Mazda CX-5 review: An SUV you'll actually enjoy driving

[Love Pulse]

The first Mazda CX-5 kicked off a revolution at Mazda. It was Mazda's first mainstream SUV and the first car to feature the company's new "Kodo - soul of motion" design language. Mazda ran that style through the subsequent 2, 3, 6, CX-3 and MX-5 and it now has one of the best-looking range of cars on the road.

This new CX-5 builds on the solid foundations of that first model. Essentially the same length and width, it's slightly lower than before, and its design sticks with the Kodo design theme, updating it with more sophisticated surface language, details and technology.

The new car sits on a modified version of the old car's platform, continuing with Mazda's SkyActiv technology - which prioritises the use of light-weight materials and a different approach to engineering the car - in pursuit of better engine efficiency and greater driving pleasure.

Putting the sport into sports utility
Core to the CX-5's appeal is its sporting intent. Let's face it, Mazda is the only mainstream company that's managed to build out a range around a sports car, the seminal MX-5. It might be a thought you'd not considered (or that's deeply buried in the subconscious), but by buying a Mazda you're partly buying into the sporting pedigree of a brand that's built on 30 years of making the the best best-selling sports car.

The new CX-5 certainly looks sportier than before. That's taken care of by its improved proportions - they come from moving the A-pillar rearwards, lowering the roofline and then adding more modern details. The new model also features much slimmer lamps, and much bolder sections of chrome details that surround elements like the grille.

Yes, the CX-5 could still only be an SUV, but it's significantly better-looking than many big, heavy lumpen SUVs, and is distinct without being in any way ostentatious or in-your-face.

Only the wheel design of this top-spec Sport Nav lets the side down. The wheels are big 19-inch units, but somehow look lost in the arches. On bigger rims, or a different design, the CX-5 would look genuinely stand-out. As it is, Mazda's engineering and design team chose to come down on the better ride side of the ride versus looks trade-off.

An SUV you'll actually enjoy driving
The sporting theme continues when you take to the road. As much as you can ever expect a diesel SUV to be fun to drive, the CX-5 moves down the road in a really enjoyable way. It feels car-like and is easy to drive. It's light and responsive, but there's a very positive reaction to every input you make. The steering is not big on feel but is perfectly weighted - so are the pedals, and the gear shift has a nice positive action and a stubby lever which makes it fun to row up and down the 6-speed manual box.

If you're in a hurry on an average British B-road, the CX-5 is the car you'll want to be in, when considered against its rivals. It feels dynamic and precise - it might ultimately be based on the same platform as the car it replaces, but around 50 per cent of the suspension components are new, giving the CX-5 more poise in corners. It rides with impressive composure; its sure footed-ness and the lack of body lean gives you the confidence to chuck it into corners in a way that few of its rivals do, helping this 4.5m-long SUV shrink around you.

But the CX-5 has always been a decent drive, so what stands out about the new CX-5 compared to the old model is that it's much more refined. Mazda has worked hard on insulation and refinement, and now only the noise of the Toyo tires spoils the party. Even then, we're nit picking. The CX-5 is a great motorway cruiser and a really comfortable place to sit.

A limited choice of engines
One area the CX-5 lags compared to some of its rivals is in the choice of engines and powertrain options on offer. There's one petrol (a 2.0l 163hp unit which unusually isn't turbo-charged) and two diesels (a 150hp, or the 175hp version we drove). Want the petrol? You'll need to stick with a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive. The diesels are available in both two and four-wheel drive formats, with either manual or auto boxes. But if you want the higher-output diesel, you'll need to buy the top spec Sport Nav version, as tested here in its four-wheel-drive manual-box spec.

All the engines benefit from Mazda's SkyActiv technology, which means they're lighter, have less friction and run higher compression ratios than their rivals. What does that mean for you? The headline CO2 and economy figures are good, but not all class-leading, but it's realistically a little easier to get nearer to the economy figures quoted, in real driving. We got 42mpg during our 200 miles of driving, which was mostly bound to town and country roads, where we drove the Mazda fairly hard. Expect 50mpg or more on motorways.

The engine contributes to the overall positive driving impression. Apart from an odd tendency to hold the revs high for a minute on cold start-up (presumably so it warms up quicker), the diesel is quiet and refined. The 6-speed manual gearbox is slick, positive and enjoyable to use. In 175hp format, the CX-5 is an easy car to make progress in. It's not outright fast, but the engine is very torque-rich across a wide-band of the rev range, which means you're often carrying more speed than you might think. And it generally sounds smooth and clatter-free.

A neat interior but lacking premium polish
To look at and drive, the CX-5 is sufficiently good enough to make you think twice about spending an extra £ 10K (or more) on a premium SUV like the Audi Q5. Beyond badge snobbery, there's little in the way the Mazda looks or drives that it gives away to much more expensive competition.

 

The difference is revealed when you step on board: it's the one stand-out area where Mazda has clearly pushed a significant upgrade compared to the out-going model. Yet the game in this area has moved on quickly, so the Mazda's interior architecture still feels uninspiring, verging on hum-drum. If you're a fan of simplicity, there's much to like. But the section of the dash-top, the design of the air vents and the way the (faux) wooden trim on the dashboard is applied make it look and feel quite dated already.

Adding to this is a lack of material or color choice - there's little ability to personalize your CX-5 beyond choosing a different leather color. Which is a shame in a car that's in such a competitive market and otherwise has so many of the qualities it needs to take on the premium brands.

Luckily the driving position is good and easily adjustable, the interior is relatively easy to use with no real ergonomic flaws and there's plenty of space.