Best Used Medium SUV for 2022

The 2015 Mazda CX-5 Maxx has been judged Australia’s best medium SUV by carsales Best Used Cars for 2022, proudly presented by Bingle.

It’s a particularly notable win for the Mazda, its fourth in a row.

Reflecting the CX-5’s remarkable popularity as a new car – topping the sales charts for several consecutive years – the Mazda is also a highly sought offering in the used car market.

The reasons for that are various, starting with the CX-5’s medium SUV footprint, delivering the sort of package that Australians want more than any other type. This is the new family wagon for the 2020s.

As we’ve noted in the past, the medium SUV is very versatile and affordable. It’s generally safe, comfortable, reliable and fairly cost-effective to own. Some models can go off-road and tow caravans, others are stylish and luxurious for slogging it out in the urban turf wars.

What sets the CX-5 apart from its competitors is its all-round competence. It can go off-road, if you choose one of the all-paw models, but it’s also fuel-efficient, comfortable, stylish and safe around town.

In 2015 the CX-5 outsold all its rivals in the medium SUV segment. Notching up over 25,000 units for the year, the CX-5 was nearly 7000 sales ahead of its closest competitor, the Toyota RAV4. In fact, nearly one in every five mid-size SUVs sold that year was a CX-5.

To win the medium SUV category in carsales Best Used Cars for 2022, the Mazda recorded a score of 83.9 points out of 100 – 35.9 from RedBook analysis and a whopping 48 points out of 50 from the judges.

As the bare-bones variant, the CX-5 Maxx is a front-wheel drive model powered by the 2.0-litre SKYACTIV-G petrol four-cylinder engine, available with manual transmission for just $29,190 plus on-road costs when new. After six (nearly seven) years, the CX-5 Maxx is still worth $19,202 in the used car market, according to RedBook.

For a road test of the Mazda CX-5 Maxx in 2015, carsales senior journalist Tim Britten wrote: “A week with a base all-wheel drive CX-5 Maxx was proof of Mazda’s corporate smarts. Already perceived as strong on safety, quality and style, the latest version further enhances its image as being a classy, refined and influential presence in the medium SUV segment.”

You can read more about the Mazda CX-5 Maxx in our launch review here.

In his assessment of the Mazda CX-5 as a used-car buy, Cliff Chambers wrote: “Mazda’s new participant in the combative medium SUV market was a success because it did most of what its target market wanted without quirks or chest thumping.”

The mid-size SUV segment is a highly competitive arena, and for any vehicle to outshine such a diverse range of model lines it must offer impressive design, engineering, packaging and value.

All of those attributes apply to the Mazda CX-5, once again a deserving winner in its category of carsales Best Used Cars for 2022, proudly presented by Bingle.

Find a used 2015 Mazda CX-5 Maxx on carsales

Honourable mentions:

The Toyota RAV4 scored 34.1 points from RedBook and 37 points from the judges for a total of 71.1
RedBook value: $22,273

“Toyota reliability in a functional, family-friendly, arguably conservative package, good cost to own despite six-month service intervals” – Ross Booth, RedBook data services director

“Conservative and familiar, perfect in most settings without ever doing enough to match the Mazda” – Cliff Chambers, carsales used-car buying expert

The Subaru Forester scored 20.9 points from RedBook and 41 points from the judges for a total of 61.9
RedBook value: $21,192

“Good off-road credentials in a family-friendly, safe package, good cost to own despite six-month service intervals” – Ross Booth, RedBook data services director

“Plenty of positives in Subaru’s all-rounder, including decent off-road ability and performance” – Ken Gratton, carsales technical editor

What makes a car eligible for carsales Best Used Cars?
• Less than six years old
• Standard side curtain airbags
• Standard Bluetooth
• Standard electronic stability control (mandated for 2014)
• Standard reversing camera for SUVs

How did RedBook weight the categories for scoring?
• 10 per cent for resale
• 10 per cent for ANCAP rating
• 20 per cent for cost of ownership
• Five per cent for service intervals
• Five per cent for number of days for vehicle to sell

Read all about carsales Best Used Cars for 2022 here