2026 Mazda CX-5 2.5S Premium Plus - Review by David Colman +VIDEO

Mazda makes some really exciting products. Unfortunately, this isn't one of them.

David Colman

Story and Photos by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL

After nearly a decade of continuous production, Mazda shelved its outdated CX-5 for an all-new version this year. There are two areas where this all-new CX-5 shows its Mazda pedigree. The first is agility and responsive handling. Equipped with adhesive 225/55R19 Toyo Open Country H/T radials (TW 300) mounted on blackened 19-inch alloy rims, and fitted with front and rear stabilizer bars, the new CX-5 deserves front row admission to the back road fun zone. G-Vectoring does a great job of allocating horsepower to the wheel that can best handle the continuous transfer of power. This all-new Mazda is also a willing partner on the interstate. At 60-75mph, the interior stays reassuringly quiet. The Premium Plus's 12-speaker BOSE audio system makes maximum use of the huge subwoofer embedded inside the temporary spare tire stored under the rear platform.

The other significant upgrade over the outgoing CX-5 is a significant increase in cabin size and rear seat legroom. The new CX-5 is 4.5 inches longer in wheelbase and overall length. Most of that gain benefits rear seat passengers who now enjoy enough legroom to ride in comfort. Your traveling companions also luxuriate in 2 extra inches of rear knee clearance, which makes the updated CX-5 much more amenable to transporting large families. Increased roof height now affords a taller loading bay, a larger automated liftgate, and a more spacious rear cargo area. The CX-5 now gives you 101 cubic feet of (nearly) flat storage room with the rear split seats folded, enough to sneak my mountain bike inside. So for a family transport, the newly enlarged CX-5 makes a sensible choice.

Mazda plans to introduce a hybrid version of the CX-5 for 2027, but for the time being, the only engine available is a 2.5-liter inline-4 producing 187hp and 186lb.-ft. of torque. With a curb weight of 3,900lb., the CX-5 posts a power-to-weight ratio of 20.85lb/hp, which results in rather lethargic (and noisy) acceleration when you accelerate to match freeway traffic from a merging on-ramp. The CX-5 needs 8.2 seconds to reach 60mph from a standing start and posts a 16.5-second quarter-mile run. All-wheel drive is standard on all versions of the CX-5, as is a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The Premium Plus version offers paddle shifts and a manual gate to facilitate driver-originated gear choice. Mazda also offers a Sport Mode driving preference which must be selected through the infotainment screen.

From a driving experience standpoint, Mazda makes some really exciting products. Unfortunately, this isn't one of them. While the 2026 revamp may carry the same CX-5 designation as the model it replaces, but it's a completely new vehicle. The outgoing CX-5 looked and drove like a mini station wagon, sitting low and looking slinky. Its boxy replacement looks and feels like a compact SUV. That configuration change would be acceptable, but Mazda engineers also junked the predecessor's rotary knob control dial with a 100% screen-based system guaranteed to try your patience every time you get behind the steering wheel. Now, mind you, that new steering wheel itself is gorgeous. In the top echelon Premium Plus model we tested (Base Price $38,990), the wheel comes with a silky leather wrap that feels so slick you'll never want to lift your hands. But that's the only part of the driver/vehicle interface that will elate you. Instead of Mazda's tried-and-true knob and mute button, you're confronted with an oversized 15.6-inch infotainment display screen that subsumes virtually all command functions relating to the operation of this vehicle.

The screen is so large it sucks all the air out of the interior. Thus, you'll need a full-time copilot to monitor its myriad icons and implement changes for even the most basic functions - like cabin temperature, fan operation, radio station selection - and especially volume control. If you want to silence the radio, you have to deal with a two-icon screen push or wind down the noise via a slow-acting volume slider on the left spoke of the steering wheel.

When and why did driving become a two-person occupation? You now spend more time looking at your screen display than you do looking at the road. At that point, you've lost the battle to stay safe. NHTSA constantly bombards us with warnings to avoid drunk and distracted driving. But what about the kind of distraction that screen technology promotes and demands? As if to underline the point that the driver has become virtually irrelevant, Mazda has provided the revamped CX-5 with "Lane Change Assist." When you signal a lane change, the CX-5 will automatically move your car into an adjacent lane all by itself when "safe to do so." Did anyone ask for this useless automation? The auto industry is currently moving away from screen-only operation by reintroducing dials, knobs and buttons for basic control functions. Mazda, however, is headed in the opposite direction with its new CX-5.

2026 MAZDA CX-5 2.5S PREMIUM PLUS

• ENGINE: 2.5 liter inline-4, DOHC 16-valve, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
• HORSEPOWER: 187hp@6000rpm
• TORQUE: 186lb.-ft.@ 4000rpm
• FUEL CONSUMPTION: 24MPG City/30MPG Highway
• PRICE AS TESTED: $41,080

HYPES: More Room to Roam

GRIPES: Incomprehensible Driver Controls

STAR RATING: 7 Stars out of 10

©2026 David E Colman