2013 Mazda Cx-5 Gt Experts Review and Ratings
The Car Connection Adept Review
July 12, 2013
Likes
- Smart, sporty styling
- Excellent, neutral treatment
- Seating pinnacle halfway between car and truck
- Good rear-seat infinite and access
- Base of operations Sport model decently equipped
Dislikes
- Engine lacks power when you demand it
- Hard dispatch gets noisy
- Rear quarter vision minimal
- Six airbags seems sub-par these days
Buying tip
features & specs
AWD 4-Door Automatic Grand Touring
AWD four-Door Automated Sport
AWD four-Door Automatic Touring
The 2013 Mazda CX-5 is an attractive and modern crossover with bully handling and surprising infinite, but sluggish acceleration.
The 2013 Mazda CX-5 is the company's showtime all-new crossover utility vehicle in several years. Information technology replaces the discontinued and low-volume Mazda Tribute (a lightly modified old-style Ford Escape) and the CX-vii, which is slightly larger but has no more interior room and considerably worse gas mileage.
Aimed right at the heart of the compact utility market, the new CX-5 offers an attractive culling to the perennial best-sellers—the new 2013 Ford Escape, the redesigned 2012 Honda CR-V, and the Toyota RAV4 and Chevrolet Equinox, which take been with us now for a few years.
In its favor, the CX-v is stylish, capacious, handles beautifully, and should return some of the highest gas mileage figures in the category. Its notable drawback is that the fuel economy comes at the expense of power—in some circumstances, there's simply not quite enough oomph there to be competitive.
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The CX-v's lines are typically Mazda, with expressive blueprint, large wheel arches, and a ascension window line. Upwards forepart, however, Mazda has thankfully ditched the grinning "smile" wait for a handsome trapezoidal grille shape. Inside, the expect is businesslike, with restrained silverish trim and sporty red pipe on the high-level leather seats.The car is sensitive to colors, though, with lighter shades accenting the height of its doors and darker tones making it lower and sportier.
The 2013 Mazda CX-v comes with only a single engine, a new 155-hp 2.0-liter four offered with either a six-speed manual gearbox (in front-wheel drive only) or a six-speed automatic (which can be ordered with all-wheel drive likewise). The entire powertrain is tuned for maximum efficiency, as is the vehicle design, the first Mazda to be completely designed under the visitor'due south SkyActiv philosophy of maximum efficiency from every component and characteristic.
The fuel efficiency is remarkable for a vehicle this size--EPA combined ratings are 28 mpg with all-bike bulldoze, 29 mpg for front bulldoze--and we saw 27.4 mpg on a 350-mile route test of about two-thirds highway mileage. Simply the transmission is strongly biased toward low engine speeds, and to become functioning out of it, drivers must accelerate hard and the transmission unremarkably has to be downshifted not once merely twice.
That said, we establish the CX-5 to be only the best handling crossover we've driven. Mazda demonstrated its pride in the roadholding past inviting journalists to take the CX-5 around the notorious Laguna Seca racetrack, where information technology acquitted itself admirably. If you lot've come out of a sports sedan or a hot hatch and are moving upwardly to a compact crossover, this is the one for you.
Within, the seats are comfortable and well-bolstered up front end, and at that place's plenty of room in the back seat for even 6-foot adults. The load flooring is long and apartment, with a clever folding arrangement for the 40/xx/forty divide rear seat. And the CX-v is serenity under most circumstances--though hard acceleration and engine revving bring out more engine noise than we'd expected.
The CX-5 comes in iii trim levels: Sport, Touring, and Chiliad Touring. The base Sport starts at $twenty,695 (plus a mandatory $795 delivery fee), and the highest level Grand Touring with navigation and other options runs just above $xxx,000--a good price against another competitors.
The 2013 Mazda CX-five is one of the near attractive crossovers around, though its interior is concern-like rather than luxurious.
The 2013 Mazda CX-5 is the company's start new pattern executed under its 'Kodo: Soul of Motion' design philosophy, and it sets a promising direction for future products. Less overwrought than previous smile-faced Mazdas, the CX-5 has a strong simply not ambitious forepart finish with a long hood and windshield pillars set further back than other crossovers—giving information technology more of a sports-car contour.
The upright five-betoken Mazda grille and swept-back headlights are distinctive, and the side contour stands out every bit well. Parked olfactory organ in, though, and despite its raked tailgate and deep abaft roof spoiler, the CX-five vanishes in a row of similarly proportioned crossovers.
Inside, the new Mazda has a calm, business-like interior that'southward functional and attractive—and, again, non almost as overdesigned every bit some competitors' dashboards. The dash and center stack are black, surfaced in soft-touch plastics, with either black or "sand" beige upholstery (in cloth or leather), the latter providing a nice two-tone interior.
Instrument faces are some of the simplest we've seen, with black needles, black backgrounds, and white numbers. They're but this side of astringent, but work well—our but complaint being that a 160-mph speedometer in a family unit vehicle makes piffling sense and crams the section you need to watch into less than half the needle sweep.
Mazda's color palette remains stunningly basic: two reds, two dejection, two whites, silver, gray, and black. They all work fine, but with other crossovers using more than adventurous hues—Root Beer, anyone?—we wonder whether the CX-5 won't seem overly apparently in comparison.
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The 2013 Mazda CX-5 handles superbly and is a blast to drive, but information technology's let down by a lack of power in situations where drivers need information technology nigh.
In that location'south no getting past it: The 2013 Mazda CX-five may be the all-time drive of any compact crossover. Mazda engineers spent a great deal of time working on linear control feel, and it shows. The CX-5 is sure-footed enough that drivers tin can end up traveling 15 mph faster than they realize. It corners flat and its acceleration, braking, and handling all feel thoroughly integrated and reassuringly predictable—so much so that it's hard to detect annihilation to say except that they're just right.
Every bit the sportiest compact crossover on the market, the 2013 Mazda CX-5 handles well but rides firmly. The ride quality tin can get busy and nervous on a few road surfaces, and business firm to choppy over freeway expansion joints, merely those conditions simply occur on a pocket-sized number of roads, and overall the Mazda crossover feels solid and reassuring.
The CX-5 is fitted with a 155-horsepower ii.0-liter engine that produces 150 lb-ft of torque and features a 13:1 combustion ratio, the highest of any gasoline engine on sale in the U.S. The engine is paired with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic, with all-cycle drive offered in every trim level. The company says it expects about ten percent of CX-5 buyers to opt for the manual.
The major drawback to the CX-v is that it feels underpowered in situations where more power means safer driving. Uphill state highway on-ramps, for case, require idea and pre-planning, and it'due south still a game to wring plenty ability out of the engine to keep up with traffic. Mazda quotes 0-to-threescore-mph dispatch times of 8.8 seconds (for the 6-speed manual) to 9.three seconds (for the all-wheel-bulldoze model).
Mazda has tuned its automatic to lucifer revs carefully on shifts, so while it sounds almost like the engine noise slurs temporarily during shifts, there'south no jolt whatsoever when the power re-engages. The manual mode on the automatic holds the designated gear indefinitely, different most other cars, which revert to automatic after a fix period of time. Novice drivers will accept to get accustomed to pushing the lever forrard to downshift, back to upshift—the reverse of the usual setup, but ane which Mazda feels very strongly is "the right mode" to set it up.
Despite a adequately flat torque bend, the engine is well-nigh powerful above 3000 rpm, and then making it sing is the best fashion to accelerate swiftly. Whether that'due south how crossover buyers desire to drive is another question.
The new CX-5 is the first complete Mazda to comprise "SkyActiv" technologies, in which every component of the vehicle is designed to be every bit lightweight and high efficiency equally possible. This sounds similar simple stuff, simply Mazda expects to get some of the highest fuel-economic system ratings in the grade without resorting to turbocharging, hybrids, or whatever of the other pricey means carmakers can boost mileage.
Instead, the engine has a large and complex 4-into-2-into-ane exhaust manifold that improves combustion efficiency but requires the engine compartment to exist designed around it, and every component is lightened. The CX-v's curb weight varies from 3210 to 3430 pounds, lighter than about competitors, and it quotes a drag coefficient of 0.33, low for a crossover.
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The 2013 Mazda CX-5 has more space inside than you might imagine, for people and stuff, and the driving position is virtually perfect.
Mazda has put a lot of effort into making the CX-5 a usable SUV, enlarging door openings for like shooting fish in a barrel entrance and exit to both the front end and rear seats. The seating superlative is halfway between that of a car and a sport-utility, high enough for good visibility and confidence but low enough and so occupants don't accept to pace up but can simply swing themselves in through the opening.
The seats themselves are comfortable both forepart and rear, with practiced bolstering in front to agree occupants in place. Hollowed-out seat backs in the front give plenty rear-seat legroom for four six-pes adults to sit comfortably without contortions. Mazda says rear-seat legroom is the best in the class, though we'd wait for final 2013 Escape figures before peachy the champagne.
For the driver, the manual shift lever is in the right place and offers Miata-style short throws, while a bottom-hinged accelerator pedal reduces human foot fatigue on longer trips. A cell phone fits into the arm-residue recess, which has a rubber mat at the lesser, and there's a panel bin, a sunglasses holder, and another apartment tray at the front of the console. The interiors include a handsome soft-bear upon dashboard peak surface, and our test vehicles appeared well assembled.
The CX-v offers a long load bay with a depression lift-over height and no protruding shapes; over again, Mazda says its volume is best in class. Unmarried-pull releases for the 40-20-forty split rear seat-back cushions are standard in the cargo area, though the organization (which moves the rear seat cushion forwards and downwardly) requires the rear headrests to be removed starting time. On the other hand, Mazda provides two dished trays outboard of the load area into which those headrests fit neatly—a very nice touch we wish every maker would copy.
One passenger-friendly feature that Mazda has carried over from its larger 7-seat CX-ix crossover is door bottoms that extend down around effectually to cover the door sill. This keeps dirt, slush, and water off the sill, which in turn keeps it off passengers' clothing as they climb in and out.
Noise is well suppressed until the engine has to rev—which information technology will do oftentimes to motion the auto along expeditiously—and at college speeds, it'due south quiet enough inside that wind noise from mirrors is apparent. It'due south particularly silent at idle, when a glance at the tachometer may exist needed to see if the engine is running.
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The 2013 Mazda CX-5 gets tiptop IIHS ratings for crash safety, but its vi airbags seem minimal and its rear-quarter vision is dreadful.
Unlike other makers who now fit up to 10 airbags, the 2013 Mazda CX-5 has six: two for the front passengers, ii side bags, and two window curtains.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the CX-5 its highest ratings of "Good" for frontal starting time and side touch crash tests, for roof force, and for rear crash protection. The IIHS also designated the CX-5 a "Peak Safe Choice." The National Highway Traffic Safe Assistants (NHTSA) gave the CX-five 4 out of five stars on frontal rollover ratings, and a five-star rating for side-impacts, averaging for a four out of five star overall rating.
The 2013 CX-5 has the usual complement of electronic aids, including stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes, and other safety command systems. And its handling is so anticipated that nosotros expect more drivers than usual but to bulldoze effectually or abroad from potential dangers. Mazda is too especially proud of the stiffness of the entire trunk vanquish, despite its light weight.
Visibility to the front end and sides is very good, with clearly defined corners visible from the driver'due south seat, a low hoodline revealing a lot of the route alee, a low beltline, and large door mirrors mounted low and far enough back that there's a gap betwixt them and the windshield colonnade—improving the driver's power to see pedestrians and route shoulders to the side.
Rear quarter vision is as bad as the front visibility is good, though. Over their shoulders, drivers will run into only gigantic blind spots on the corners, with the small triangular windows offering fiddling assist. A rearview camera for reversing is offered on the college trim levels, but this is a machine in which we think it'southward an absolute necessity.
The 2013 Mazda CX-5 focuses its features on the passengers and leaves the driver to drive, and the decently equipped low-end Sport model is a plus.
The 2013 Mazda CX-5 comes in iii trim levels: the base Sport, the mid-level Touring (which is expected to make upwards the bulk of sales), and the luxurious Thou Touring. To Mazda's credit, information technology offers all-wheel drive on all three models.
The Sport includes a tilting and telescoping steering bicycle with audio controls, remote keyless entry, a Beginning push, power windows and doors, and 17-inch alloy wheels (on the automatic model). An optional Bluetooth bundle for the Sport just adds Bluetooth pairing, an in-dash color monitor, Hard disk drive radio, and Bluetooth controls on the steering bike.
The Touring adds a half dozen-way ability commuter's seat, blind-spot monitoring, a v.eight-inch in-nuance affect screen with a reversing camera, HD radio, Bluetooth telephone and audio pairing, and a leather-wrapped steering bicycle and shift knob. On the Touring, a Moonroof/Bose packet combines a nine-speaker Bose audio system with a power moonroof.
At the elevation of the lineup, the One thousand Touring offers larger 19-inch blend wheels, dual-zone automatic climate command, leather upholstery, an 8-way power driver's seat with lumbar support, heated front end seats, the nine-speaker Bose audio system and power moonroof as standard, pelting-sensing wipers, and auto-on/off headlights..
Options include a Tomtom navigation system as part of a Engineering science package on the Touring and Grand Touring models that also adds keyless entry, auto-leveling HID headlamps, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a burglar alarm and, on the Touring merely, rain-sensing wipers.
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The 2013 Mazda CX-5's EPA ratings of 28 mpg with all-wheel bulldoze and 29 mpg for FWD are very good for a not-hybrid crossover.
The EPA rates the front-wheel drive versions of the 2013 CX-5 at a combined 29 mpg, which is remarkably good for this class of compact crossover. If y'all order information technology with the six-speed manual, you'll go a slightly college highway rating (35 mpg vs 32 mpg) than with the six-speed automatic, just both versions get the same 26-mpg city rating.
Adding all-wheel bulldoze (available just with the automatic) imposes a slight penalty: It'south rated at 25 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, for a combined rating of 28 mpg--mayhap fifty-fifty better comparatively for compact crossovers with all-wheel bulldoze.
Our test drive covered 140 miles in total, split betwixt motorway travel and winding two-lane hilly roads. Our automatic CX-five returned 24.6 for the first leg, upwards into the mountains around Los Angeles, and a more rewarding 30.3 mpg descending dorsum into the L.A. basin.
Mazda as well plans to introduce a 2.ii-liter diesel engine for 2014, and while the company was coy about which vehicle it would power, odds are it's the CX-v. It will be the first diesel-powered Mazda in three decades (the company sold a handful of diesel pickups in the early Eighties), and it should return fuel economy figures considerably higher than the gasoline model.
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A Great Compromise
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2013 Mazda CX-5 AWD 4-Door Automatic Grand Touring
Worth the money - great driver car!
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For 2013 Mazda CX-5
Mazda CX-v is worth information technology.
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