Mazda CX-5 2016 Review

Mazda CX-5 Maxx AWD SKYACTIV-G
Road Test

The top-selling car in its class for good reason, even the base-level model of the bulky Mazda CX-5 offers an impressive range of features. Despite having the boot space, legroom and visibility of a bigger car, it drives like small hatchback thanks to responsive brakes and steering and zippy transmission. Thorough nitpicking unearths some annoyances but thoughtful, practical design means this comfy car is close to perfect.

Like most Australians, I love an underdog.

I don’t like backing the sure-fire successes or the crowd favourites; I prefer the pleasant surprises and the quiet achievers. That’s why, when told I’m driving Australia’s best-selling SUV from one of Australia’s favourite imported car brands, I instantly want to hate it.

It’s a big car with a bulky front that makes it look even larger than it is. Seriously, it’s somewhat worrying there are even bigger options available. However, inside the car you get the benefit of its hulking exterior – it’s positively palatial, with plenty of legroom and great visibility everywhere you look.

Unlike so many of its contemporaries, the CX-5’s dashboard is refreshingly streamlined.

This has a lot to do with the controls for the entertainment system being positioned near the gearstick to minimise distraction whilst driving. It takes some getting used to, but the large, circular navigation button is a smart way to centralise everything to a spot that makes more sense than a tiny dial next to a screen. The steering wheel controls for music and phone calls also come in handy.

I was impressed to find that, for the base model of this particular car, the Maxx is surprisingly well equipped. It boasts Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, satellite navigation, a reverse camera, idle-stop functionality, an electronic parking brake and a push-button start (although I’ve never quite thought of those last two as benefits per se).

The only real indicators of its price bracket are the cloth seats and the lack of parking sensors. While a grainy reverse camera does the job, sensors are something this hefty car could benefit from – sometimes it’s hard to gauge the distance between the front corner of the CX-5 and that unhelpfully located rubbish bin.

One clever feature I hadn’t encountered before was the tyre-pressure monitor, something I thought was absolutely ingenious. I’m constantly having bizarre paranoia that the reason that section of road felt so rough was because my front-left wheel is deflated so having a monitor for that kind of thing was a real relief. And yes, I do realise this is an unusual paranoia perhaps unique to me. Other drivers might not find a tyre-pressure monitor quite as exciting.

What the rest of you might find exciting, however, is how great the CX-5’s sat nav is.

There’s even a kind lady who warns you when a fixed speed or red light camera is approaching. Not that I speed or run red lights or anything like that. It’s just nice to know that if I did I would have a heads up before I got caught.

On the road the Mazda handles beautifully. While I expected it to feel sluggish, it’s incredibly nimble and zips around like a small hatchback. Engine noise is minimal and the tyres glide over speed bumps and potholes without giving the driver or passengers too much grief.

Driving a Mazda you start to realise just how many of them there are on our roads. I spotted about seven CX-5s in my first day of driving, three of them in the same ‘Soul Red’ as my own. This is definitely not a car for the non-conformist.

The idle-stop function, although probably key in delivering the promised fuel consumption of 7.4L/100km, is a little jumpy at times. If you brake for a short period of time and then start up again (as you would in bumper-to-bumper traffic) it can take a couple of seconds to get going and give a little jolt, which I found frustrating so I turned it off. That might explain why my trip computer had my journey clocking in at 10.6L/100km.

About three days into my test drive I started panicking that I would have nothing to write in this review because nothing had shocked or appalled me thus far. Instead, I’d had a completely unremarkable time driving the Mazda to the point I’d forgotten it didn’t belong to me. I had to remind myself to put my reviewer hat back on and remain vigilant.

Thus, in my efforts to expose the flaws of the seemingly flawless Mazda, I did come across two minor issues that actually bothered me a fair bit. One, the indicator is strangely quiet. So much so that I had to keep checking if I’d actually put it on. Two, the locking mechanism is also very quiet, making it difficult to tell if I’d locked the car. I don’t need an annoying beeping noise, but something noticeable would have been handy.

Otherwise, the entertainment system is eminently usable, the in-ride experience is ridiculously comfortable and the brakes, transmission and steering are all smooth and stress-free.

One of the criteria us reviewers are asked to use when appraising the cars we drive is “point of difference”. While there’s nothing that particularly stands out about the CX-5, perhaps that’s why it’s so popular.

In my humble opinion, it is the standard to which all cars in its class should be measured. Just this once, I’m backing the clear favourite.

2016 Mazda CX-5 Maxx AWD SKYACTIV-G pricing and specifications:
Price: $32,190 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 138kW/250Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 172g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP)

Also consider:
>> Nissan X-TRAIL (from $33,980 plus ORCs)
>> Kia Sportage  (from $34,990 plus ORCs)
>> Mitsubishi Outlander (from $33,490 plus ORCs)