Kia Sportage v Mazda CX-5 2023 Comparison

SUVs are now the default choice for Aussie car buyers, easily outselling passenger cars as the boxy and versatile body style reigns supreme.

Among these high-riding wagons, the mid-size SUV segment is the most popular – for good reason.

It’s big enough to tackle the family car needs of multiple kids and weekends away, but small enough to be manageable around the suburbs.

Generous proportions also afford passengers good comfort levels and room for their gear. It’s no wonder the mid-size SUV is the sweet spot for Aussie buyers across a variety of life stages.

So why compare these two?

For years, the Mazda CX-5 has been the darling of the medium SUV segment. It’s currently back to a once-familiar position as the best-selling model in the category – aided, admittedly, by low supplies of the Toyota RAV4 – but even if it’s not topping the sales charts, it’s never far behind.

It’s also been highly regarded by us at carsales, with its sophisticated styling holding its age well and ongoing improvements over the past decade – including two in the space of 12 months – ensuring it’s still at the pointy end of this class.

There’s still some time before the CX-5 is replaced, but the competition is catching up – on all fronts.

Perhaps its biggest threat is the latest-generation Kia Sportage, which has already proven its worth as carsales’ Best Mid-size SUV in 2022.

The exterior design of the Mazda and Kia could not be further apart, and that may well divide buyers from the get-go. A modern and angular Kia offers an obvious juxtaposition to the sophisticated and understated Mazda.

These two are ardent rivals but exist in a large talent pool of Aussie favourites and emerging badges alike. As well as the RAV4, let us not forget the always-lurking Subaru Forester, Hyundai Tucson and Nissan X-TRAIL. There’s no time for resting on your laurels.

Tested in their top-spec all-wheel drive offerings, the 2023 Kia Sportage GT-Line and Mazda CX-5 Akera, these vehicles represent the full bells-and-whistles package from their respective manufacturer.

Both the 2023 Kia Sportage and Mazda CX-5 are available in a broad range of model variants spanning petrol engines – both naturally aspirated or turbocharged – and a turbo-diesel option, as well as front-wheel drive or AWD drivelines.

The Sportage also offers a manual transmission in addition to the usual automatic transmission, and will add a hybrid to its arsenal within 12 months.

The 2023 Mazda CX-5 Akera Turbo AWD on test is priced from $54,000 plus on-road costs, while the Kia Sportage GT-Line AWD is more affordable at $49,720 plus ORCs.

Both SUVs are powered by four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engines, but the Mazda’s larger-capacity 2.5-litre unit (170kW/420Nm) trumps the 1.6-litre (132kW/265Nm) found in the Kia in terms of output.

Both vehicles send power to all four wheels, done via a traditional torque-converter six-speed automatic in the Mazda and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission in the Kia.

The CX-5 is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and five years’ roadside assistance. Service intervals are 12 months/10,000km and Mazda’s capped-price service schedule will see you spend $1875 over five years or 50,000km. That’s an average of $375 per annum.

The Sportage’s longer seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty has just one year of free roadside assist, although this will be renewed for up to eight years if you keep returning to an authorised Kia dealer for the annual scheduled services.

The Kia’s service schedule is the same 12 months but with a longer 15,000km interval, and over seven years or 105,000km the routine maintenance will cost you $3988 – $569 per annum.

Upon first impressions, it’s hard to ignore the wow factor of dual 12.3-inch digital integrated screens in the 2023 Kia Sportage GT-Line.

It’s a bit of a show-stopper. It not only brings a more modern tone to the cabin but is easier to see and navigate.

The dash-top screen in the Mazda CX-5 Akera works well but feels a little dated by comparison. The rotary dial controller is not as user friendly as it once was, particularly when you try to navigate phone mirroring screens. Technophiles will hands-down be drawn to the Kia.

Both the CX-5 and Sportage tick the must-have infotainment details such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio, satellite navigation and voice control.

Both vehicles present an extensive safety suite in top-trim guise. There’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane assist, reversing camera with 360-degree view, attention assist and speed assist.

The Mazda goes further with a head-up display, but the Kia’s clever digital display, blind spot cameras and multi-view 3D 360-degree camera go one better. The quick visual display in the instrumentation panel provides a great view that not only could save cyclists but rim damage, too.

Both vehicles score a five-star ANCAP safety rating but the Mazda’s dates back to 2017 levels of testing that may not hold up against today’s more stringent testing. The Kia was awarded its maximum rating in 2022.

In both, the heated and ventilated leather seats offer electric adjust with lumbar support and two-position memory. But it’s the Mazda that feels more comfortable and of a better-quality material.

On paper, sound systems favour the 10-speaker Bose stereo in the Mazda over the eight-speaker Harman Kardon in the Kia, but only the few will feel this difference with the sound cranked.

If their differing looks and the key safety, technology and comfort/convenience features haven’t resolved your thinking, the powertrain and performance of the 2023 Kia Sportage GT-Line 1.6T AWD and the Mazda CX-5 Akera 2.5T AWD may settle buyers’ preferences once and for all.

Do you want the brawn of a larger-capacity Mazda or the benefits of a more efficient Kia?

The Mazda CX-5 2.5T AWD delivers a simplicity and effortless drive with good power at the ready. Fun and engaging are words that spring to mind, but it’s also well balanced.

The 2.5-litre turbo is a ripper. It carries the CX-5 with confidence and power delivery is smooth. A highly responsive throttle gives it an ‘always on’ feeling, which is great for flitting around the suburbs and freeway duties alike. The car weighs in at 1693kg and feels all of that – solid and planted.

Crisp steering and a quiet cabin make for a very comfortable commute. Even around town, the Mazda’s suspension does a great job of absorbing the lumps and bumps of Melbourne’s potholed roads.

And the Mazda certainly has an advantage in the towing stakes with a 2000kg braked towing capacity, bettering the 1650kg of the Kia.

It’s not until you jump behind the wheel of the Kia Sportage 1.6T AWD, however, that you realise, well, it’s much better where driving comfort is concerned.

It’s a more involved and engaging drive and dynamically more enjoyable.

On the road, you immediately feel a greater sense of sophistication to its on-road manners. And in this instance a more modern ambience filters through to its ride and handling, too.

The Sportage feels composed and effortless in its power deliver and its handling will suit more enthusiastic drivers. There’s a sportiness to the Kia that you won’t find in the Mazda.

Ride comfort is also better in the Kia. The Australian suspension tune pays dividends behind the wheel.

We found that cabin noise was not quite as a low in the Sportage as it is in the Mazda, and we prefer the CX-5’s traditional six-speed transmission over the Kia’s seven-speed dual-clutch. The Kia also doesn’t have the same low-end hustle of the Mazda.

But it’s a pretty compelling package overall, and the difference is not as large as we’d expected on this one.

Just as the driver will find favour with the 2023 Kia Sportage GT-Line, rear seat passengers will also be happier in the more comfortable, dimensionally larger and better-equipped second row.

The extra legroom in the Kia will be a win for families with those rapidly growing teens!

Likewise, the Kia Sportage’s 543-1829-litre boot capacity betters the 438-1340L of the Mazda CX-5.

That said, if you’re after great load flexibility, the 40/20/40-split folding rear seats of the Mazda outdo the 60/40 arrangement in the Kia. Full marks for the Mazda’s load functionality.

You’ll find a full-size spare wheel in the Kia and a space-saver in the Mazda.

It’s easy to see why the Mazda CX-5 has been a dominant force in the ever-popular mid-size SUV segment over the past decade – it ticks a lot of boxes, and still looks good, too.

A good track record and enduring appeal speaks volumes.

Pitched against the new Kia Sportage, however, the CX-5 falls short.

Kia continues to deliver products that speak to buyers in a variety of ways – a lengthy equipment list, an extensive and savvy technology suite, generous cabin space and compelling warranty provisions, for starters.

Perhaps surprisingly, the 2023 Kia Sportage also delivers when it comes to ride and handling, which means its overall package will have broader appeal.

It’s not perfect, but it’s taking large strides in that direction.

The Kia Sportage is a clear winner in this comparison and worth your attention.

2023 Kia Sportage GT-Line 1.6T AWD at a glance:
Price: $49,720 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 132kW/265Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 7.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 164g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)

2023 Mazda CX-5 Akera Turbo AWD at a glance:
Price: $54,000 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 170kW/420Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 172g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2017)