Mazda CX-5 (2017-2021) – Occasion purchase advice

Automatic not so smooth

If you are hunting for a used Mazda CX-5, two engines are interesting: the 2.0-liter of 165 hp and the 2.5-liter of 194 hp. Both engines are four-cylinder, the 2.5 is always available in combination with an automatic transmission. With the 2.0-liter with 165 hp you can choose a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Speaking of which: the manual transmission shifts really sublime: a bit like an MX-5, but much lighter, but just as short, direct and precise. The machine is a different story. When the CX-5 arrived in 2012, the combination of 2.0-liter petrol engine and automatic transmission turned out not to be the best, because the automatic transmission was a bit slow to upshift. With the facelift in 2017, the CX-5 received a slightly faster automatic transmission, but you should check whether you like it, because it is still not a quick guy. Then there’s another thing about used Mazda CX-5s: they hold their value quite well. That’s actually another word for ‘expensive’ if you want to buy it and ‘relatively cheap in depreciation’ if you have to get rid of it.

There is a lot on offer

The range of used CX-5s is good, with many 2.0-liters with automatic transmission. What is also striking: every CX-5 is well equipped, because the equipment is above average, whether you encounter a TS, a TS+, a Comfort or a Luxury (the most luxurious version). Mazda was of course not the only one to enter the market with a medium SUV in 2012. The competition is strong and good: Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Volkswagen Tiguan and Nissan Qashqai, certainly not the least.

The appeal of the Mazda CX-5 is not small. The size is right: not too big, not too tight. The car is quite recognizable, the Asian roots are recognizable and with the 2017 facelift the car as a whole has become a bit sharper. I immediately feel at home behind the wheel thanks to an excellent driving and seating position. You can sit low enough and the steering wheel can be nice and close to you. The first thing we will do is go to our technical specialist Marco den Hertog from Vakgarage Prins in Alblasserdam. He must shed light on the technology: how well is the car put together, what are the points of attention, where is he making mistakes? It’s a Mazda, so we already have some suspicions…

The technical expert is positive about the CX-5

Marco den Hertog: “This is a very popular car and that is partly because it has no points that you should specifically pay attention to if you were to buy a used CX-5. The engine and gearbox generally do not cause any problems. Not surprising, because Mazda has opted very straightforwardly for a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine without a turbo. So no downsizing. That bodes well for longevity. What we also know is that you should test the heater thoroughly before taking it for a test drive. You have to pay attention to whether it gives full power. In any case, you should take a test drive and concentrate on what you feel while driving. This car requires quite a lot of attention when it comes to the tires. If the tires do not fit the car properly, the car becomes more restless or less comfortable.”

Where is the profit?

Marco refers to Mazda’s choice of engines. It’s nice when a brand is quirky, but what good is it? In the case of the CX-5 that we borrow from Vakgarage Prins, a 2.0-liter with manual gearbox, we miss some bite from the power source. Because it’s nice, four half-liter jars, the downside is that the consumption is quite average and the pulling power is also somewhat disappointing at the bottom. You have to continue towards 4,000 rpm and then something more happens. The car company also has a 2020 CX-5 with the bigger 2.5-liter engine with automatic transmission. It costs €32,000 (compared to €29,000 for our 2.0-liter with manual gearbox), so it is a bit more expensive. Difficult, because the six-speed gearbox shifts phenomenally and is a pleasure to operate.

Dynamics come at the expense of driving comfort

What is it with the nice driving of Mazda’s. They are eager to corner and feel direct and precise in operation, inviting, so to speak. The cool thing is that this also applies to this SUV, although it is of course always a bit less sharp than a low car. What you also need to do is feel whether the chassis of this generation of the CX-5 is not too sturdy. The following also applies: it fits the dynamics of the car, but that does come at a cost of some driving comfort. And for frequent drivers that can be just a bit too much. This aspect is also regularly mentioned in the reviews: it could be a little softer down there.

What equipment. Those Mazda CX-5s are almost always dressed up. Our Comfort version, which is slightly above the average, is even equipped with steering wheel heating and an adjustable rear seat backrest. You really don’t miss anything. Well, maybe some speed from the multimedia system and the screen is also modest to small.

What is the Mazda CX-5’s competition?

Actually one big good news show, a second-hand CX-5. It is a tempting thing, a fun car to drive and with that you can take some things for granted that the critical buyer should still know. If I were to treat myself to a Japanese quality product in SUV packaging, I would definitely put this car on the shortlist, but with a few notes. The Tiguan, CR-V and RAV4 are all more spacious than this CX-5. We also rate the 1.5 TSI from Volkswagen and the 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain from the Toyota higher than the idiosyncratic 2.0-liter from Mazda, which lacks some pulling power at the bottom. The dashboard of the CX-5 is not very exciting, nor is the multimedia, but it is cool that the design on the outside of the car is reflected in the interior. The towing capacity of the 2.0-liter is a cool 1,800 kilos, but in practice this means that the driver has to work seriously hard to stay up to speed. So yes, definitely on the shortlist, but certainly not writing off the used cars of the aforementioned competition in advance.