2015 Mazda CX-5 Touring Long-Term Verdict Review (Motor Trend)

Good review. I am a bit surprised they picked on the cloth seats. I currently don't own a CX-5 but have driven one as a rental a few times with the cloth seating. The seats seemed fine to me. I would also think, but don't know for sure, that the basic underlying foam materials that are used in the cloth seats would also be used in the leather seats so I am not sure the leather seats would be dramatically different as far as comfort goes.
 
Have owned both, there is very little between the two. They are comfortable, their weakness for me is the lack of support. I prefer a sportier seat with tighter support around the lower back.
 
I was surprised to read that the suspension of the CX-5 was revamped for 2016. Does anyone know whether there are discernible differences?
 
I was surprised to read that the suspension of the CX-5 was revamped for 2016. Does anyone know whether there are discernible differences?

Mazda tweaked it for better ride and handling but I don't have the specifics on it. What I do know is that sound insulation was added in some areas to help with wind and road noise.
 
Suspension feels slightly better, it was already very good though. My diesel is quieter, engine, road and wind about 20% I would guess. Although tyres come into play, I now have 19" toyo proxies, I don't hear them as much as the 17" geolander or nokians I had. The 2.5l I tested was also very quiet, think Mazda done a good job in this area.
 
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Noise reduction, yes - I read that before. But I hadn't heard about suspension tweaks.
 
Curious about changes... typically to the softer scale as model year/same generation progresses
 
Noise reduction, yes - I read that before. But I hadn't heard about suspension tweaks.
It was mentioned in 2016 Mazda CX-5 pricing announcement during the press release:

"IRVINE, Calif. (February 9, 2015) - Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced pricing for the refreshed 2016 Mazda CX-5 compact crossover SUV. The 2016 CX-5 is available in three trim levels Sport, Touring and Grand Touring in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. While the exterior retains its distinctive SUV looks, updates to the grille and other design features further evolve with the latest expression of the Mazda brand.

Particular effort went into improving the interior quality of the ornamentation and materials used and also the functionality and usability of the cockpit zone, based on Mazda's unique Human-Machine Interface (HMI). Enhancements include updates to the front and rear seats and suspension system, as well as to sound insulation performance throughout the body, which results in greater ride comfort and cabin quietness. Mazda's renowned AWD system is also updated for 2016.
"
 
Curious about changes... typically to the softer scale as model year/same generation progresses

Manufacturer often tweak suspension for different countries/markets. The NZ/AU CX-5 facelift version got firmer suspension to make it sportier. It rides and handles almost the same as the Honda Accord Euro Tourer (Acura TSX Sport Wagon in the US) which is impressive for a tall riding vehicle. Sound like US version has gone firmer as well.

Kudos to Madza's engineering team in producing a car that can take on Audi's Q3 but a lower price point. Honda used to have some brilliant engineering too but that was 10 - 15 years ago.
 
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Good review. I am a bit surprised they picked on the cloth seats. I currently don't own a CX-5 but have driven one as a rental a few times with the cloth seating. The seats seemed fine to me. I would also think, but don't know for sure, that the basic underlying foam materials that are used in the cloth seats would also be used in the leather seats so I am not sure the leather seats would be dramatically different as far as comfort goes.

32K miles on my cloth seats. They look and feel new. I am pleased.
 
Mazda tweaked it for better ride and handling but I don't have the specifics on it. What I do know is that sound insulation was added in some areas to help with wind and road noise.

It is tempting to throw some dynamat in my 2015, I've got to say. I think for a few hundred bucks I could change the entire "sound" of the ride.
 
Amazing how at NO point do they tell us what kind of MPG they get. All I see is "The EPA rates at...", lol. WTF?! A LTR with NO mileage reports (I clicked also on the Road Trip, and the Fill Ups section, linked at the bottom, as well. Would it have been another place besides those two, or the summary?)? Such fail, Motor Trend. Such fail. Considering its purpose, that is one of the most important things about the vehicle. It kindof caused me to discard the rest of the article as "out of touch".
 
"Feels slightly better" is subjective and therefore nebulous.

Is it softer or firmer?

Main difference I feel is the car is more composed over rougher roads, certainly quieter, which again, is quite surprising since I moved to the larger wheel. This could suggest that the suspension is softer, I need to see if the body roll is more or less once I get a chance to push it a bit more.
 
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Main difference I feel is the car is more composed over rougher roads, certainly quieter, which again, is quite surprising since I moved to the larger wheel. This could suggest that the suspension is softer, I need to see if the body roll is more or less once I get a chance to push it a bit more.

Larger tires will make a vehicle ride smoother on rough roads, assuming similar/same sidewall aspect.
 
Not sure why you would say larger tires would make a vehicle smoother knowing that on the CX5 the 17" have a 65 profile and the 19" have a 50. Obviously if the aspect was the same the large tire would be smoother, but that's not the case here.

Hence I would expect a slightly rougher ride on the 19"s. It's hard to tell and not really that important to me as the roads here are very smooth, I got the 19" just for the looks.
 
Not sure why you would say larger tires would make a vehicle smoother knowing that on the CX5 the 17" have a 65 profile and the 19" have a 50. Obviously if the aspect was the same the large tire would be smoother, but that's not the case here.
Hence I would expect a slightly rougher ride on the 19"s. It's hard to tell and not really that important to me as the roads here are very smooth, I got the 19" just for the looks.
Unobtanium did say: "Larger tires will make a vehicle ride smoother on rough roads, assuming similar/same sidewall aspect." So there is no conflict here with your statement. But for CX-5, 19" tires are not necessary larger on total diameter than 17" tires as 19" tires have lower profile aspect. Hence the 19" tires on CX-5 would expect a rougher ride than 17" tires like you said.
 
Amazing how at NO point do they tell us what kind of MPG they get. All I see is "The EPA rates at...", lol. WTF?! A LTR with NO mileage reports (I clicked also on the Road Trip, and the Fill Ups section, linked at the bottom, as well. Would it have been another place besides those two, or the summary?)? Such fail, Motor Trend. Such fail. Considering its purpose, that is one of the most important things about the vehicle. It kindof caused me to discard the rest of the article as "out of touch".
Ha! I was surprised too that I couldn't find any real-world MPG data in this Long-Term Review on CX-5 as normally Motor Trend does provide its real-world MPG for car reviews. (uhm)
 
Ha! I was surprised too that I couldn't find any real-world MPG data in this Long-Term Review on CX-5 as normally Motor Trend does provide its real-world MPG for car reviews. (uhm)

A hint, maybe ;)

I'm not the only one non-plussed by this thing's real-world mileage. The other day, I put it in cruise control and drove at pace with traffic, breaking 3K rpm only once in my trip, when merging. I turned in about 3mpg less than I did when I drove the same exact trip like some green-tea latte swilling enviro-nut. That's a pretty darn huge gap between how people normally drive, and the EPA numbers (which I did match, doing 5 under, and pissing everyone on the freeway off as I coasted up hills and gently accelerated down them).
 
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