There is no mistaking that it is a Mazda.
My bride drove her 2011 Camry happily until about eight months after she retired. We started to look at a new vehicle for her, something that might be a little more passenger-friendly when she took her older sister out to lunch.
We went to talk to Darlene at our favorite used car dealer. We started by looking at a Corolla, and determined after a quick sit in the seats that it was too small. We drove a big Volvo, a VW Atlas, Subaru, but not a RAV4, I already had one. The Atlas was nice, but it was probably too big. Of all the cars on the lot at that time there were no Mazda CX-5s; the product we would eventually purchase.
For years I had never seriously considered Mazdas, which wasn’t fair because you shouldn’t judge a manufacturer by the product they were making 50 years ago. When their corporate bet on the rotary engine failed, Mazda had a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Ford.
I noticed Mazdas through the years; I thought the Millenia was especially attractive, and also liked the three row CX-9. In 2020, my boss had a CX-3 that was vehicle wrapped.
From my short-term job doing vehicle wraps, this was one of my first efforts doing design, layout and production for a vehicle wrap.
My friend David had bought a CX-5 and told me the driving dynamics were like his Miata. The consumer test reports were good, and besides David, several other families we knew had Mazdas and I wasn’t hearing about transmissions needing to be reprogrammed, or head gaskets blowing, or “my car is at the service department waiting for a part made in the only factory in the world making it that flooded.” The tie-up of Ford and Mazda was mutually beneficial for years, but after they severed ties, Mazda no longer had Ford product to sell, such as the Mazda Tribute, so the Mazda CX-3, CX-5 and other models were developed for the American market.
Experimenting with analogue, in a digital age.
Dashboard is nicest we have ever had, the screen is not too big. But the console is too wide.
Hello Mazda CX-5, goodbye Toyota RAV4.
Two years ago, on the last day of February in a leap year, we signed for a used 2021 Mazda CX-5 Touring. It has features we have never used: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto —but we can do “hands free” calling. I got CDs ported to a USB drive; one USB drive could hold our entire CD library. We drove a higher spec model, but it had the 19 inch tires, nicer seats and not as good a ride.
We traded in the RAV4, and we really like this car, but my bride wishes the lumbar support was better (There is lumbar support for the driver, but not the passenger). Plenty of headroom, but not as much cargo space as the RAV4. It is Jet Black Mica with a Black interior, with what we used to call Naugahyde, or is now called Pleather. Front part of the car keeps relatively clean, but not the back, especially the backup camera.
Dirt really collects in the back.
Black keeps relatively clean, we use a touchless car wash, which laser guides the car through, but the back doesn’t always get cleaned completely.
Little things that make this vehicle a cut above the RAV4: the sun visors have extensions when you have sun glare from the side windows, you can push a button and unlock from both front doors, both floor mats are attached firmly to the floor; Toyota only attaches the driver’s side, the passenger side mat keeps sliding forward. And it has a “Sport” mode switch, which we forget to use, but we don’t forget to use the front seat warmers.
The radio is different, takes a while to get used to it, but it has excellent sound. At the six month service intervals, the technicians use smart phones to send you short videos about your vehicle and what is needed or recommended. The odometer read 30,754 when we bought it; it needed a front brake job at 39,666 miles and currently has just over 53,000 miles. Got new Michelin CrossClimate 2 tires last fall, just in time for the worst winter weather we’ve had in years.
Able to photograph the odometer when it hit 50,000 miles — not as easy to do now that they don’t “roll into place.”
Contentment. Two dependable vehicles sharing the garage on a snowy winter’s night.
And our automobile saga comes to an end. When this series started last fall, I didn’t know there would be twenty-two entries. And the stories don’t include our adventures with my son’s Crown Victoria that was sitting up on blocks in our garage for several months after he accidentally cut the gas line instead of the brake line. Or the early 90s GMC Sierra pickup truck that was still a basic truck then, and had not become the “lifestyle vehicle” monstrosity modern American pickups have turned into. Or what my daughter considers the worst car of all, but it was an economy car, a basic stripper stick-shift Hyundai that survived delivering pizza for three years in Athens County, Ohio, and got her places for several years when she started full-time work…
I could go on. Thanks for reading, and to all for the insightful and kind comments.
Thanks for the series! All were enjoyable reads. Neighbor has 3 Mazda suvs and loves them all. He too traded from a Honda CRV on the oldest. Put two of his kids in the hand me downs.
CX-5’s are great vehicles!! We’re going on 7 years with our 2015 and have only done regular maintenance. My parents are on their second CX-5 and have loved their ownership. Just last night my wife and I were talking about replacing our 2015 with a newer one.
We just bought a new 2025 CX-5 S PP (non-turbo, no giant touchscreen). Already have almost 6K miles. After a 48-year-long string of new cars ranging from a Rabbit and Sentra to an Infiniti, and multiple Audis and Mercedes-Benzes, the Mazda fits our needs like no other. And for well under $40K (no trade-in), including the Mazda 10-year/125,000-mile/$0 deductible warranty. It is possible to find automotive happiness; it just takes a lot of research.
Saw the ‘26 CX-5 at the car show and sadly nearly all the interior buttons are gone, replaced by a large touch screen. Argh. Great looking though, and a little larger back seat and cargo area.
Well that was a trip! RX2 to CX5 with a bunch of stops in between. I enjoyed the series, there was a 510 in it and you traced a path that most of us are traversing. Well done.
I’ve enjoyed this series very much – and fitting that it ends with a CX-5. I know a few people who have them, and everyone I know seem very satisfied. It’s certainly a car that would be high on my list, though it would be a bit higher if it came with something other than an all-black interior.
In the our one car that has a modern sound system, I also use a USB drive, where I uploaded my CDs. I find this a great way to listen to music – no synching or anything else. Just get in the car, and the music is already there. I know some people scoff at the USB thing, but I like it.
I remember when I used car washes how the back would often have big drippy dirty streaks. It’s odd that even good car washes can’t seem to rinse the stuff off well enough. I’m sure that’s magnified on a black car.
Well, thanks for the series – very enjoyable reading!
We hunted down our Soul Red 2025 with the parchment interior.
It wasn’t particularly easy, but it was worth it.
We don’t understand car buyers’ obsession for (or at least willingness to buy) all-black interiors; but every single car company wouldn’t shove them down our throats if there wasn’t a ready market for them.
Thanks for sharing all your stories through a great series!
I very much enjoyed this series, Pete. And you have my vote for your continuing to write up the “missing” cars.
At what point does Mazda stop sending you service-reminder videos? Personally, I find those sorts of things annoying (and I don’t generally wish to visit any dealer’s service department for a brake job that I could get done elsewhere for 1/4 to 1/2 the price), but I could see how they would work to encourage some owners to do necessary maintenance.
When they no longer have your current address, basically!
I have a 2022 (bought new) and ditto on the center console being way too wide (and tall) in the CX-5.
Mazda must not care since virtually every review of the CX-5 mentions the issue and has for years.
I would have opted for a RAV-4 if any were available back in 2022, mainly for the increased knee room and cargo room.
For some reason Mazda was one of the few car company with anything on the lots back during the chip shortage.
I am another who has enjoyed this series. The CX5 seems to check the right boxes for a lot of people, judging from how common they have become. One would probably be my first choice for something in that segment. Yours looks really nice!
You do know that the 2.3L engines in the Fords are Mazda blocks, right! Ford and Mazda still do have a relationship. My brother-in-law swears buy Mazda CX-5’s and CX-50’s however.
Looked at a ’23 CX-5 turbo real hard. Real fun to drive, less space than a CR-V and had the not-yet-updated screen which was a bit wonky. CR-V won out. Good decision. Wish it had more poop! Still hard for me to warmly embrace a 1.5 liter turbo all stressed out.
That was a great ride, I’m sure there’s another car or two in the future. My father in law is 87 and thought his Audi Q3 was his last car but as is typical of VAG products it is developing expensive maladies and a Mazda may be in his future. We had a 2016 CX-5 and mostly liked it apart from lack of space and my wife couldn’t see out easily. She now has a Fiat 500 which she loves because it’s the right size. The CX-5 is Mazda’s best seller for good reasons and supports the Miata/MX-5. I don’t like the looks of the newer ones and hat the screen only new models.