To say the small CUV segment is very competitive would be an understatement. This segment is a big money maker for car manufacturers and for that reason there are a lot of great choices for consumers. One of the more popular vehicles in this segment is the Mazda CX-5, which is Mazda’s best selling vehicle in the USA, it has been on sale since 2012.

The first generation CX-5 was quite the hit for Mazda, but it has been out for a while and it was time for a change. I really liked the first gen CX-5 and it was at the top of my CUV list, I reviewed it on two occasions here and here. For 2017 Mazda has produced a very sleek looking CX-5 and I’m really loving the styling of the second generation CX-5. The styling on the CX-5 is inspired by the bigger CX-9, which is also at the top of my mid-size CUV list.

Pricing

The 2017 Mazda CX-5 is available in 3 trims, GX, GS, and GT. The GX and GS trims are offered with FWD or AWD while the GT is only offered with AWD. The GX model can also be equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission, a 6-speed automatic transmission is optional on the GX model and standard on the GS and GT.

In Canada, prices start at $24,900 for the base GX trim with 6-speed manual transmission, FWD, and the 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine. The GX with the 2.5 liter engine and 6-speed automatic transmission adds $1,400 to the price and an additional $2,000 for AWD. The GS with the 2.5 liter engine starts at $29,100 with FWD and $31,100 with AWD. The GS trim can also be equipped with the Comfort Package ($1,500) and Comfort & i-ACTIVSENSE Package ($2,400). The top of the line GT starts at $34,700 and can be equipped with the Technology Package ($1,600). These prices do not include $1,895 for Freight & PDE.

The Comfort Package includes glass moonroof, advanced keyless entry, dual zone automatic climate control, and rear passenger vents.

The i-ACTIVSENSE Package adds Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) with stop and go funtion, Smart Brake Support (SBS), Distance Recognition Support System (DRSS), Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), Lane-keep Assist System (LAS), High Beam Control System (HBC).

The Technology Package adds HUD, Traffic Sign Recognition System (TSR), and SeriusXM satellite radio.

Our review car for the weeks was the 2017 Mazda CX-5 GT with the Technology Package and optional Machine Grey Metallic paint ($300), for a total price of $38,495, including Freight & PDE.

Engine/Driving

The CX-5 is offered with two engines, the SKYACTIV 2.0 liter 4-cylinder is only available on the base FWD with manual transmission, it produces 155 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 150 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. The other engine is the SKYACTIV 2.5 liter engine, producing 187 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 185 pound-feet of torque 3,250 rpm (FWD) and 4,000 rpm (AWD).

Our review car came with the more powerful engine, the 187 HP was more than enough the motivate this CUV, the engine felt quite peppy and it was pretty fun driving in city traffic and the engine had a good amount of grunt for highway driving. The CX-5 is a very sporty CUV, it feels light and very nimble, it must have some of the DNA from the MX-5. There is a reason why this CUV is so popular, you don’t have to buy a CUV just because it’s practical, there’s no harm in having a little fun once in a while with your CUV.

According to Mazda, the 2017 CX-5 GT with AWD and 6-speed automatic transmission should consume 10.2 L/100 km in the city and 8.3 L/100 km on the highway. On our week-long review, we averaged 9.2 L/100 km in about 60/40 city/highway driving, which is spot on with Mazda’s claimed numbers.

Styling

I always thought the first generation Mazda CX-5 was the best looking CUV in its class, with the introduction of the second generation CX-5, the first generation looks very outdated. I can’t remember which auto journalist it was who said something along the lines of “you know a design works very well when the old design looks dated when compared to the new”.

The overall shape of the CX-5 remains the same, but every bit of the car has been fine tuned and looks much more refined. The design makes the CX-5 look like a smaller CX-9, a vehicle that has a very elegant design. I think the CX-5 is again at the top of the list in its segment based on its design, I think the Hyundai Tucson is its closest competitor.

Interior

The interior on the 2nd generation CX-5 is another hit, like the outside, the inside is very nice looking with excellent fit and finish and nice materials throughout the cabin. The interior has a clean look to it and is very simple, giving it openness. Thanks to the use of lots of horizontal lines, the front cabin feels quite open and wide.

All the buttons are very easy to used and there is no learning curve like with some cars, the buttons are pretty intuitive to use. The infotainment system can be controlled with a knob on the center console, behind the gear lever, this makes flipping between radio/navigation/phone and other settings very easy and you don’t have to take your eyes off the road, this same system also came with the previous generation CX-5 and comes with all of Mazda’s other offerings.

Our review car had the Heads Up Display, which is a real HUD, not a small pop-up screen. This display shows you your current speed, navigation directions, and even displays the output for the blind spot monitoring system, I really like the way Mazda has been doing their HUD, you almost never have to take your eyes off the road.

The interior is pretty quiet and there is a lot of room for the front and rear passengers. The rear passengers have more than enough head and leg room, the rear seats splint in 40/20/40, giving you lots of options for carrying larger items, with the seats fully folded, you can carry quite a bit of cargo.

Technology

The 2017 Mazda CX-5 can be equipped with all the bells and whistles we’ve come to expect from modern vehicles, there’s a lot available on this CUV, especially on our top of the line fully loaded review car, below is a list of what you can get with the CX-5.

Keyless entry with proximity key
Push-button start
LED front and rear signature lighting
LED fog lights
LED rear combination lights
Adaptive front-lighting system
Automatic leveling headlights
Power glass moon roof
LED headlights
SiriusXM satellite radio
Rear view Camera (wide angle)
Power liftgate
Heated leather front and rear seats
BOSE Premium Sound System with 10 speakers
Navigation system
7” colour touchscreen display with Mazda Connect
Heated steering wheel
10-way power driver’s seat with memory (2 memory setting)
Advanced blind spot monitoring
Rear cross traffic alert
Smart city brake support
Distance Recognition Support System
Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go function
Forward Obstruction Warning
Lane Departure Warning System
Lane-keep Assist System
High Beam Control System
Traffic Sign Recognition System
Windshield-projected color Active Driving Display
Colour Multi-Information Display

Final Thoughts

I’ve been a fan of the Mazda CX-5 since I first reviewed it a couple of years ago, the second generation CX-5 takes what was great about the first generation and makes it even better with crisp styling, a beautiful interior, and very good driving dynamics (for a CUV). If you’re in the market for a small CUV, you should definitely have a look at the 2017 Mazda CX-5.