Mazda CX-5 (2017) Review

Mazda CX-5 (2017) At A Glance

Enjoyable to drive, head-turning looks, upmarket interior.

Touchscreen looks a bit cheap compared to rivals. Petrol feels slow compared to turbocharged rivals. Diesel can be noisy when revved.

Real MPG average for a Mazda CX-5 (2017)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

Satisfaction Index

Reviews for Mazda CX-5 (2017)'s top 3 rivals

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Very comfortable and refined with impressive ride quality. Lots of room for those in the back along with...

Kia Sportage

One of the best crossovers on the market, well-equipped, seven-year warranty, practical and spacious.

Volkswagen Tiguan

Comfortable, spacious and supremely practical. Refined diesel engines. Plenty of modern technology.

Ask Honest John

What's the most reliable automatic family car?

"I have a 2013 Audi A3 with a DSG gearbox that has to be replaced. I'm looking to sell it and buy an automatic petrol family car. I'm confused about the choice as I'm looking for a reliable choice but I want to avoid the problems on automatic gearboxes in the VW group. Can you please advice me about which car I should consider? Many thanks."

Mazda fits its automatic cars with a reliable torque-converter gearbox – you can choose from cars like the Mazda 3 hatchback or the CX-5 SUV.

Answered by Russell Campbell

I need a car with a high seating position and large boot. What should I consider?

"I'm looking for a two or three year old lowish mileage car with boot space equivalent to or greater than my Focus estate. I'm considering a Mondeo estate or possibly something more exciting like an Audi A4 estate. Manual and probably petrol as I have heard that newer diesels are prone to problems unless they are doing plenty of longer journeys. I also wonder if I should consider an SUV, which might be easier for an older person to get in and out of and I like a higher driving position. What do you think I should consider? Thank you."

A crossover or SUV will be easier for access. The raised driving position will make it easier to get in and out, while the tall roof will provide a lot more practicality than your Focus Estate. I would recommend a two-year-old Honda CR-V or similar aged Mazda CX-5. Both are good to drive with decent sized boots. They also have excellent reputations for reliability.

Answered by Dan Powell

Can you recommend a car that'll fit a baby seat?

"I need to change my Mazda CX-3 for something larger to accommodate an Isofix baby seat in the back, plus have decent legroom for a 6ft passenger in the back. It also needs a roomy boot, big enough to take the baby’s pushchair and accessories. I was thinking of a Mazda CX-5, Peugeot 3008 or BMW 2 Series Active Tourer. Would a smaller SUV like a Renault Captur, Peugeot 2008 or Citroen C3 be big enough? My budget is approx £17,000. Thanks."

The Mazda CX5 is the best car in your list. It was recently rated as one of the UK's best SUVs in our latest Satisfaction Index: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/honest-john-satisfaction-index-2020/top-10-highest-rated-suvs-and-crossovers

Answered by Dan Powell

Can you suggest a good value, reliable SUV?

"I'm considering changing my Audi A4 and looking for an SUV or estate car that's good value and reliable. I like the Skoda Karoq, however, I have concerns about reliability issues listed on your site. My budget is about £25,000 and I'm looking to buy low milage, used car with a good warranty. Any suggestion would be gratefully accepted. Many thanks."

Buy a Mazda CX-5. It's one of the most stylish SUVs on sale right now and was rated as one of the UK's most-reliable cars in our latest Satisfaction Index: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/honest-john-satisfaction-index-2020/top-10-most-reliable-cars/ A budget of £25,000 should get you a high spec 2020 CX-5 with delivery mileage: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/cars-for-sale/search/Mazda/CX-5/?age=1&l=0&miles=100&p2=25000

Answered by Dan Powell

On the inside of an Mazda CX-5 (2017)

• Boot space is 494–1620 litres
• Euro NCAP rating of five stars

Don’t expect any revolutionary changes inside the Mazda CX-5’s interior over its predecessor, as it’s more of a case of improve and enhance than radically remodel. The centre console is now higher than previously, which raises both the gearstick and brings a more usefully proportioned bin between the seats.

Those front seats are comfortable, well bolstered and offer plenty of adjustment. And behind there’s good space for a pair of adults, with three possible at a push. The centre seat is, like most rivals, a bit of an afterthought, its pronounced cushion and backrest pushing the passenger forward and ahead of the pair flanking them, which does, at least mean there’s a bit of shoulder room.

The boot is decently sized, the access to it eased by a powered tailgate on GT Sport Nav+ models. The rear seats fold flat via a 40/20/40 split for a flat floor, while the backrests also recline if you don’t need all that bootspace with the seats up.

The cabin feels more premium than many rivals, with lots of soft-touch materials. The seven-inch touchscreen display works well enough, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard from 2019 (allowing you to bypass the slightly old-school navigation system using your mobile phone). The infotainment system can be controlled via touchscreen itself or a simple rotary controller between the front seats.

Clear instrumentation, a useful head-up display on GT Sport Nav+ models and plenty of equipment in all trim levels complete the CX-5’s fine interior, which is right up with the class best.

Specifications (June 2019):

SE-L Nav+ features auto door locking, blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert, hill launch assist, ISOFIX child seat anchorage to outer rear seats, lane-keep assist with lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, adjustable speed limiter, dual-zone climate control, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, DAB radio, seven-inch colour touchscreen display, steering wheel audio controls, navigation with European mapping, manual seat adjustment, 40:20:40 folding rear seats.

Sport Nav+ adds smart keyless entry, premium Bose sound system, windscreen-projected colour active driving display, electric power slide front seats, black leather seats, heated steering wheel.

GT Sport Nav+ features real wood inlays, a frameless auto-dimming rear-view mirror, nappa leather seats, front seat ventilation with three-stage setting, heated outer rear seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel with unique stitching.

Child seats that fit a Mazda CX-5 (2017)

Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.

Which car seat will suit you?

Driving Mazda CX-5 (2017)

• Engines range from 2.0 to 2.2 D Automatic 4WD
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 28–60 mpg

The previous CX-5 was justifiably praised as the class leader when it came to driver appeal and in its transformation to this third generation none of that sharpness has been lost. While engagement behind the wheel might not be at the top of most buyer’s wish list, that it feels so inherently right to drive will be appreciated by everybody.

The petrol engine is anomalous in this class, with only a handful of buyers likely to favour it over the diesel. Unlike many petrol engines used in rival cars, it's naturally-aspirated rather than turbocharged. This means it needs working really hard - only really showing any hint of performance at high revs, and regularly requiring the driver to drop down a gear, even during motorway driving.

All it does is strengthen the case for the 2.2-litre turbodiesel, as if it needed any justification. Two outputs are offered, and while it’s always tempting to suggest bigger is better, you’re unlikely to find the 34PS and 65Nm increases make a compelling case for the more powerful 184PS over the 150PS one.

Add the fact that you have to have all-wheel drive with it and you’ll have to be sure you’ve a particularly treacherous driveway to tackle each day to justify the additional outlay.

The front-wheel-drive 150PS model with the six-speed manual it is then, though we’d concede, excellent as the manual transmission is, many might prefer the ease of the six-speed automatic. Do that and there’s a slight drop in the 0-62mph time - from 9.9 seconds to 10.7 seconds - but if you notice that then you’re calibrated like a stopwatch and you might like to send in an application for a roadtesting job here.

The diesel engine’s performance is class competitive rather than outstanding, likewise the refinement doesn’t quite manage the hushed levels of some, but neither is it so raucous to be a distraction. Opt for the automatic gearbox and it feels like a premium car, with smooth shifts although nothing to shout about in terms of performance.

The manual shift is noteworthy, it feeling particularly mechanical in its action, and, genuinely not dissimilar in its feel to Mazda’s MX-5 sports car. Whether that’s a virtue depends entirely on your expectations, but its precision is welcome compared to the class norm of relative vagueness.

Given all that the chassis should be good, too and it doesn’t disappoint. Mazda seemingly values such things, reducing weight in a bid to improve not just economy, but driving dynamics. It’s notable then, that the CX-5 steers with a crisp precision that’s more hatchback in its turn-in than SUV, while the ride is commendably composed even for what passes for roads in the UK.

Upgrades in 2019 include a thicker front anti-roll bar and a smaller rear anti-roll bar, while the CX-5's torque vectoring system has been tweaked. You'll struggle to notice the difference under day-to-day driving, but it remains one of the best handling SUVs on the market.

With the state of our roads we’d stick with the 17-inch alloys of the SE-L Nav model, the 19-inch wheels of the higher-spec models seeing the CX-5’s chassis eventually bowing to the crumbling state of our tarmac and interrupting the otherwise fine ride with some interference.

If you're after efficiency, a 150PS two-wheel-drive diesel manual will be the best choice, with its official combined 47.9mpg under WLTP fuel economy tests. According to our Real MPG data, this is a fairly realistic figure to achieve. That drops to 43.5mpg with the automatic, while the 184PS four-wheel-drive model returns 42.8mpg with the manual transmission. The auto is good for 39.8mpg.

Long term test

Mazda CX-5 2.2 SE-L NAV

Mazda CX-5 (2017) Models and Specs

On sale until August 2020

On sale until November 2018

Good

What to watch out for

Model History

• November 2016: Mazda revealed 2017 CX-5
• March 2017: Mazda CX-5 prices announced
• July 2018: Updated Mazda CX-5 goes on sale
• January 2019: 2019 Mazda CX-5 range announced
• January 2021: Updated Mazda CX-5 priced from £27,230