CAR REVIEW – 2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD SUV #DriveMazda

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I was provided with a week long test drive of the Mazda CX-5 featured in this post, courtesy of DriveShop. This post has not been monetarily compensated. Please note that, as always, any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own.

I am a big fan of SUVs. Over the years I’ve owned a number of them and it’s simply a class of vehicle that I like a lot. Today’s SUVs are so different from those that I owned over the past 15 years or so. Recently I had the opportunity to test out the new 2016 Mazda CX-5 for a week. The model that I drove was a 2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD. The exterior color was Soul Red Metallic and the interior color was Parchment.

The Mazda CX-5 is what I would call a small family SUV or a crossover. It offers seating for five. I am on the tall side. I am also overweight. I was pleased to find plenty of headroom, legroom and “belly” room in the driver’s compartment of the CX-5. I didn’t feel squished at all. The driver’s seat and passenger seat are both leather trimmed sport seats with heat. Even though I would never personally choose white seats if making a purchase, I must admit that the two-tone seats looked very sharp against the interior of the vehicle.

I always consider the back seat to be of high importance. I have two older boys, ages 16 and 20. Room in the back seat is important to me. The back seat of the CX-5 is a 40/20/40 split bench. The back did have sufficient room for both of my sons, enough that they were comfortable and didn’t feel like sardines. Leg room was not a problem for either. While the back seat can technically hold three, it may feel close if all three of them are older children or adults.

The back of the CX-5 was quite spacious. There is more than sufficient room back there to carry all kinds of things. Larger baby carriages and even some motorized scooters such as my Mom uses would fit back there. The storage compartment can easily handle those days where you do a hundred errands, going from the mall to the beach to the grocery store without missing a beat.

There’s also enough room back there to handle several pieces of luggage, for those of you that take vacations or enjoy road trips. The split-bench rear seats fold down, enabling you to transport larger items in the back.

Speaking of road trips. You don’t have to reach very far to access all of the controls in this car. Many controls can be accessed right from the leather-wrapped steering wheel, which was very comfortable. The rest are access through the 7″ color display, which is also where the video from the backup camera appears. While the display in the model I had was a touchscreen, I really liked the ability to use the Multifunction Commander Control Dial to navigate through the menus and enter information. All you have to do is turn the knob to get to the area you want to be in, pressing down on the knob makes a selection. I do like touchscreens but this was at times more convenient, and it helped keep the fingerprints off of the screen. The control sticks on the steering wheel for wipers and such are thick and stubby and feel quite sturdy.

The Mazda CX-5 I drove had a Bose 9-speaker AM/FM stereo system with CD, as well as the Sirius/XM Satellite. Some audio controls are located right on the steering wheel. The remainder are accessible through the information screen. The sound in the vehicle was good but I did notice to get the “fullest” (which doesn’t mean the loudest) sound possible I had to turn it up to 45. The stereo volume maxxes out shortly after that. Some of the other notable features in the SUV include tire pressure monitoring, advanced keyless entry system, push button engine start, power moonroof and automatic halogen headlights.

The suv handled and performed very well. I like to go fast. I liked the handling, which to me was more like a car than larger suv or van. The CX-5 can definitely go zoom zoom, and the 2.5L engine was very comfortable at 80 mpg. I had a lot of fun making use of the SKYACTIVE transmission’s Sport Mode, which changes the way the car handles and feels when you are driving. The ride is very smooth, and there is not much in the way of road or wind noise. The gas mileage was excellent. I found it easy to stay on the course I chose, the vehicle was sturdy enough that it stayed where I put it without drifting off. It even cornered nicely. The CX-5 has blind-spot monitoring to alert you when another vehicle is in your blind spot, as well as a rear cross traffic alert. Other safety features include hill launch assist, dynamic stability control and traction control. The sporty 19″ wheels and the streamlined ergonomic design give the vehicle a very sporty and sleek look. And the “shark fin” antenna just makes me smile!

Wish list. Sometimes there’s a feature you’d like to see added to a vehicle, something that isn’t available as an option. In the case of the CX-5 I have one thing that comes to mind – a vent in the back seat. If the vehicle is full it can get to feeling close back there. If it’s already a warm day it can get really uncomfortable without ventilation. There’s a perfect spot for a heating and air vent in the rear seat right on the back of the console. For me this is a big deal, vents in the back are a deal breaker for me.

The Mazda CX-5  has a lot of great features. It’s a comfortable and run ride, and would be a great choice as a family vehicle.

2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD
Fuel Economy: 24 mpg City, 30 mpg Highway, 29 mpg Combined city/Hwy
MSRP $29,470 – MSRP with options in the model I drove $32,640

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