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2018 Mazda CX-5 Test Drive And Review: A Bonding Experience

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I’ve owned a lot of cars over the years, but I’ve only purchased a few of those new off of a dealer’s lot. The most recent was a first-generation Mazda CX-5. I owned it from 2016 to 2017, and then sold it to a friend when I decided that I needed a full-size pickup truck. During my year with the CX-5, I got very familiar with the compact crossover vehicle. I never really bonded with it, and I’m not sure why. So, I was very excited when I got the chance to spend a week with the 2018 Mazda CX-5. I wanted to see what changes Mazda had made to the crossover, and whether I could finally fall in love with Mazda’s best-selling model.

Photo (c) Mazda

CX-5 debuted as a 2013 model. An all-new second-generation debuted as a 2017 model, and the 2018 model returns mostly unchanged. CX-5 sales have increased every year since they began, to the point where over 127,000 examples were sold. This year, CX-5 represents almost 50 percent of Mazda’s total sales in the US, and ranked fourteenth (out of 94) in SUV sales in the country. By Mazda standards, CX-5 has been a runaway success.

My failure to bond with CX-5 never had anything to do with its design. I really liked the first-generation vehicle’s looks, both inside and out. Though completely redesigned (according to Mazda), the new CX-5 looks very similar to the previous generation, and is just about the same size. The biggest change is right up front, where the front grille is bigger and more upright than before, and standard LED headlights stare out from horizontal slots on each side, connected by a chrome smile beneath the grille. There’s a bit more character to the body sides, and a more confident arch to the wheel wells. CX-5 has sacrificed an inch of ground clearance, sinking down to 7.5 inches, but that just improves the vehicle’s stance without any negative effect on the vehicle’s intended on-road function. Inside, the interior has also been sharpened. The dash has a horizontal emphasis with clean, minimal buttons and controls on the center stack. A seven-inch full-color touchscreen display sprouts in a pod at the top of the center stack on the dash, excellent positioning to minimize the need for the driver’s eyes to leave the road ahead. My favorite design flourish is the arrow-pentagonal shape of the dash’s HVAC vents. They bracket the driver and passenger dash, defining each space cleanly and visually. The overall interior and exterior design has evolved in a mature, sophisticated fashion.

Photo (c) Mazda

CX-5’s powertrain has also evolved from the first-generation’s 2.0-liter SKYACTIV-G naturally aspirated (non-turbo) four-cylinder unit that produced 155 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque to a new 2.5-liter SKYACTIV-G four-cylinder, also naturally aspirated, with 187 hp and 186 lb-ft for torque on tap. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard, with front-wheel drive or available all-wheel drive. Fuel economy for the 2018 model is estimated at 25 mpg city/31 mpg highway/28 mpg combined for front-wheel drive/24 mpg city/30 mpg highway/26 mpg combined for all-wheel drive, a couple of miles per gallon lower than the first-generation’s rating. The 2.5-liter engine now comes with standard cylinder deactivation, a totally transparent capability that allows the vehicle to run on two cylinders during light-load operation, saving fuel without sacrificing drivability. While cylinder deactivation is fairly common on V8 and V6 engines, this is the first four-cylinder engine available in North America with this feature.

Photo (c) Mazda

CX-5 comes with a ton of safety features. Most welcome is Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, standard on all models. Touring and Grand Touring models come with the i-ACTIVESENSE suite (optional on Sport): High Beam Control, Lane Departure Warning, Lane-Keep Assist, Radar Cruise Control with Stop and Go function, and Smart Brake Support.

My test vehicle was a Grand Touring AWD model with a list price of $30,945 ($34,685 as tested). This trim level included a few high-end features, like a 10-speaker Bose audio system and GPS navigation. It also came with a windshield-projected Active Driving Display that allowed me to monitor my speed, navigation prompts and other information without taking my eyes of the road. 

Photo (c) Mazda

CX-5’s suspension setup is fully independent, with MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link rear, and uses stabilizer bars at each end. CX-5 now uses Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control vehicle dynamics system to enhance cornering and handling performance. As opposed to torque-vectoring systems that use the brakes to slow the inside wheels during turn-in, G-Vectoring Control uses sensors and software to detect steering inputs, and then subtly reduces engine torque to transfer weight onto the front wheels, improving grip and cornering instantly. The system is standard, and continuously active, automatically mimicking the minute inputs that expert drivers use to shift weight and initiate cornering. Steering weight gets minutely heavier as you corner, and the vehicle stays flatter through the curves with less body roll and steering effort. It’s a very sophisticated system that is only possible because of the very high computer processing speed onboard, near-instantaneous engine response and very low stiction from the low-friction suspension components. Mazda’s engineering team worked for eight years to develop this system, and you may never consciously notice it’s effects – but the result is that CX-5 handles like a dream.

Photo (c) Mazda

With more horsepower and torque on tap than the previous generation CX-5, the 2018 model is already more engaging to drive. Adding in the handling refinement, I found myself more in love with CX-5 than before. It no longer feels like an ordinary CUV – it feels like a proper Mazda, a driver’s car.

The 2018 CX-5 comes in three basic trim levels: Sport (starting at $24,150); Touring (starting at $26,215); and Grand Touring (starting at $29,645). Add $1,300 for all-wheel drive, available on all three trim levels.

CX-5 competes in a very crowded class of vehicles. The sales leaders are Nissan Rogue, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Ford Escape, all very capable vehicles. But CX-5’s driving experience rivals vehicles a class above, like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3.

Photo (c) Mazda

I don’t really miss my old CX-5, not the way that I miss a lot of vehicles that I’ve owned in the past. But I do feel that I could bond very closely with a 2018 Mazda CX-5 – and I might have to act on that when I choose my next new SUV.