2014 Mazda CX-5

2014 Mazda CX-5

The 2014 Mazda CX-5 is an attractive, well-designed small crossover with great gas mileage, as well as a light, athletic driving experience.

• Interior / Exterior »

As the first design executed under Mazda’s ‘Kodo: Soul of Motion’ design philosophy, the CX-5 sets a promising direction for future products. Less overwrought than previous smile-faced Mazdas, the CX-5 has a strong but not aggressive front end with a long hood and windshield pillars set further back than other crossovers—giving it more of a sports-car profile.

The upright five-point Mazda grille and swept-back headlights are distinctive, and the side profile stands out as well. Despite its raked tailgate and deep trailing roof spoiler, the CX-5 still tends to vanish in a row of similarly proportioned crossovers.


Calm and business-like is the way of this functional and attractive interior—which isn’t nearly as overdesigned as some competitors’ dashboards, and that’s both a pro and a con. The only down side of this design is at the center stack, where a lens over the climate controls can gather reflections during daytime driving–although it works better with the more upright look here than in the 2014 Mazda 6 sedan, which has a similar layout.

Mazda’s color palette remains stunningly basic: two reds, two blues, two whites, silver, gray, and black. 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. The ridiculous 160-mph speedometer aside, they work well.

• Performance »

We think the Mazda CX-5 is the best-driving of the compact crossovers–especially if you value handling–and this year it’s become even better.

The CX-5 corners flat and its acceleration, braking, and handling all feel thoroughly integrated and reassuringly predictable—so much so that it’s hard to find anything to say except that they’re just right.

There was, admittedly, one fault with last year’s CX-5; when equipped with the automatic transmission, it felt a little sluggish when you loaded it up with people or took on hilly terrain. That engine, a 155-horsepower 2.0-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.) is still around this year on Sport models, but on Touring and Grand Touring models there’s a new 2.5-liter version, making 184 hp and 185 lb-ft. The new engine is paired only with the six-speed automatic, and all-wheel drive can only be had with the automatic transmission but it’s offered in every trim level.

The all-new six-speed automatic transmission plays a major role in making the most of the new engine’s smooth, willing character. It launches with little slip, then makes a near-instant 1-2 shift about as quickly as a dual-clutch unit. There’s a manual gate for the shifter, with quick response. The only complaint here is that under full throttle, even in the manual gate, it still forces you to the lowest possible gear available at that speed. Otherwise, simply put, this transmission does everything right, downshifting right away, whenever revs are needed for more pep, but keeps them down whenever it can for better fuel-efficiency.
The major drawback to the CX-5 Sport with the smaller engine is that it takes revs to wring enough power out of the engine, and despite quick downshifts the automatic transmission tends to rush up to higher gears. Mazda quotes 0-to-60-mph acceleration times of 8.8 seconds (for the six-speed manual) to 9.3 seconds (for the all-wheel-drive model) with the smaller engine, and that improves to the low-eight-second range with the larger engine and automatic.
Novice drivers will have to get accustomed to pushing the lever forward to downshift, back to upshift—the reverse of the usual setup, but one which Mazda feels very strongly is “the right way” to set it up. Our issue with this setup is that a pressing the accelerator to the floor, even when you’re in the manual gate, still forces a downshift to the lowest available gear.
The new CX-5 is the first complete Mazda to incorporate “SkyActiv” technologies, in which every component of the vehicle is designed to be as lightweight and high efficiency as possible. This sounds like simple stuff, but Mazda expects to get some of the highest fuel-economy ratings in the class without resorting to direct injection, turbocharging, hybrids, or any of the other pricey ways carmakers can boost mileage.
Instead, the engine has a large and complex 4-into-2-into-1 exhaust manifold that improves combustion efficiency but requires the engine compartment to be designed around it, and every component is lightened. The CX-5’s curb weight varies from 3210 to 3430 pounds, lighter than most competitors, and it quotes a drag coefficient of 0.33, low for a crossover.
The suspension loads up more like that of a sport wagon than that of a crossover—and there’s no sudden unloading out of corners or between transitions as in some other taller vehicles. While the suspension is nicely tuned, the steering we’ll call pretty much perfect—and by far the best in this class. The ratio is quick; it’s well-weighted; and overall, it has a precise feel that’s better even than many other compact and mid-size sedans.

The 2014 Mazda CX-5 is one of the few crossovers that offers its driver the handling and feel of a sport wagon. Now in its second year, the CX-5 replaced two older models: the slightly larger CX-7 and the old Tribute (a lightly modified previous-generation Ford Escape).
The CX-5 is aimed right at the heart of the compact crossover market–and at vehicles like the Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, and Toyota RAV4. These compact crossovers have captured a large portion of the American vehicle market, and it’s easy to see why. They combine the parking footprint of a compact sedan with a versatile layout, plenty of features, and enough safety for concerned parents.
In the 2014 Mazda CX-5, in addition to the 155-hp 2.0-liter four, still 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 as well) on Sport models, Touring and Grand Touring models now get a new 184-hp, 2.5-liter four. The new engine is only offered with the automatic, but in either case the entire powertrain and vehicle are tuned for maximum efficiency, under the company’s SkyActiv initiative.

For this kind of vehicle, the gas mileage is great. The EPA rating for the base Sport with a manual gearbox is a best-in-class 35 mpg on the highway, and the new 2.5-liter models lose only about 1 mpg combined, with those automatic versions still getting 25/32 with all-wheel drive.

Key to that efficiency, in part, is that the transmission is so willing and well-matched, with very little slip, very quick upshifts and downshifts, and the smarts to hitch onto a higher gear when the revs aren’t needed, to reap better efficiency. Otherwise, we’ve found the CX-5 to be the best handling crossover we’ve driven. If you’ve come out of a sports sedan or a hot hatch and are moving up to a compact crossover, this is probably the way to go.
Driving enjoyment gets a little more emphasis in the CX-5 than it does in other models in this class–as is the case with most Mazda models. But for 2014, the automaker has addressed one common complaint with the 2013 model: It handles so well and hits all the right marks otherwise in driving enjoyment, but it could use more pep.

The CX-5′s lines are typically Mazda, with expressive design, large wheel arches, and a rising window line. Up front, however, Mazda has thankfully ditched the grinning “smile” look for a handsome trapezoidal grille shape. Inside, the look is businesslike, with restrained silver trim and sporty red piping 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.
For the most part, the CX-5 is pleasingly versatile, and its front seats are probably the best-bolstered you’ll find in this kind of vehicle; there’s good seating space in back, too. But this is one of the more compact models in the class, and its cargo floor is a bit higher than rival models it seems (perhaps due to the presence of a spare tire). The load floor is long and flat, and for the most part (save for some engine noise occasionally), the CX-5 has a quiet, refined interior.

New for this year is a Smart City Brake Support feature that can automatically brake in some cases at up to 19 mph. With top ratings from both agencies (including IIHS Top Safety Pick+ status) the CX-5 is a perfect ’10′ for safety.
CX-5 Sport models all come with the 2.0-liter engine, while Touring and Grand Touring models step up to the 2.5-liter engine. Touring models get the Blind Spot Monitor system, upgraded audio, fog lamps, rear cupholders (and an armrest), a rearview camera, steering-wheel controls, and upgraded upholstery, while top-of-the-line CX-5 Grand Touring models get leather upholstery, nine-speaker Bose audio, dual-zone climate control, a power driver seat, front heated seats, and Sirius satellite radio. However the navigation and touch-screen system remains a disappointment, with its rather sluggish responses and odd menus.
Photo Gallery: Mazda USA

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