By William Byrd
I’m back, baby! The Mazda CX-5 has always occupied an interesting position in the compact SUV segment. It is not the cheapest, the most powerful, or the most feature-rich. What it has always been is one of the best to drive, looks great, and makes the fewest obvious compromises for the money. The 2026 model is a full third-generation redesign, which makes it an important car to get right. Mazda got most of it right. There are a couple of things it could stand to revisit. Let’s get at it.
2026 Mazda CX-5: Overview
The 2026 CX-5 lineup runs five trims on a single powertrain. Every version uses the same 2.5-liter SKYACTIV-G four-cylinder producing 187 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque, paired to a six-speed automatic and standard i-ACTIV AWD. The trim decision is entirely about comfort, convenience features, and material quality. Here is the map:
2.5 S — $29,990.
The entry point is genuinely strong. Standard AWD, a 12.9-inch touchscreen with Google built-in, the complete i-ACTIVSENSE safety suite, dual-zone climate control, and cloth seating. For buyers who want the CX-5 experience at the lowest possible price, this is the place to start. The powertrain and driving dynamics are identical across all five trims, so you aren’t giving up anything meaningful under the hood.
2.5 S Select — $31,990.
The first meaningful step up. Adds wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charger, leatherette seating, a six-way power-adjustable driver seat, and proximity keyless entry. For most buyers, this is where the daily-use feature list becomes complete. Edmunds calls it the best value in the lineup, and the argument is hard to argue with.
2.5 S Preferred — $34,250.
Adds heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a windshield wiper de-icer, a power liftgate, a head-up display, and 19-inch wheels. The right choice for cold-climate buyers and anyone who does not want to think about whether they have enough features.
2.5 S Premium — $36,900.
Upgrades to a 15.6-inch touchscreen, ventilated front seats, a Bose 12-speaker audio system, and a panoramic moonroof. The interior materials step up meaningfully here. This is where the CX-5 starts feeling like a near-luxury product.
2.5 S Premium Plus — $38,990 base, $41,088 as-tested.
The range-topper and the car we are driving here. Adds a 360-degree surround-view camera, a driver-attention monitoring system, rear-seat climate vents, and navigation to the Premium’s already comprehensive feature list. Our Polymetal Gray Metallic example adds a $1,098 appearance package and the destination charge, bringing the total to $41,088. At this price, the CX-5 competes in the lower end of the premium segment, and the conversation is closer than the badge gap suggests.
Let’s get into some details on how we got on with the CX-5 over the course of the week.
2026 Mazda CX-5: Inside & Out
Here is an honest admission: I forgot what I was driving at one point when I came back to it in a parking garage. Not because the CX-5 is unattractive. It is genuinely handsome. But the third-generation redesign, which Mazda has presented as a meaningful evolution, looks from most angles like a refined continuation of what came before. The silhouette is familiar. The proportions are familiar. The face is cleaner and more resolved, the details are sharper, but the overall statement is iterative rather than transformative.
That is not necessarily a bad thing, the previous CX-5’s design has aged well precisely because it did not chase trends. The 2026 version continues that approach. It will still look correct in the background of a TV series several years from now. It just will not generate the kind of parking lot attention that some get. Soul Red would help.
About Soul Red: if you are configuring a CX-5, this is the color. Mazda’s Soul Red Crystal Metallic is one of the best paint options in the segment at any price, and it transforms the CX-5 from anonymous to genuinely striking. Polymetal Gray is a fine color that does the job. Order accordingly.
The 2026 CX-5’s interior is nicely updated, and the materials are genuinely good for this price point. The 15.6-inch screen on this trim is large, sharp, and decently integrated into the dashboard. CarPlay took a beat longer than usual to connect on the first pairing, but once it did, it looked fantastic, filling the entire display. Full-screen CarPlay on a screen this size is a different experience than it is on a 10-inch display, that’s for sure.
Next up, ergonomics. The cupholders in the center console sit further away than I would like. At six feet tall, with arms that aren’t short, I found myself reaching slightly further than comfortable for anything in the front cupholder position. Not enough to be a genuine problem, but enough to notice every time. Just past the cupholders, Mazda has included a small open tray sized well for sunglasses, a wallet, or whatever accumulates in pockets during the day. This is a great location for storage and the right size.
The HVAC controls are the one place the 2026 CX-5’s interior philosophy works against it. Mazda has moved climate controls to a slim, touch-sensitive bar at the bottom of the screen rather than via physical buttons. The touch targets are small, light gray against a light background, and require deliberate precision rather than casual glancing contact. I ended up with the fan on low after an unintended input and spent more time than I should have correcting it. This is the kind of usability friction that probably disappears after weeks of ownership, but it’s worth pointing out. Physical climate buttons exist for a reason, and the CX-5 makes you miss them.
The wireless charging pad fits a current-generation large-format phone, but just. There is not a lot of margin. Placement is successful, retrieval is fine, and charging is consistent once the phone finds its spot.
Rear seat room is adequate for the class. Cargo behind the rear seats measures 30.5 cubic feet and expands to 66.5 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded. The power liftgate on this trim opens smoothly at a reasonable clip.
2026 Mazda CX-5: On the Road
The CX-5’s reputation is built on how it drives, not on what powers it, and the 2026 continues that tradition. With just 187 horsepower in a vehicle that weighs about 3,800 pounds, it is not a performance spec. It is just adequate for daily driving, highway merging, and getting places without drama, but it will not surprise you with urgency. Sport mode sharpens throttle response a little, and keeps the six-speed automatic in gear longer, making the engine feel more willing without changing output. It helps. The car is still not quick.
The steering has genuine weight and feedback, the chassis responds to direction changes with precision, and the whole car feels smaller and more athletic than its footprint implies. The turning radius is impressive: one clean lock on my standard street test, with no three-point correction required. For a compact SUV with standard AWD, that kind of maneuverability is truly appreciated in daily urban’ish use.
The ride quality is composed without being stiff. Mazda’s suspension tuning has always threaded the needle between sporty and comfortable better than most in the segment, and the 2026 continues that balance. It absorbs road imperfections without transmitting harshness while still communicating enough of the road surface to feel engaged rather than isolated.
The seats are comfortable and well-shaped but light on bolstering. In normal driving, this is not noticeable. In the kind of corner-taking that the chassis actually invites, the lack of lateral support becomes apparent. The CX-5 will handle more enthusiastically than the seats will hold you through. This has always been a mild tension in the CX-5’s character, and the 2026 does not resolve it.
The i-ACTIVSENSE driver assistance systems are well-calibrated and unobtrusive by segment standards. Radar cruise control holds speed and following distance cleanly. Lane-keeping assist is present without being aggressive. The 360-degree surround-view camera on this trim is excellent, high-resolution, and lag-free, making a genuine difference when parking in tight urban spaces.
The speed limit alert system is active by default and announces itself when you exceed the posted limit. This is a…feature. It is also a feature that becomes maddening on roads where the speed limit is posted lower than the flow of traffic, which is most roads. Finding the setting to adjust it required some menu navigation. Worth doing on day one.
Summary
The 2026 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Premium Plus at $41,088 as-tested is a near-luxury compact SUV that charges a near-luxury price without quite delivering a near-luxury powertrain. With 187 horsepower, it’s honest transportation. It just is not exciting transportation, and at this price point some competitors offer significantly more output.
What the CX-5 does offer is a driving experience that remains impressive for the money, solid interior materials, and a design that should age well. The HVAC touch controls are a genuine usability miss. The cupholder placement is a minor annoyance. Everything else is a considered, well-executed compact SUV that takes the segment seriously.
One more time, for anyone configuring: get it in Soul Red.
2026 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Premium Plus
Base MSRP: $38,990 | As-Tested: $41,088 | Engine: 2.5L SKYACTIV-G 4-cyl | Output: 187 hp / 186 lb-ft | Transmission: 6-speed automatic | Drivetrain: i-ACTIV AWD (standard) | Fuel Economy: 24/30/26 mpg (city/hwy/combined) | Cargo: 30.5 cu ft (seats up) / 66.5 cu ft (seats folded) | Assembly: Japan
Jeff Glucker