2014 Mazda CX-5 Review

I bought a 2014 Mazda CX-5 because of the fuel economy. I drive over 100km a day and I was spending around $450 a month on gas with my 2005 Ford Escape. Switching to the CX-5 has reduced my gas expense to around $300 a month. That $150/month in gas savings reduces my cost of ownership significantly. With an automatic transmission, the CX-5 is rated for 6.0 L/100KM highway and 7.9 L/100KM city. I do a lot of highway driving and get about 680 KM before I have to fill the 56 L tank.

I need the space of a small SUV to carry around things like a bass guitar and amplifier and the CX-5 has plenty of room for that.

The styling is sporty. Clever lines, curves and trim make the CX-5 look more like a car that stands tall than a truck. Several of my friends have asked how I like my new little car. I tell them that it's bigger than my old Ford Escape! It's about 4cm wider and 6cm longer. 

It's very roomy inside. I'm 5' 11" and 250 pounds and I find it very comfortable. The rear seats fold down to expand the cargo space. Unfortunately, they don't fold down flat. That's something I miss from the Escape. The CX-5 doesn't have rear seat cushions that pull out for the seat backs to fold into, so the folded down seats leave a surface that's a little on an incline. If a completely flat cargo area is important to you, then this might not be the right vehicle for you.

The air conditioning could be a little more robust. We've had a heat wave the last few days and it's taken awhile for the interior to cool down. The black interior could also be contributing to that. The sand interior is only available on two colour choices: White on the GX trim and red which is only available on the upgraded GS model.

The convenience package is a $1700 option on the GX that gets you 17" Alloy Wheels, Bluetooth with Audio Profile and steering wheel controls, Privacy glass, Colour display screen, and HD radio. The bluetooth is a nice feature that allows me to stream podcasts and play lists without having to connect with a cable. When I get back in the car and turn it on, the bluetooth picks up where I left off.

Overall, I'm happy with the CX-5. The 155hp engine with 6-speed transmission is more responsive than I thought it would be, but I had set my expectations low for that to begin with. Acceleration is less than I had with my 200hp Ford Escape. But, the tiptronic feature allows you to easily change to manual shifting without the need for a clutch. It allows the driver to take over achieve higher revs before shifting. It's fun to do and it gains back most of the acceleration performance. For me, the moderately lower acceleration is a totally acceptable tradeoff for the vastly increased fuel economy.