Sometimes a car review gets its most important endorsement from an unexpected source.
I recently picked up three male friends — all professional journalists — and drove them to lunch in the new 2026 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Premium Plus.
Their reaction was immediate.
“Bob, this is the finest car you’ve driven that we’ve ridden in.”
That was quite a compliment, particularly coming from three professional journalists who have ridden in and driven plenty of automobiles. They liked the room, the legroom, the interior, the comfort and the overall quality of the Mazda. I was pleased, because I had reached much the same conclusion myself.
The 2026 Mazda CX-5 is an all-new, third-generation vehicle, and Mazda has taken one of its most important products and improved it in nearly every direction. The CX-5 has become Mazda’s best-selling vehicle in the United States, with more than 1.6 million sold here since its introduction in 2012. Globally, the CX-5 has passed the remarkable five-million-unit production and sales mark.
For 2026, Mazda has concentrated on the things that matter most to people who buy a compact SUV: more interior room, greater comfort, improved technology, safety and the driving characteristics that have made the CX-5 so popular.
My test vehicle was the top-of-the-line CX-5 2.5 S Premium Plus, finished in Soul Red Crystal Metallic. The red paint is beautiful and costs an additional $595. With the Premium Plus equipment and destination charge, the suggested retail price of my test vehicle was $41,080.
That is a lot of automobile for the money.
The CX-5 is powered by a 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G four-cylinder engine producing 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque, connected to a six-speed automatic transmission. Mazda’s i-Activ all-wheel drive is standard. Official fuel economy is 24 mpg city, 30 highway and 26 combined.
On paper, 187 horsepower doesn’t sound like a lot for a modern SUV. But behind the wheel, I found the CX-5 surprisingly peppy. It has good acceleration and excellent road control, and I didn’t even find it necessary to use Sport mode. Normal mode provided plenty of performance for my driving.
The CX-5 also has ventilated front disc brakes and rear solid disc brakes, all-season tires and a suspension that gives it a comfortable but controlled ride. For Colorado, standard all-wheel drive and all-season tires make a lot of sense.
The interior is one of the car’s strongest features. Mazda has increased rear-seat room and cargo space in the new generation, and the improvement is noticeable. My three journalist passengers immediately noticed the legroom and comfort. The seats are leather-trimmed, and the Premium Plus includes heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, a power driver’s seat with memory, a power passenger seat and other comfort features.
The technology package is extensive. The Premium Plus includes Mazda’s huge 15.6-inch center display, paddle shifters, a hands-free power liftgate, driver monitoring and a 360-degree view monitor. It also includes front cross-traffic alert and braking, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-change assistance, radar cruise control, lane-keeping and emergency lane-keeping technology, traffic-sign recognition, parking sensors and an extensive collection of airbags and other safety systems.
There is also Google Built-in, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Bose 10-speaker sound system, wireless phone charging and a 10.25-inch digital instrument display. Mazda has clearly decided that a modern CX-5 buyer expects a great deal of technology — and the company delivers.
The exterior has a handsome, substantial appearance, with 19-inch wheels, roof rails, a rear spoiler, power-folding mirrors, rear privacy glass, wiper de-icing and distinctive front and rear signature lighting.
And then there is that red paint. Soul Red Crystal Metallic is one of those colors that makes people turn their heads. It is deep, rich and particularly attractive on the CX-5. But I discovered one disadvantage during our Colorado summer.
We have had some 100-degree days, and when the CX-5 has been sitting in the sun, that beautiful red exterior turns the interior into an oven. The steering wheel can become so hot that I don’t want to touch it.
Of course, there is another side to that story. Come winter, when Colorado is cold and snowy, that same red paint will absorb the sun’s warmth. So perhaps Mazda has given us a four-season color — hot in July and welcome in January.
There is a lot of Japanese craftsmanship in this Mazda. Final assembly is in Hiroshima, Japan, and Mazda has a long tradition of combining engineering, technology and craftsmanship. The company was founded in Hiroshima and continues to emphasize the human-centered driving experience that has become part of the Mazda identity.
I did find one thing I don’t particularly like — the disappearance of traditional radio controls.
I’m old-fashioned. I like knobs.
I want to reach down, turn the volume knob and tune the radio. Instead, modern automobiles increasingly expect drivers to control entertainment functions through screens, steering-wheel controls and other electronic systems. Mazda is certainly not alone in this trend, but I’m still going to vote for the knob.
That’s about my only complaint. The 2026 Mazda CX-5 is a well-rounded automobile. It is comfortable, roomy, quiet, technologically advanced, safe and surprisingly quick. It has all-wheel drive, excellent road manners and enough luxury equipment to make the driver and passengers feel like they’re riding in something considerably more expensive.
And Mazda has been generous with the equipment. The Premium Plus package brings a remarkable collection of features without requiring the buyer to keep adding expensive options.
The final verdict came from my three passengers. They had been in plenty of cars with me over the years, and all three independently complimented the CX-5. They particularly liked the room, the interior and the comfort.
Coming from three professional journalists, that was probably the best road-test report I could have received.
For my money, Mazda has a winner here.
The CX-5 has been one of Mazda’s most successful vehicles for a reason. For 2026, the company has taken a proven formula, added more room, more technology, more safety and more refinement, while keeping the driving personality that made the CX-5 popular in the first place. And at $41,080 for a fully equipped Premium Plus in that gorgeous Soul Red Crystal Metallic, it is a lot of automobile for the money.
H. Throttle says: This is one Mazda that deserves a place at the head of the class.