Mazda CX-5 review
The Mazda CX-5 is a stylish, great-to-drive, and beautifully built family SUV that proves you don’t have to sacrifice fun for practicality.
Author: Charlie Harvey
22nd Dec 2025 – 8 mins read
The Mazda CX-5 first arrived in 2012 and quickly became a popular choice for drivers looking for a family SUV that was stylish and genuinely fun to drive. It was one of the first cars to showcase Mazda's eye-catching 'KODO' design language and its efficient 'Skyactiv' engine technology. It really set the standard for a new generation of great-looking, great-driving Mazdas. The second-generation model, which launched in 2017, is more of a smart evolution than a revolution. It took everything that was great about the original and made it even better, with a sharper design, a more premium interior, and even more technology. It's one of the best-driving SUVs in its class, yet it’s also comfortable and refined. It might not have a seven-seat option, but if you’re looking for a five-seat family SUV that’s a pleasure to own and drive, the CX-5 is a brilliant choice.
Pros
- Fantastic to drive, with sharp handling for an SUV
- Comes with a very generous amount of standard equipment
- Sharp, stylish looks that stand out from the crowd
Cons
- The interior is starting to show its age compared to newer rivals
- There's no seven-seat option available
- High-specification versions can be quite expensive
Interior
Dashboard & tech
The inside of the Mazda CX-5 is a lovely place to be, with a simple, driver-focused layout and a real sense of quality. It might not have the flashy, futuristic design of some rivals, but it’s logically laid out, and the materials feel wonderfully premium. An eight-inch touchscreen sits neatly on top of the dashboard and includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can easily connect your smartphone.
Mazda has a knack for making its cars feel a bit special, and the CX-5 is no exception. The driving position is spot-on, and the quality of the switchgear is excellent. It’s a cabin that’s designed for driving, but it’s also a comfortable and high-quality environment for the whole family.
Comfort
Despite its sporty feel, the CX-5 is a very comfortable and refined car. It smooths out bumps in the road nicely and is quiet and relaxing on the motorway, making it a great car for long family road trips.
The seats are supportive, and there’s plenty of adjustment for the driver to get perfectly comfortable. Higher-spec models come with luxuries like heated leather seats and a heated steering wheel, which are a real treat on cold winter mornings. It’s a car that manages to be both fun and relaxing, which is a very appealing combination.
Quality
Mazda has a fantastic reputation for build quality and reliability, and the CX-5 has been rated as one of the most dependable cars in its class in various owner surveys. The interior feels solid and well put together, giving you the sense that it’s built to last.
The engines are also known to be very robust, particularly the petrol versions. It’s a car you can buy with a great deal of confidence, knowing that it’s a high-quality product that’s unlikely to let you down.
Practicality & boot space
Interior space
The CX-5 is a spacious car that offers plenty of room for a family. There's lots of head and legroom for passengers in the back, so even tall adults can get comfortable. It feels airy and open, making it a pleasant car to travel in.
Where it loses a few points to rivals is in its overall versatility. While there’s plenty of space, it doesn’t have some of the clever flexible seating arrangements or extra storage solutions that you might find in a Skoda Kodiaq or Volkswagen Tiguan. It also doesn't offer a seven-seat option, which might be a deal-breaker for larger families.
Boot space
The boot in the CX-5 offers 506 litres of space. This is a good size for a family SUV and will easily cope with the weekly shop, a couple of buggies, or luggage for a family holiday. It's a practical, square-shaped space that’s easy to load.
However, it’s not the biggest boot in the class. The Volkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Karoq both offer more luggage room. If maximum carrying capacity is your number one priority, you might want to look at some of its more versatile rivals.
Driving
Driving experience
This is where the Mazda CX-5 really shines and stands head and shoulders above most of its rivals. It’s one of the best-driving family SUVs you can buy. The steering is accurate and well-weighted, and it handles corners with very little body roll, making it feel more like a sporty hatchback than a tall SUV.
It’s genuinely fun to drive, which is a rare quality in this class. If you enjoy driving and don’t want to sacrifice that pleasure just because you need a practical family car, the CX-5 should be at the very top of your shopping list. It proves that you can have the best of both worlds.
Performance
There’s a good choice of petrol and diesel engines available. The petrol option is a 2.0-litre engine called Skyactiv-G, which produces 163bhp. It’s smooth, quiet, and offers decent performance for everyday driving.
For those who do a lot of motorway miles or need to tow, the 2.2-litre diesel engine is a great choice. It’s available with either 148bhp or a more powerful 181bhp. The higher-powered version is available with all-wheel-drive, which provides extra grip and confidence in slippery conditions. Both manual and automatic gearboxes are available.
Running costs
Fuel economy & CO2 emissions
For a car of its size, the CX-5 is reasonably efficient. The 148bhp diesel engine is the most economical, capable of returning just under 50mpg in official tests. The 2.0-litre petrol engine can achieve around 40mpg, which is competitive for this type of car. Running costs should be very manageable for a family SUV.
Value for money
The Mazda CX-5 isn't the cheapest SUV, with new prices starting from around £27,000. However, it offers fantastic value when you consider the high level of standard equipment you get. Even the entry-level models are packed with kit.
The CX-5 also holds its value well, which is great news when you come to sell it on. On the used market, it represents a very smart buy, with some great savings available on nearly-new models with very few miles on the clock.
Reliability & Warranty
As mentioned, the CX-5 has a brilliant reliability record and consistently scores very well in owner satisfaction surveys. It’s a car that’s built to a high standard and should prove to be a very dependable choice. From new, all Mazdas come with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty.
Safety
Safety features
The Mazda CX-5 is a very safe car, achieving the maximum five-star rating when it was crash-tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP in 2017.
A huge plus point is the amount of safety equipment that comes as standard, even on the entry-level model. All versions get autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. This is a very generous level of safety kit that you’d often have to pay extra for on rival cars.
Trims & Engines
Trim levels
The CX-5 is available in a simple range of three generously equipped trim levels.
SE-L: The entry-level model is packed with features. It comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, and an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Sport: This is our pick of the range. It adds larger 19-inch alloy wheels, a reversing camera, an electric tailgate, a sunroof, heated black leather seats, a heated steering wheel, and a premium Bose sound system.
GT Sport: The top-of-the-range model is loaded with luxury kit. It adds beautiful Nappa leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a 360-degree camera system, and extra safety features.
Engines
The engine lineup is focused and efficient.
2.0 Skyactiv-G Petrol: This 163bhp petrol engine is smooth and quiet. It comes with front-wheel drive and a choice of a manual or automatic gearbox.2.2 Skyactiv-D Diesel: This 2.2-litre diesel engine is available with either 148bhp (front-wheel drive) or 181bhp (all-wheel drive). It's a great choice for high-mileage drivers or for towing.