It may not have a premium badge on its nose, but the Mazda CX-5 still holds its own compared to its competitors—and it’s a far sight cheaper than many equivalent German alternatives.
The CX-5 also handles better than many other cars in its class—great news if you’re trading in a smaller family car and can’t face the shock of an SUV with excessive body lean and poor road manners.
Mazda recently gave the CX-5 a facelift, updating its aesthetics and adding a few extra trim levels to ensure there’s one for every buyer’s needs. Moreover, you can twin these trim levels with a choice of petrol or diesel engines, manual or automatic gearboxes, and two- or four-wheel drive. But before we delve too deeply into the CX-5, let’s check in with its key stats.
| Brand-new price range | £29,000–£43,000 |
| Car Planet price range | £9,000–£13,000 / £184–£251 a month |
| Trims | 11 |
| Engines | 4 |
| Available fuels | Petrol, diesel |
| mpg range across all versions | 35–50 |
| Doors | 5 |
| Warranty | 3 years / 60,000 miles |
| Company car tax at 20% (min/max) | £1,938 / £3,081 |
| Company car tax at 40% (min/max) | £3,875 / £6,162 |
Equipment, options and extras
The Mazda CX-5’s entry-level Centre-Line is our pick of the five trim levels. It’s cost-efficient but still packs a punch in terms of goodies: alloy wheels, parking aids, infotainment, adaptive cruise control and dual-zone climate control.
The Newground trim makes for a more rugged look, but it’s only available with petrol engines and lacks any additional kit except larger 19in alloy wheels and a reversible rubber mat in the boot. If your budget can stretch, the Exclusive-Line isn’t drastically pricier and brings extra luxury: keyless entry, electric tailgate, heated steering wheels, leather seats heated in the front, and a head-up display which projects speed and other information onto the windscreen in front of the driver.
Fourth in the range is the Homura, primarily concerned with aesthetic changes, and topping off the five is the Takumi, with Nappa leather trim, a powered tailgate and a 360° camera.
Costs, insurance groups, mpg and CO2
A Mazda CX-5 fitted with the 2.0 Skyactiv-G petrol engine feels a little weaker on the road compared to the diesels, but remains our pick for private buyers because it’s cheaper while offering decent fuel economy. It costs less than the equivalent Peugeot 5008 Škoda Kodiaq, although a tad more than the Citroën C5 Aircross.
The CX-5 is predicted to retain its value as well as the Kodiaq, but will likely depreciate faster than the 5008 and Aircross, rendering PCP deals especially competitive. High-mileage drivers seeking the best fuel economy must check out the manual 2.2 Skyactiv-D 150 and front-wheel–drive 184 diesels—although our favourite is the abovementioned 2.0 Skyactiv-G, which offers incredibly competitive real-world fuel consumption as far as petrols go.
Finally, the CX-5’s CO2 emissions are on a par with those of its rivals, but the lack of full hybrid means there are better options if you want to cut your BIK tax bill. The Ford Kuga PHEV plugin hybrid and its ilk are in much lower company car tax bands.
Safety and security
The Mazda CX-5 brings a shedload of safety equipment, including six airbags, stability control and city emergency braking, not to mention a myriad of features many manufacturers include only for a premium, like blind spot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance and rear cross-traffic alert. This all adds up to the CX-5 being included among Euro NCAP’s safest cars.
For total peace of mind, you might consider the Driver Assistance pack, available as an option from the Exclusive-Line trim and included as standard with the Takumi. It includes automatic emergency braking and a driver attention monitor.
In general, the Mazda comes with an alarm and engine immobiliser, making it highly resistant to theft.
Reliability
The Mazda CX-5 comes with an unremarkable 3-year or 60,000-mile warranty, extendable for a fee. By way of contrast, Kia’s warranty is significantly better, running to 7 years as standard.
The Car Planet verdict
The Mazda CX-5 is one of the finest large SUVs you can buy. It may lack the additional practicality of a comparable seven-seater like the Peugeot 5008, but it’s safe, classy, competitively priced and superbly equipped. The 2.0 petrol in the entry-level Centre-Line offers the optimal value for money, but the diesels are well worth exploring as well if you do above-average mileage.
Car Planet are experts in used cars in Watford and Hertfordshire. Our virtual viewings mean you can check out a car from the comfort of your own home, or you can come in and view our cars in person. Every car goes through a thorough 150-point check to ensure it’s totally roadworthy. We’re transparent, too: we always display the details of a car’s imperfections. We care about sustainability, which is why we plant a tree for every car we sell, and we provide a 7-day money-back guarantee to any customer who isn’t absolutely satisfied with our service. With our competitive finance deals and part exchanges, you’re sure to find what you need, so check out our selection of secondhand Mazda CX-5s today and let’s get the ball rolling!
