2026 Mazda CX-5 Review: A Change of Directions

The Mazda CX-5 was a turning point for the brand. After years of rebranding the Ford Escape under the Tribute moniker, the 2013 CX-5 showed the world what Mazda was capable of when left to the brand’s own volition. The compact SUV was stylish, premium, yet wholly capable as a family hauler. It catapulted Mazda to the forefront of the segment.

Now, some 13 years later, a third generation Mazda CX-5 has just been introduced and once again it is shifting direction. To see what the new model is like, we grabbed a fully loaded 2026 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Premium Plus (GT Premium in Canada) for a week of evaluation.

As stated above, the CX-5 is all-new for the 2026 model year, entering its third generation of existence. If we’re honest, we didn’t expect the CX-5 to survive this long. When Mazda started using the double-digit naming convention for the brand’s SUVs (CX-30, CX-50, CX-70, CX-90), we figured the CX-5’s days were numbered. But sales for the legacy nameplate remained strong even after the CX-50’s introduction, and no company is about to abandon a nameplate with this much recognition and selling power.

Instead of making a direct competitor to the CX-50, it appears Mazda has changed the direction of the CX-5, positioning it more at the heart of the mainstream market, targeting the likes of the Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, and Honda CR-V. There’s less of an emphasis on premium materials, instead shifting focus to passenger comfort and technology.

Exterior Style:

Measuring 184.6-inches (4,690 mm) in length, the new CX-5 has grown with a stretched wheelbase to match. Although the SUV does look visually bigger from the outside, it still wears unmistakable Mazda styling, the latest evolution of the familiar look that remains attractive overall. There’s the new corporate logo on the rear which simply reads MAZDA in capitalized block letters.

Our tester arrived with the optional Aero Grey Metallic exterior paint and being the top trim model, features upgraded piano black lower bumpers, rocker moldings, and wheel arches. It also has the front and rear signature lighting and a panoramic moonroof.

Powertrain and Fuel Economy:

Under the hood of the 2026 Mazda CX-5 remains the 2.5-liter four-cylinder, generating 187 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque. Gone is the optional turbocharged engine, which is now reserved exclusively for the more upscale CX-50.

The CX-5 continues to use a 6-speed automatic transmission which may sound out of date by today’s standards but works flawlessly in practice. The engine is such a smooth, refined unit that never feels harsh and is vibration free. The transmission delivers smooth shifts all around and becomes rather responsive with quick changes in sport mode.

It’s a well-known fact that Mazda vehicles are some of the sportier feeling, better performing units on the market. We’d still put the new CX-5 on the better performing side of the segment, but some of the outright sport feel has been dialed back. Still, with a 14.1:1 steering ratio, G-vectoring control, all-wheel drive, and 225/55R19 tires, the 3,856 pounds (1,747 kg) SUV corners well and lacks the roly-poly manners that plague some competitors.

The new, longer wheelbase improves stability on the freeway as the new CX-5 is quite the interstate cruiser. With 8.2-inches (209 mm) of ground clearance it can do mild-to-moderate off-road jaunts and does feature an off-road driving mode.

The reason for the slight decrease in sportier feel for the 2026 Mazda CX-5 is due to the big improvements in ride comfort. Most modern Mazda’s have stiffly sprung suspensions that does lead to great driving dynamics but creates a side effect of a rough ride. With the new CX-5, a better ride comfort balance has been achieved. The SUV swallows up road imperfections with little drama, never upsetting passengers.

Inside, the comfort theme continues as the cabin is quite cavernous. The 4.5-inch larger wheelbase adds rear seat comfort and extra cargo space. Up front, passengers get 39.2-inches (1,007 mm) of headroom and 41.7-inches (1,058 mm) of legroom. Those in the rear get nearly the same levels of space, officially listed at 39.1-inches (996 mm) of headroom and 39.9-inches (1,012 mm) of legroom. Behind the rear seats resides 33.7 cu ft (954 L) of cargo capacity which expands to 66.5 cu ft (1,822 L) with the seat backs folded.

Our fully loaded CX-5 included the optional sport tan leather interior which added some visual appeal and a premium feeling. The rest of the interior though felt downmarket, especially for a Mazda product.

There’s lots of hard plastics throughout the interior. Some items on the driver’s side of the dashboard and around the center console can be forgiven to a degree since they’re not touch points. But the hard plastics on top of the door sills, especially on our top of the line trim tester, is an odd decision. The plastic on the driver information cowl also seems susceptible to dirt, grease, and dust. Using more affordable materials in an attempt to achieve a price point to undercut the juggernauts of the segment makes sense, but some of the materials here feel like too much of a compromise.

Technology:

One area Mazda did not compromise is technology. The 2.5 S Premium Plus (GT Premium) comes stuffed full of features, including dual zone automatic climate control, head-up display, ambient lighting, wireless phone charging pad, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 12-speaker Bose audio system, 15.6-inch infotainment system, 360-degree camera, hands-free power liftgate, front wiper de-icer, power folding mirrors, and much more.

It’s the same story on the safety front, with loads of technology like driver monitoring, cruise and traffic support with lane change assist, front cross-traffic alert and brake, smart brake support, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, emergency lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and more.

The digital driver information center is nice clear, as is the head-up display, although neither are overly customizable. The center dial/button controls that have dominate Mazda products are gone in the CX-5, replaced by a touch-only infotainment screen. Although we complained a lot about Mazda’s previous infotainment control set-up, this new system is not a better solution, in fact, in a few ways it’s worse.

It feels like the brand heard everyone’s collective complaints about the lack of touch screen controls on the previous system and went full-send in the other direction. There are no buttons at all to control any functions. The volume is either controlled by a steering wheel switch, or through the touchscreen and involves at minimum two taps to adjust levels. The climate control temperature is fixed to the bottom screen but requires multiple taps to get into the full menu.

The 2026 Mazda CX-5 starts at a price of $31,485 (all prices include destination charges) in the United States. As tested, our loaded 2.5 S Premium Plus with optional paint came in at $41,080. That price undercuts fully loaded examples of the Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester, and Honda CR-V, although all three of those models are hybrids at that price point.

In Canada, the CX-5 is even more value-packed, starting at a price of $37,755. Fully loaded with the optional paint, our GT Premium tester came in at $49,445.

Final Thoughts:

It’s a smart decision by Mazda to further differentiate the CX-5 and the CX-50 within the super popular, uber competitive small-mid-size SUV segment. The new CX-5 has a lot going for it and should be more appealing to a wider range of consumers. Our few complaints with the vehicle are things that can be easily fixed with future updates, but the main components of the SUV are solid. It offers a spacious, comfortable, tech-laden interior in a modern package at a reasonable price.

Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter  here.