The CX-5 is an appealing SUV built in compact proportions and blessed with Mazda’s signature sporty driving dynamics. It’s Mazda’s top-selling model in the United States, and like all SUVs in the Mazda lineup, comes standard with all-wheel drive.
CX-5 offers two engine choices. The standard engine is a 187-horsepower 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder. An available turbocharged version produces 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque on regular 87 octane fuel, or 256 horsepower and 320 pound-feet if treated to premium 93 octane.
EPA fuel economy ratings for the standard engine are 24 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined. For the turbo, the numbers are 22/27/24 mpg. A hybrid version of the CX-5 would be nice, but there isn’t one yet.
Trim levels for the standard CX-5 2.5 S are the base model, Select, Preferred, Carbon Edition, Premium, and Premium Plus. The CX-5 2.5 Turbo comes in base and Turbo Signature trims.
With a $1,275 destination charge included, pricing starts at $27,975 for the base CX-5 2.5 S model and finishes with $40,925 for the CX-5 2.5 Turbo Signature.
A rotary knob in the center console is the primary controller for the Mazda CX-5’s infotainment system. The 2.5 Turbo Signature interior is shown here. (Mazda)
Standard features for the base 2.5 S include cloth seats, remote keyless entry, LED headlights with automatic high beams, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and a 10.3-inch infotainment display with Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration, and four-speaker audio.
The turbo engine accelerates with gusto, but every CX-5 has Mazda’s high-grade handling baked in, which means the standard engine is not a killjoy.
Along with its delightful frolicking on twisty roads, the CX-5 is a show-off on the highway. It remains calm when the pavement is a ragged mess, and the cabin stays quiet even at the highest freeway speeds.
CX-5’s interior styling and composition is elegant beyond the norm for a compact SUV within its price range. Rear seat legroom is a little snug and the cargo area could stand to be a bit bigger, but so what?
For 2023, the Mazda CX-5 is available with a new Rhodium White premium exterior paint color as a $595 option. It’s a product of Mazda’s exclusive Takuminuri painting technology. Mazda says it was inspired by Japanese aesthetics finding beauty in simplicity, and the paint’s fine grain accentuates the surface shadows of the CX-5’s body lines. The Machine Gray Metallic paint color of my CX-5 test car was born of Takuminuri technology, and it looked gorgeous.
Soul Red Crystal Metallic paint on the CX-5 is a unique color created by Mazda’s Takuminuri painting technology. (Mazda)
2023 MAZDA CX-5 2.5 TURBO SIGNATURE
Base price, including destination charge: $40,925
Price as driven: $41,520
Mary Lowry is a member of the Motor Press Guild and a member and past president of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. She lives in Snohomish County. Vehicles are provided by automotive manufacturers as a one-week loan for evaluation purposes only. Manufacturers do not control content of the reviews.
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