2021.5 Mazda CX-5 Review - Modern Mama

I recently had the opportunity to test drive the 5-seat 2021.5 Mazda CX-5 Signature edition.  With a SKYACTIV – G 2.5 T 4-cylinder engine with Dynamic Pressure Turbo Drive 6 -speed automatic transmission all-wheel drive.

Anytime you get to rent a vehicle or test drive a vehicle it is always a nice treat to be able to drive around and test out all the latest features that come along with a new vehicle. This SUV was no exception and was a real treat to drive.

My usual mode of transport is a mini van and a car so it was nice to have something that was in-between in terms of interior space.  If you have kids that NEED to have that area of separation when in the car, you know how important added space is.

.

The 2021.5 Mazda CX-5 has a overall length of 4,550 mm and width of 1,845 mm with an nice 569L trunk capacity.  There is ample headroom, legroom, hip room and shoulder room.  The model GS and up have rear seats that have a center console with armrest,  storage,  cupholders and 2 USB ports, which are very useful for the backseat passengers.

Review

Disclaimer: I was loaned the car for 1 week in exchange for a review. As always my reviews are of my own personal experiences and opinions. 

.

Some standard features with the 2021.5 Mazda CX-5:

Skyactive-G 2.5 Engine, 17″alloy wheels, manually foldable door mirrors, LED headlights and daytime running lights, Auto on/off headlights, variable rain-sensing windshield wipers, noise isolating windshield/glass, privacy glass on rear windows.  Smart city brake (front) , i-ACTIVSENSE safety technology (lane-keep assist system front and rear parking sensors Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, Smart Brake Support Front, Distance Recognition Support System, Forward Obstruction Warning, Lane Departure Warning System, Lane-keep Assist System, High Beam Control System, and colour Multi-information Display),  wide-angle rearview camera, seat belt indicators for all passengers (even in the back),  heated front seats and rear heater ducts (under front seats).

The on board hand-free infotainment system has a 10.25-inch colour display with Mazda Connect, HMI Commander, Android Auto/Apple Car Play with 2 front seat USB ports.

What I did not love about the 2021 Mazda CX-5 Signature:

The on board infotainment system was a bit tricky to maneuver. I don’t know if it is because I am used to the system that we have in my Jetta but I found the Mazda system difficult to use as a hand-free system when you wanted to navigate to an address or change radio stations. The controls for the system sit in the middle front console, which I felt was awkward. There is no touch screen it is a dial and button system. I had to scroll through to each letter and press the enter button to type an address.

The middle console cup holders are in a position that if you have a hot cup of something in the holder, it can potentially sit right up against your hip/butt and be uncomfortable.  I also found that when driving the car it would randomly beep and flash up a message that would say, “driver alert, take a break”. I found this more annoying and distracting than anything, especially when we were not driving for that long of a stretch.

.

What I liked about the 2021.5 Mazda CX-5 Signature:

At first I was on the fence about this feature – Windshield projected color active driving display (ADD). For someone that has never used it before it was annoying at first to have it to look at while driving, but I quickly saw the benefit of it as it notified me of speed limit changes and actually made it much easier and almost “natural” to keep my speed at at the posted limit.

I never set this up as, but Mazda connected services can be set-up on your phone to allow you to remote start/stop your engine, lock and unlock your door get your vehicles health status report etc, which is a great feature right there.

I love that there are so many more safety features that come standard. Like the lane-keep assist, forward obstruction warning, rear-view cameras etc. I have always disliked having to turn high beams on and off as you drive  past another car, now the car does it for you. The heated seats in the back were a huge hit with the kids. It made their time in the car so much more enjoyable.  The Bose sound system in the Signature edition sounded amazing.  The seats were quite comfortable and form fitting. The gear shift was in a nice position when sitting in the car.

An intelligent and useful feature available on the 2021.5 Mazda CX-5 (in my opinion) is the I-Active AWD. It is available as an option on the GX and GS Models.  Using 27 sensors that monitor everything (200 times per second) from the outside temperature, amount of rain (windshield wiper sensors), acceleration and braking patterns,  weather conditions, road conditions and terrain. The car predicts and adapts to driving conditions and assists with enhanced traction when you need it.

Fuel Economy

The 2021.5 Mazda CX-5 GS model has a fuel efficiency rating of 9.3-9.8L/100km city and 7.6-7.9L/100km hwy.  The Signature model is not as fuel efficient due to its turbo engine but has a rating of 10.8L/100km city and 8.7L/100km hwy.

The Signature Edition has a SKYACTIV-G 2.5 T 4-cylinder with Dynamic Pressure Turbo engine and a 56L fuel tank. It has a MSRP of $42,750.  Mazda’s have an unlimited mileage warranty that comes standard on all new models which is a nice added feature.

.

Final Thoughts:

Overall the 2021.5 Mazda CX-5 was a really fun car to drive.  It has a lot of great new features and make driving safer, more comfortable and fun. The ride was quiet and smooth. It was great to have the added interior room but was still easy to drive and park.  I like the color options but really thought the soul red crystal metallic option was really sharp to drive.   The unlimited mileage warranty that comes standard on all new Mazdas is a great feature.

Note: The 2022 Mazda CX-5 ‘s are listed on the website as coming out soon and their MSRP is $30,200-$43,350