2016 Mazda CX-5 AWD Review #DriveMazda

If you’ve read our post on the Mazda CX-3, then you know how much we loved driving it for a week and how well it handled through the Colorado mud and snow. As a “subcompact crossover” it was a great smaller family car, but now I introduce you to its big sibling, the Mazda CX-5 AWD. Thanks to Mazda and DriveShop, we were given the chance to test it out for a week and it had everything we loved about the Mazda CX-3 only bigger and for our family, that equaled better.

The interior of the Mazda CX-5 felt as upscale and luxurious as the Mazda CX-3 and included the same quality details. The console and touchscreen display seemed to have a slightly better layout due to the extra cabin room. While the lines weren’t quite as sleek and stylish inside, I enjoyed having the extra room in between the seats and around the controls, plus a perfect place to toss your phone and keys.

The extra room carried through to the back seats, where we were able to sit a toddler car seat, a booster seat with a back and my oldest (without a car seat) comfortably. Those of you with multiple kids in car seats know how bulky the seats can be and how easy it is for them to swallow the entire back seat. The Mazda CX-5 was wide enough to accommodate all three kiddos which is definitely a rare find. Not only was there extra space throughout the passenger area, the rear cargo space was enormous.

Although larger, the Mazda CX-5 was equally fun to drive and still gripped the road through turns and curves. The AWD model we tested boasted a 2.5L, 184-HP, 4-cylinder engine giving it a little more go than the Mazda CX-3, but really, its best performance quality was how well it handled the terrain. The Mazda CX-5 is an incredibly sporty crossover both in look and handling.

Pair its agile performance with safety features like a rear back-up camera, blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning, and add the innovative SkyActiv Technology and you’ll see why the Mazda CX-5 is redefining crossovers. Overall, we are very impressed with Mazda’s vision to deliver only the best with its CX models and are looking forward to sharing our next #DriveMazda experience.