2015 Mazda CX-5

The CX-5 starts at a base price of $21,545 and for that price you get the Sport trim with the FWD drivetrain,this is the basic offering and for a few thousand dollars more at $24,395 we get the AWD drivetrain model of the sport trim.The next is the touring trim coming in at a price of $24,695 for the FWD model and $26,215 for the AWD drivetrain.The final fully loaded trim is christened as the Grand Touring and is priced at $27,970 for the FWD and $29,220 for the AWD version.

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The CX-5 is offered in just three trims and taking into account that the top end model itself around $30,000 including the AWD drivetrain full with all the features and the creature comfort with the peppy engine package will just offer so much satisfaction for the money. The Grand touring trim would be our pick.

There is a choice of two engine on offer between the 2.0L naturally aspirated 4 cylinder engine that chucks out a 155 hp and 150lb of torque,the other engine being the bigger 2.5L naturally aspirated 4 cylinder which makes 184 hp and 185 lb of torque.The bigger engine is offered as an option for the Sport trim.

There is an offer of a six speed manual transmission gearbox but only for the FWD drivetrain cars and while the AWD comes with a six speed automatic.The manual gearbox is among the sportiest transmissions offered in the segment.The car offers low acceleration but that does feel good.

The CX-5 is the least powerful car here but with credits to the manual gearbox is not the slowest.The Rav4 comes as the leader followed by the CR-V however the Ford falls under the mazda all thanks to the weight it has to haul around and that is a huge disadvantage for the Escape’s acceleration.

The Mazda offers considerably good mileage although bested by the Honda and Toyota.The figures are not too bad considering that we are returned 26mpg in the city and a good 345mpg on the highway.This car has the smallest fuel tank of 14.8 gallons but manages to return a good range of 385miles in the city and 518 miles out on the highway.

It is just clearly seen that the CR-V is the top of the class in terms of fuel efficiency and the Toyota trails it.The Honda offers a staggering 27mpg in the city and 34 mpg out on the highway and that coupled with the 15.3 Gallon fuel tank gives it amazing range.theToyota is the one with the largest fuel tank with 15.9 gallon capacity and yet is outdone by the more efficient Mazda.The Ford seems to be the least economical of the lot.

The Outside is sporty but the inside holds taste and is easy,the instrument cluster is very user friendly and easy to read.The seats are really well supported and do a great job of comfort during the curves.There is a bit of a resemblance to the Miata.

The Mazda can seat 5 people but cannot be called the most spacious.The rear seats fail to recline but the cargo space of 34.1cu.ft is quite sizable.

There is a shortage of front legroom in the Mazda but that is compensated by offering the best room space in the rear for the passengers and the material quality inside the cabin are quite good.The Heavier Ford Escape comes on the other end of the spectrum and offers the least legroom.

The other interior feature are:

• Rear center armrest with cupholders
• Leather-wrapped shift knob
• Leather steering wheel
• 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with power lumbar support
• 4-way manually-adjustable passenger’s seat
• Cloth & leather upholstery

How intuitive is the 2015 Mazda CX-5’s infotainment unit?

A 5.8” touchscreen infotainment system is offered as standard in all trims and it does look pretty old and is very slow.The controls are very distracting and a bit too complicated and not anywhere near being intuitive.

There is no Apple carplay or Android auto on offer.There is a modest and basic four speaker stereo system that is connected to the infotainment setup in the base model but the higher two models get two speakers more.There is access to a Bose speaker system in the higher trims.

The other features include:

• USB port
• Satellite radio
• Navigation system
• A moonroof
• HD radio
• Bluetooth streaming

The Mazda’s outside is very sporty,handsome and contemporary compared to most of its rivals.The Body structure is designed with the idea of weight reduction and that in order to help with the fuel efficiency element. Sport and Touring trims wear 17-inch alloy wheels while 19-inch wheels are held only for the Grand Touring trim. The exterior of the CX-5 can be further enhanced by adding an optional moonroof or adaptive xenon headlights. 

The CX-5 has the longest wheelbase and offers the most spacious interior and comfort.The overall length of the rival cars are of the same level except for the ford.The Rav4 is the closest to the ground with a ground clearance of 6.3 inches.

Some of the exterior features include:

• Body-colored door handles
• Dual exhaust tips
• Roofline spoiler
• Halogen headlamps
• Fog lamps
• Daytime running lights
• Power mirrors

For those who consider a car safe only based on the safety features provided as standard,this car might not appeal to you completely as there are not many safety features offered but the build quality is really good to make this car the top safety pick but the IIHS and that is saying something.There is an optional package that gives you the benefit of safety features.

The other available features include:

• Rear Parking Sensors
• Blind Spot Monitoring
• Low-Speed Automatic Emergency Braking
• Rearview Camera
• E911 Emergency Services
• Smart City Brake Support

The Mazda is a great car with a good value for money.There is ample space on offer inside the cabin and a great sporty look as well.The car does not cost too much and is very safe too although not too many features are offered as standard there are enough to make this car safest of the lot and thanks to the very affordable pricing we can get the fully loaded car at a very reasonable price.