under $29,000.

Of course, all this is before you strike your best deal, as discounts and other special deals await.

2018 Mazda CX-5

2018 Mazda CX-5 Specifications

Mazda 2018 CX-5
Segment Compact SUV
Base Sticker Price $24,150 ( plus $975 destination charge)
Price as tested $34,865
Standard Engine 2.5-liter, inline-four
Horsepower 187 @ 6,000 RPMs
Torque (lb.-ft.) 186 @ 4,000 RPMs
Transmission Six-speed automatic
Seating 5
Curb Weight (pounds) 3,563 to 3,693
Wheelbase (inches) 106.2
Length (inches) 179.1
Width (inches) 72.5
Height (inches) 65.4
Headroom (f,r…inches) 39.7; 39.0
Legroom (f,r…inches) 41.0, 39.6
Shoulder room (f,r…inches) 57.1; 54.8
Hip room (f,r…inches) 55.2, 55.3
Storage (cubic feet) 30.9; 59.6
Gross vehicle weight (pounds) NR
Towing (pounds) 2,000
Payload (pounds) NR
Fuel Regular
Fuel Tank (gallons) 14.8, 15.3
EPA Fuel MPG (city/highway) 25/31 (FWD); 24/30 (AWD)
Manufacturing Plant Hiroshima, Japan

See Also — Care Tips for Your New Vehicle

2018 Mazda CX-5 photos copyright Auto Trends Magazine. All rights reserved.

Forecast: 7 Top Auto Trends for 2016

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We take a look at what may become the top auto trends for 2016.

2016 Chevrolet Camaro.
2016 Chevrolet Camaro. (photo copyright GM Corp.)

This year (2015) will go down as one for the books. Specifically, it will be a sales record breaker once the books have been closed on Jan. 4. That means on Tuesday we’ll know which model was the best selling car (Toyota Camry), the best selling truck (Ford F-150), and the best selling luxury brand (BMW). Sorry for the spoilers.

Since the market bottomed out in 2009, consumers have been snapping up new vehicles, especially crossovers. Manufacturers continue to roll out new models along with the latest technologies and safety features.

If you haven’t purchased a car in at least a decade you’ll find a long list of included or available amenities not offered way back when. To that end, we’ll look at some of the top auto trends for 2016 and the impact of such trends.

1. Car sales continue to rise.

We’re due for an economic downturn, but that drop may still be more than a year away. If so, then look for US auto sales to top 18 million units in 2016, setting yet another record.

Although the Federal Reserve Bank has raised interest rates by 0.25 percent, the effect on consumers should be negligible. What is helping nearly everyone is low gas prices. As long as regular grade gasoline averages $2 per gallon or less, consumers will save hundreds of dollars per year.

2. The presidential election will become a factor.

No matter who the Democrats and Republicans serve up as their candidate, we’ll have two people who will be more alike than different. A number of policy issues will be discussed and debated; creating jobs for Americans will remain a top issue.

Expect both candidates to promise the moon, even if they can barely deliver on those promises. Expect a new administration to carefully review the fuel economy standards, perhaps proposing a rollback of the 54.5 mpg mandate that nearly all manufacturers will find tough to implement by 2025. That rollback, however, won’t occur before the new president takes office in January 2017.

2016 Volvo S60 Inscription

The made-in-China Volvo S60 Inscription.

3. Chinese-built cars will increase in numbers.

It wasn’t too long ago that the thought of Chinese-built cars reaching the North American market had some people up in arms. After all, how could any manufacturer compete against a $6,800 Geely? Then again, what junk would be foisted upon consumers at such a low price point?

Well those fears are unfounded. First, no Chinese manufacturer has entered the market all by itself. Second, the cars that are imported from China are from known manufacturers. For instance, the Volvo S60 Inscription, a stretched wheelbase model, is made in China. The Chinese-made Buick Envision arrives this spring.

Although the floodgates aren’t about to open, you’ll see more products from different places thanks to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement (TPP), which is expected to be signed in February. You can also expect strong push-back against TPP from both sides of the political aisle.

See Also — It’s a Wrap: 2018 in Review

4. Automotive lightweighting goes mainstream.

Okay, vehicle lightweighting is nothing new. Its just widely misunderstood.

A case in point — when I inquired at a recent automotive media event regarding lightweight properties for a new pickup truck, my hosts didn’t seem to understand my question. That question was further clouded when a colleague quipped, “They didn’t want to make it lighter because it is a heavy duty truck.” Sigh.

Car manufacturers, however, get lightweighting. They’re also working with elastomer manufacturers around the world to incorporate nitrile butadiene rubber in under-the-hood applications. As long as these and other materials are cost-effective, recyclable and practical, then greater adoption will continue throughout 2016 and well beyond.

2015 Ford F-150

The current-generation Ford F-150 is the poster model for all things lightweighting.

5. The lurch to autonomous driving continues.

The experts tell us that autonomous driving will arrive in 2020. That means within five years we’ll see the first driverless cars take to the road. That also means the beginning of the end for behind-the-wheel driving. Or does it?

No doubt, some type of autonomous driving will be in place, but with more than 250 million registered vehicles in the US, the percentage will be small, quite possibly matching the adoption rate for electric vehicles. Consumers won’t give up their cars en masse for several reasons, including wanting to keep the cars they love as well as not being able to afford the attendant higher cost for autonomous vehicles.

Politically, a backlash against autonomous vehicles may emerge, especially if consumers grow weary of the intrusiveness — perceived or otherwise — that emerging technologies bring, particularly in the form of privacy. Instead of a wholesale adoption of autonomous cars, a number of safety features will be standard. We’ll see adaptive cruise control, automatic braking, and lane keep assist in more models in 2016.

6. New alliances and partnerships emerge.

We’re seeing more alliances emerge across the auto industry and that pace should continue in 2016. Such agreements will be forged to give manufacturers an edge wherever needed. Toyota and Mazda hooking up essentially keeps the latter in the ultra-competitive US market for the long haul while giving Toyota much needed product (Scion iA) for a low cost. Mazda will soon benefit from Toyota hybrid technology; both manufacturers will probably share Mazda’s SKYACTIV technologies to some degree.

I won’t predict where those alliances will emerge, but figure that any product holes will be filled by such agreements. Mitsubishi, if it is to survive in the US, must find a partner to supply a midsize sedan, share in EV development, and otherwise fill out its weak portfolio. Today’s strange bedfellows may become tomorrow’s partners.

2016 Scion iA

The Scion iA is the result of a partnership between Toyota and Mazda.
(Photo copyright Toyota Motors).

7. Technologies begin to work as touted.

If you have purchased a car within the past two or three years, the telematics system may be one of your least favorite options. Consumer surveys conducted by J.D. Power have amplified that frustration, thus getting it right will give manufacturers a much-needed edge in luring on-the-fence shoppers.

Helping matters are two technology giants — Google and Apple. Both companies are vying for dashboard access with Google Android Auto and Apply CarPlay enabling ease of smartphone integration. Where manufacturers are slow to adopt either, third-party audio systems such as Pioneer and Kenwood are making units compatible with both. Thus, if you have an older car, you can enjoy that access and avoid buying a new car.

Top Auto Trends

Other top auto trends will have little to do with your car, at least directly. Most will have to do with buying a vehicle, with leasing likely to continue to grow in numbers, while long-term auto loans of up to 84 months become more common.

Of course, if any major international crisis erupts, then these predictions should be amended or tossed.