2016 Mazda CX-5

The Mazda CX-5 does two more things right: it provides a very plush and comfortable interior, and does so while maintaining the ride quality on offer. The 2016 Mazda CX-5 is offered in 3 trims and starts at $21,795. The car goes up against the 2016 Buick Encore, the 2016 Toyota RAV4, and the 2016 MINI Cooper Countryman.

The 2016 Mazda CX-5 is offered in 3 trims, SPORT, TOURING, and GRAND TOURING. The CX-5 starts at $21,795 for the Sport variant and goes up to $29,870 for the Grand Touring variant. The CX-5 also offers a choice to choose between the FWD or the AWD. Standard features across all trims include alloy wheels, power accessories, cruise control, air-conditioning, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, and Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity. Mazda has also released a midyear 2016.5' model that comes with some minor updates and offers some optional things in the 2016 version as standard like rearview camera etc.

We recommend

To get the best for the money spent, we recommend getting the 2016.5 Grand Touring AWD model as it offers the best combination of performance and quality interiors under 30 grand. The Technology package is also recommended. The Grand Touring also gets a safety package, the i-ActiveSense package which adds driver assistance features, which is also recommended.

Mazda gives an option on the 2016 CX-5 to choose from either a 2.0L Inline-4 engine with the Sport FWD models or the 2.5L Inline-4 engine offered with the higher variants. The base engine is underpowered: it produces only 155 hp and has a torque output of 150 lb-ft. The 2.5L engine is more powerful and produces 184 hp along with 185 lb-ft of torque. There is a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic transmission on offer.

The car comes with FWD or AWD. The handling on the CX-5 is among the best that one can experience on a crossover car. Out on the highway, or just going around the city, it’s exceptional and the entire system comes together to provide a very accurate and relaxed experience. The cr has little body roll around corners, but it’s manageable.

With a decent motor under its skin, the 2016 Mazda CX-5 reaches the 0-60 mph mark in under 8 seconds, slightly slower than the MINI which takes 7.5 seconds and is the quickest of the lot. The RAV4 takes 8 seconds while the Encore takes 9.5 seconds and thus finishes at the last. The Mazda produces the most power and torque among these four cars.

The 2016 Mazda CX-5 returns a fuel economy of 29 mpg combined on the base trim with FWD and the 2.0L engine. The trim in focus, the AWD version with the 2.5L engine returns 26 mpg combined, 24 mpg in the city, and 30 mpg on the highway. The car comes with a fuel tank capacity of 15.3 gallons and has a combined range of 397.8 miles.

Because of its efficient and less demanding motor, the Countryman has the highest fuel efficiency value of 29 mpg. The CX-5 comes at 2nd position with the fuel efficiency of 26 mpg and thus shares its position with the Encore. Finally, the RAV4 comes at the end of the line with the least fuel efficiency value of just 22 mpg. The RAV4 however, offers the most highway range at 461.1 miles, whereas the most city range is offered by the Mazda at 367.2 miles.

The interiors received a slight refreshment for the year 2016. Be it the Sport or the Grand Touring trim, the Mazda offers the best cabin experience in each of its models. The CX-5 offers a comfortable and roomy interior with the purpose to provide the best ride quality and interior experience. With just simple materials used inside the cabin, the interior looks mature and well-laid out.

Both the front and the rear cabin feels roomy and offers a great amount of room to stretch. The seats have excellent support and are well-cushioned, with decent bolstering as well. The rear is better than the front with its better legroom and more cushioned seats as well. Visibility through the cabin is slightly compromised. The ingress and egress functionality is good as well.

The MINI offers the most front row headroom and the RAV4 has the most front row legroom. At the rear, the Mazda has the most headroom and legroom as well. The Toyota RAV4 boasts the best in class boot space with a capacity of 38.4 cu.ft. The Mazda is second, and the cargo is extremely large when compared to its rivals. Some interior features on the Mazda are:

• Air-conditioning
• Cruise control
• 60/40 split-folding rear seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Upgraded cloth upholstery
• Heated front seats

How intuitive is the 2016 Mazda CX-5’s infotainment unit?

With a refreshed infotainment, the CX-5 strives to be more modern and intuitive than most crossovers. With a 7-inch touchscreen and a multifunction control knob, the infotainment feels more refreshed yet familiar to use. Standard infotainment features include an auxiliary audio jack, iPod/USB interface, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a CD player, and a four-speaker sound system. Some infotainment features are:

• Auxiliary audio jack
• CD player
• Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity
• Nine-speaker Bose audio system
• Satellite radio
• HD radio

The 2016 Mazda CX-5 is the first vehicle coming from the barn of Mazda that embodies the "Kodo Soul of Motion" styling philosophy of the automaker. The car got slight changes to its exterior for this year. Its muscular looks and straight lines blend in a beautiful way that makes the vehicle look athletic and active. With a straight forward stance and attractive looks, the car is a definite head turner that will leave the onlookers craving for one. 

When comparing to the rivals, it’s pretty evident that all four cars have a similar height. The Toyota RAV4 is the heaviest, longest, and widest of the lot. The Mazda is a long car as well. The other two cars: the Buick Encore and the MINI are pretty compact and short in length as well. They weigh 200 lbs lower also. Some exterior features on the 2016 Mazda CX-5 are:

• Alloy wheels
• Foglights
• Automatic headlights
• Automatic windshields wipers
• Heated mirrors
• Spoiler
• Sunroof

The 2016 Mazda CX-5 scored 4-stars from the NHTSA and secured an overall rating of ‘Good’ from the IIHS. The 2016 CX-5 comes standard with antilock brakes, stability and traction control, and airbags. An automatic crash notification feature is optional on the Sport but standard on the higher trims, which get some driver assistance features as standard. The Smart City Brake Support system uses a laser sensor to detect stationary objects. The 2016 Mazda CX-5 offers a host of safety features:

• Antilock disc brakes
• Traction and stability control
• Airbags
• Rearview camera
• Blindspot warning
• Smart City Brake Support System

Versatility, practicality and utility, these words can be used to define the nature of the 2016 Mazda CX-5. Whether used as a daily driver or an off-roader, the CX-5 stands as a capable car that can take on any terrain without taking much toll on itself. With the modern design that elegantly blends with its flowing line and curves to give it a muscular look, the CX-5 stands as a trendy crossover that looks athletic and lively even when it stands still.