We are 103,000+ car owners sharing real-world car information.

Join Us

2013 Mazda CX-5 Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Great handling, fuel economy by erinrae32

Member5491

1

Sign in or join to like this review.

Introduction

I considered both the Subaru Forester, '12 Subaru Impreza, and the Mazda CX5. The Forester rode nicely, but the 4 sp tranny returned poor fuel economy. Although the unassisted visibility was great, there was no back-up camera available at my price point. CX5 has hands down great handling & fe.

Reviewed: 2013 Mazda CX-5

4dr SUV 155-horsepower 2.0L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

Why the 2013 Mazda CX-5?

Handling

I have driven over 11K miles in this car since I bought it in early April, and the CX-5's handling is its best attribute. Anyone test driving should surely try the twisties!

Fuel economy

True to EPA estimates, 25 city/31 highway for the AWD AT. I've tracked about half of the miles I have driven on fuelly and get ~28mpg (mostly using the car to commute to work on state routes w/ 55 mph speed limits).

Driving position & visibility

I'm 4'10", and don't see well out of some cars. CX-5 allows a good seating position for me as well as good visibility. I tested a Subie Forester, however, before I purchased the CX-5,and it had GREAT visibility (I didn't find the seat to be as comfortable, though).

Feature availability

Love the rearview camera & bluetooth!!!

Quietness

Much quieter than my Mom's 2006 CRV.

Why Not the 2013 Mazda CX-5?

Reliability & durability

This is an unknown. I haven't had any problems to date, but the car has been on the market for less than a year.

Interior styling

The cup holders are too close together. The center console is difficult to reach for shorter drivers who set their seats further forward.

Feature availability

Mazda doesn't offer heated cloth seats. Also no tech package available w/o also buying a sun/moon roof & upgraded stereo.

Color choices

Sand & black are the only interior color choices. I prefer a medium gray.

Audio & nav systems

Expensive nav system that is not as good as Garmin.

Return to top

Sign in or join TrueDelta to post your own thoughts.

Return to top

See TrueDelta's information for all SUVs
See TrueDelta's information for all Mazda models.