The 2026 Mazda CX-5 is a fully redesigned compact SUV built for buyers who want a premium cabin feel without crossing into luxury-brand pricing. It’s 4.5 inches longer than the outgoing model, gets a new interior with a standard 12.9-inch touchscreen, and launches a five-trim lineup starting at $29,990. At MotoPickers, we think it’s one of the more thoughtfully designed compact SUVs in this price range — though it has a few real trade-offs worth knowing before you buy.
MotoPickers Rating
The 2026 CX-5 redesign is a genuine step forward for Mazda. The cabin feels more upscale than the price suggests, the standard AWD is a real advantage for buyers in snowy climates, and the new touchscreen setup is a big improvement over the rotary-knob system the old CX-5 used. If you spend a lot of time in your car and care about how it feels inside, this one earns its reputation.
That said, the CX-5 has a few areas where it trails the competition. The 187-hp naturally aspirated engine is adequate for daily driving but feels strained when you need a confident highway pass. Fuel economy around 26 MPG combined means roughly 400 miles between fill-ups on the 15.3-gallon tank, which is respectable but not a standout number for the segment. And the tech scores reflect a system that’s capable but not quite as polished as some rivals.
This is a car built around interior quality, ride refinement, and standard AWD rather than raw performance or cutting-edge tech. If that’s your list, the CX-5 is worth a serious look.
| Category | Score (out of 10) |
|---|---|
| Performance | 5.3 |
| Comfort | 7.2 |
| Technology | 5.0 |
| Value | 7.2 |
| Practicality | 6.6 |
What’s New / Updates Over Previous Version
The 2026 CX-5 is a full ground-up redesign, not a refresh. The body is 4.5 inches longer than the previous generation, which affects both interior space and cargo room. See the Cargo section below for what that means in practical terms. The interior gets a completely new layout built around a standard 12.9-inch touchscreen, with an available 15.6-inch display on the top trim, covered in detail under the Trim Guide.
Google built-in is new to the CX-5 lineup, replacing the older Mazda Connect interface. The five-trim structure is also new, replacing the prior generation’s option-heavy approach with more clearly defined steps between trims.
One thing to keep in mind: Mazda has announced a hybrid powertrain for the CX-5, but it won’t arrive until the 2027 model year. If electrification is on your checklist, the 2026 is a gas-only purchase.
Competitors
The Toyota RAV4 brings standard hybrid availability and strong long-term resale numbers that the CX-5 can’t currently match. The Honda CR-V offers more rear passenger space and a hybrid option at a similar price point. The Subaru Forester comes with standard AWD like the CX-5, but leans harder into visibility and trail-ready practicality. The Hyundai Tucson undercuts the CX-5 on price in lower trims and packs in more features per dollar, though the interior feel doesn’t quite match Mazda’s.
Exterior Spotlight
The 2026 CX-5 carries Mazda’s Kodo design language into a longer, more proportioned body. The extra 4.5 inches in length give it a more planted stance than the outgoing model, with a lower hood line and sculpted body sides that catch light well. It looks more expensive than its starting price.
Color Options
Seven colors are available: Machine Gray Metallic, Rhodium White Pearl, Soul Red Crystal Metallic, Polymetal Gray Metallic, Aero Gray Metallic, Jet Black Mica, and Navy Blue Mica. Soul Red Crystal is the showstopper. It’s a deep, multi-layer red that photographs beautifully and suits the CX-5’s sculpted body panels. Machine Gray and Polymetal Gray both complement the chrome trim without competing with it. Jet Black Mica shows every swirl mark but looks sharp when clean. Navy Blue Mica is a quieter choice that still reads as distinctive in a parking lot full of silver and white SUVs.
Wheel Options
The base 2.5 S trim rides on 17-inch alloy wheels. The 2.5 S Preferred steps up to 19-inch machine-cut alloys, which fill the wheel wells noticeably better and give the CX-5 a more finished look. The trade-off is real: 19-inch wheels mean a shorter tire sidewall, so you’ll feel road imperfections more on rough pavement. If you’re in a city with pothole-heavy streets, the 17-inch setup is the more forgiving choice. On smooth suburban roads, the 19s look great and the ride difference is minor.
Interior Analysis
Mazda has always positioned the CX-5 as a near-luxury experience at a mainstream price, and the 2026 redesign leans further into that direction. The cabin uses soft-touch materials in most contact areas, and the layout feels deliberate rather than cluttered.
Features
The standard 12.9-inch touchscreen sits high on the dash where you can see it without looking down. Upper trims get a 15.6-inch display that dominates the center stack. It’s large enough that first-time users may need a few days to learn where everything lives. Google built-in means you can use Google Maps and Google Assistant natively without plugging in a phone, which is genuinely useful on long drives when you don’t want to drain your battery.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are listed as key features, though the infotainment section below covers an important caveat on that. Two USB-C ports up front and two in the rear mean all four passengers can charge simultaneously. The wireless charging pad is available on the 2.5 S Select trim, sitting in a spot that’s easy to reach from the driver’s seat. The Bose 12-speaker audio system, available on upper trims, handles highway road noise well enough that you won’t need to crank the volume past halfway on a long drive.
Comfort
Front seat comfort is a real strength here. The 10-way power driver’s seat, available on the Preferred trim and above, lets you dial in a position that works for both short commutes and multi-hour road trips. The seats have enough lateral support that you’re not sliding around on highway on-ramps, but they’re not so bolstered that getting in and out feels like a workout.
Rear passengers get 39.7 inches of legroom, which is enough for most adults on a two-hour drive without complaints. Taller passengers over six feet will find it snug on longer trips, but it’s not punishing. Rear headroom at 38.0 inches is fine for adults up to about 6’1”. The panoramic moonroof, available on the Premium trim and above, opens up the cabin noticeably and makes the rear seats feel less enclosed on bright days.
The front suspension absorbs most road imperfections without transmitting them harshly into the cabin. Rear passengers feel a bit more of the road on rough pavement, but it’s not jarring. Dual-zone climate control is available on upper trims, so the front and rear passengers can stop arguing about temperature on longer drives. Heated front seats are available from the Premium trim up, and ventilated front seats arrive on the same trim. They are useful in humid summers.
Cargo
Behind the second row, the CX-5 offers 29.2 cubic feet of cargo space. That’s enough for two large rolling suitcases standing upright, or a medium-sized dog crate for a Labrador-sized dog. A standard stroller fits easily with room for a grocery bag or two alongside it. Fold the rear seats and you get 56.8 cubic feet, which is enough for a full IKEA haul or a weekend camping load for two people.
The cargo floor is not flat when the rear seats are folded, so there’s a slight step up at the seatback hinge point. That’s worth knowing if you’re loading heavy or awkward items regularly. Under-floor storage is available and useful for keeping a charging cable or emergency kit out of the way.
The liftgate does not have a hands-free opening feature on most trims. The 2.5 S Preferred gets a power rear liftgate, and the top-trim 2.5 S Premium Plus adds hands-free operation. That means you can kick your foot under the bumper to open it when your arms are full. If you regularly load groceries solo, that’s worth factoring into your trim decision.
Power and Performance
Engine Specs
The 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder makes 187 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque. From a stop, it pulls away cleanly and without hesitation in everyday traffic. The 6-speed automatic shifts smoothly in Normal mode and holds gears a bit longer in Sport. Around town, the engine feels appropriately sized. You’re never waiting for power at a green light or struggling to merge onto a surface street. Where the engine shows its limits is on the highway. Passing a slower vehicle on a two-lane road requires planning. If you’re at 60 mph and need to accelerate to 75 mph quickly, you’ll feel the transmission hunting for a gear and the engine working harder than you’d expect. It gets the job done, but it’s not effortless. Buyers coming from a turbocharged compact SUV will notice the difference immediately. For most daily driving scenarios, commuting, school runs, and weekend errands, 187 hp is enough. For buyers who regularly drive in hilly terrain or frequently need confident highway passing power, it’s a limitation worth knowing.
Performance Data (0-60)
The CX-5 reaches 60 mph in around 9.6 seconds with the 2.5-liter engine. To put that in context, most compact SUVs in this segment with turbocharged engines run the same sprint in the 7–8 second range. The difference isn’t dramatic in a parking lot, but it shows up in real situations: merging onto a busy freeway from a short on-ramp, or accelerating out of a roundabout when traffic is moving fast. The 6-speed automatic is well-calibrated for the engine’s character. It doesn’t hunt between gears unnecessarily in Normal mode, and it responds to a firm throttle input with a reasonably quick downshift. Sport mode sharpens the throttle response and keeps the engine in a higher rev range, which helps on winding roads. The AWD system distributes power front to rear continuously, so there’s no lag when traction conditions change. This is useful in rain or light snow.
Fuel Economy
The CX-5 returns around 24 MPG city and 30 MPG highway, with a combined estimate of about 26 MPG. On the 15.3-gallon tank, that works out to roughly 400 miles of combined driving between fill-ups, or closer to 460 miles on a pure highway trip. Those numbers are in the middle of the compact SUV segment. They are not a penalty, but not a reason to choose the CX-5 over alternatives either. Driving conservatively in Eco mode can nudge real-world numbers closer to 28 MPG on the highway. Aggressive city driving or frequent use of Sport mode will pull the average down toward 22–23 MPG. For drivers who regularly tackle hilly terrain or frequently need confident highway passing power, it’s a limitation worth knowing.
Suspension, Braking, and Handling
The front suspension uses an independent MacPherson strut setup, while the rear uses an independent multi-link arrangement — a combination that allows the CX-5 to ride smoothly over most road surfaces and handle directional changes with more precision than most compact SUVs at this price. Speed bumps and expansion joints are absorbed without a harsh thud, and potholes at low speed are handled well. At highway speed, sharp-edged impacts do send a noticeable jolt through the cabin, though nothing alarming.
The brakes use ventilated discs up front and solid discs in the rear, with a pedal feel that is progressive and well-weighted. Light pressure allows for gradual slowing, while firm pressure delivers a confident stop, and in a hard stop from highway speed the CX-5 pulls up straight without drama. The pedal never feels spongy or vague, a quality that matters when you need to react quickly.
On a highway on-ramp, the CX-5 turns in with more precision than you’d expect from a compact SUV, though the steering is light and somewhat numb. On a winding road, you don’t get much feedback about what the front tires are doing, and if driving feel matters to you, this is the CX-5’s most notable chassis limitation. The suspension is tuned for comfort and composure rather than engagement.
Tech Overview
The 2026 CX-5 gets a significant tech upgrade over the outgoing model, anchored by a new touchscreen interface and Google built-in. It’s a more modern setup than before, though a few details keep it from being the most polished system in the segment.
Infotainment and Connectivity
The standard 12.9-inch touchscreen is responsive and logically organized. The available 15.6-inch display on the top trim is large enough to show a full navigation map alongside audio controls simultaneously. Google built-in works without a phone connection, which is useful when your phone battery is low or you want to leave it in your bag.
One important note: the specs data shows the 15.6-inch screen does not support wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Wired connections work, but you’ll need a cable. That’s a real inconvenience if you’re used to dropping your phone on a wireless pad and having everything connect automatically. The 10.25-inch full LCD gauge cluster is standard on most trims and displays navigation prompts, driver assist status, and trip data clearly. There is no head-up display available on any trim.
Features / Drive Modes
Three drive modes are available, Normal, Sport, and Eco, each suited to different driving conditions. Normal handles the vast majority of situations without any adjustment needed, while Sport sharpens throttle response and holds gears longer, making it useful on a winding mountain road or when more confident highway merging is required. Eco, on the other hand, softens throttle inputs and encourages earlier upshifts to stretch fuel economy, which works well in low-speed city traffic but makes the car feel sluggish on faster roads.
Adaptive cruise control is also available and holds a set following distance smoothly in highway traffic. In stop-and-go conditions, it slows to a full stop and resumes with a tap of the accelerator, all without feeling jerky or over-cautious. Rather than making constant micro-corrections, the system maintains a natural following distance throughout.
Safety Capabilities
The 2026 CX-5 carries an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating, the highest designation IIHS awards, and the full suite of driver assistance systems comes standard on most trims rather than being reserved for upper-level configurations.
Safety Ratings
The IIHS awarded the 2026 CX-5 its Top Safety Pick+ designation, meaning it performed well across frontal, side, and roof strength tests. NHTSA ratings are not yet published for the 2026 model year. The structural architecture uses high-strength steel in key impact zones, which contributes to the IIHS results. For buyers with families, the Top Safety Pick+ rating is a meaningful data point. It’s not a given in this segment, and the CX-5 earns it on the 2026 redesign rather than carrying over a prior-generation result.
Safety Features
Eight airbags cover the cabin, encompassing front, side, curtain, and knee positions. The curtain airbags extend across both rows, meaning rear passengers receive the same overhead protection as front occupants during a side impact. ABS, electronic stability control, and traction control all come standard across every trim. For families, the CX-5 offers three LATCH anchor positions for child seat installation, two outboard rear positions and one center, with the outboard positions being easy to access using a standard infant or convertible seat and the anchor points clearly marked throughout.
Driver Assists
The full ADAS suite is standard on every trim, which is worth calling out because some competitors reserve lane-keeping and adaptive cruise for mid or upper trims. Lane-keeping assist applies gentle steering corrections when you drift toward a lane line. It’s not aggressive, and it doesn’t fight you if you’re making a deliberate lane change without signaling. Forward collision warning activates early enough to give you time to react before the automatic emergency braking engages. Pedestrian detection works in both forward and low-speed scenarios. The driver attention monitor watches for signs of drowsiness and prompts you to take a break. This is useful on long highway stretches.
Additional Safety Features
Blind-spot monitoring is standard and uses a small indicator light in the side mirror that’s easy to see in daylight and at night. Rear cross-traffic alert activates when you’re reversing out of a parking space and cross-traffic is approaching from either side. It’s reliable enough that you’ll come to depend on it in busy parking lots. Front and rear parking sensors give audible distance warnings as you approach obstacles. The 360-degree View Monitor is a key feature of the top-trim 2.5 S Premium Plus, stitching together camera feeds into a bird’s-eye view that makes tight parking garage maneuvers much easier. Traffic sign recognition reads speed limit signs and displays them in the gauge cluster, which is a small but genuinely useful feature on unfamiliar roads.
Trim Guide
Five trims cover a $29,990–$38,990 range. The steps between them are logical, and each one adds features that matter rather than padding the list with items most buyers won’t use.
Trim and Price
The 2.5 S at $29,990 is the entry point, coming with a 12.9-inch touchscreen, Google built-in, standard AWD, and 17-inch alloy wheels. The cloth seats are durable but feel slightly out of place in an otherwise polished cabin. Leatherette on higher trims is a better match.
The 2.5 S Select at $31,990 adds leatherette seats, wireless charging, and automatic folding mirrors for $2,000 more. Those are daily-use upgrades that make a real difference to the ownership experience, making this our recommended pick for buyers who want a complete package without pushing into the mid-$30s.
The 2.5 S Preferred at $34,250 brings a power rear liftgate, 10-way power driver’s seat, and 19-inch wheels. The liftgate earns its keep if you regularly load cargo with full hands, and the seat adjustment is a real benefit for drivers who struggle to find the right position manually.
The 2.5 S Premium at $36,900 adds genuine leather, a panoramic moonroof, heated and ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. Ventilated seats make a meaningful difference in hot climates, and this trim suits buyers who spend long hours behind the wheel.
The 2.5 S Premium Plus at $38,990 upgrades to a 15.6-inch screen, adds a 360-degree camera, and hands-free liftgate. The lack of wireless CarPlay at this price is a clear frustration. Unless the camera system is a must-have, the Premium delivers most comfort features for $2,090 less.
Warranty and Maintenance Information
The 2026 CX-5 comes with a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Corrosion perforation coverage extends to 5 years with no mileage limit, which is useful in salt-belt states. Roadside assistance is included for 3 years or 36,000 miles. Mazda does not currently include complimentary scheduled maintenance with the CX-5, so factor in oil change and service costs when budgeting.