Mazda CX-5 Photo Gallery

Sporty styling. Big grille promises big powah.

Black with red stitching, interior much better than Mazda3 and Mazda5

Gayla loved the paint. Plastic wheel lip moldings, lower body cladding should help prevent rust.

Not what the grille promised.

Commanding appearance.

Thankfully more conventional than Mazda3, with a larger nav screen. Very good ergonomics.

Bolsters less effective than they appear. Red stitching attractive.

Good legroom, but cushion a little low, window line high, and seatback doesn't recline.

Pockets in the sidewalls perfectly sized for a gallon of milk.

Long hood. Needs the Grand Touring's 19-inch wheels to fill huge wheel openings.

The blue cover identifies this engine as SKYACTIV.

Black trim makes big wheel openings look even bigger. Grand Touring's 19s would help.

Not posh, but clean and sporty.

Base of windows rises steeply. Like some competitors, not easy to see out the back.

Extra half-liter for 2014 makes performance competitive, only one mpg sacrificed.

Big grille doesn't over-promise as much with the new engine.

Wheels appear under-sized from every angle.

Nothing fancy, but functional.

A few cubes short of the RAV4, but in the ballpark.

Seats fold nearly flat. About ten percent less cargo volume than in a RAV4 or CR-V.

Thinner, more elegant headlights and a broader, classier grille distinguish the second-gen CX-5.

The front end of the 2016 CX-5, for comparison. Nothing upscale here.

Cleaner, more elegant body sides on the second-gen CX-5. Dramatic curvy character lines deleted.

The original CX-5's body sides have sportier but less elegant styling.

Honda's designers have been dialing its exteriors up to 11 lately. A bit much, even garish?

Awkwardly hunched-up areas over the front and rear wheels.

Long hood => lack of interior space. Somewhat justified by efficient exhaust manifold it permits.

Truncated tail. Elegant and sporty, but not good for cargo-hauling capacity.

A lot more going on with the Honda's rump, much of it to disguise additional rear overhang.

I was not a fan of the 2012-2016 CR-V's rear-end styling. Awful proportions. They sold many anyway.

Far more upholstered and stitched surfaces than you'll usually find at this price point. Very nice.

Nice interior in the new CR-V, but not nearly as nice as the Mazda's. More of a minivan vibe.

The instrument panel looks compact. It is compact. Note stitched surfaces and artful vents.

Classic if plain gauges. Controls generally well-designed, trip computer could be more intuitive.

Front seats provide little lateral support, especially with slippery leather.

The Mazda's rear seat remains much less roomy than the Honda's.

Handy releases to fold rear seats without having to walk around to the side or lean way forward.

Less cargo space than in many competitors. But possibly all you need.

Plain black plastic cover does little to silence engine. Long hood provides space for manifolds.

Good but not great power and economy. Engine noise is the least refined aspect of the new CX-5.

Large grille highlighted by chrome trim, but a clean face by current standards.

More slender headlights than on the original CX-5.

Cleaner, more elegant body sides on the second-gen CX-5. Dramatic curvy character lines deleted.

The RDX's exterior is far busier, especially the front end. Does anyone find this pretty?

Long hood => lack of interior space. Somewhat justified by efficient exhaust manifold it permits.

Truncated tail. Elegant and sporty, but not good for cargo-hauling capacity.

The Acura is also far busier and less elegant when viewed from the rear. A lot going on.

So much cleaner than the Acura. Smaller exhaust tips belie larger engine.

Far more upholstered and stitched surfaces than usual at this price point. Real wood in Signature.

Much busier inside as well. More complicated controls. A much racier red on the seats.

Easy controls, but slow responses and smallish screen.

Classic white-on-black instruments. Too clean? Do people now expect more of a light show?

Driver seat lacking in lateral support. Nothing special.

RDX has a cushier seat with larger side bolsters. A-Spec seat looks a little less wild in person.

A passable rear seat. Most competitors (but not the RDX) are much roomier.

Handy releases to fold rear seats without having to walk around to the side or lean way forward.

Less cargo space than in many competitors. But possibly all you need.

Just your typical basic engine cover.

Turbocharger tucked behind engine. Not thrilling, but torquey.