Used 2016 Mazda CX-5 SUV Consumer Reviews
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2016 CX-5 GT - One Year Later
Joel, 10/16/2016
updated 04/19/2018
2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/Prod. End 01/16 (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
After exhaustive research, I narrowed the field of small SUVs down to the Forrester, CX-5 & the CRV. My key criteria (and this may vary from yours) was gas mileage, comfort, cargo capacity & price. Performance came in 4th. The Forrester was my leading candidate going into the test drives. Being 6'3", I couldn't sit in the passenger seat of the Subaru without hitting the headliner. The Honda had an annoying vibration through the steering wheel when stopped. After a year driving the CX-5, I'm extremely pleased with my decision. A recent 500+ mile trip over a 4,000 ft mountain pass, we got 32 MPG. The "tech" works well. I'm especially pleased with the adaptive LED headlights, Bluetooth/pandora, lane warning system & the cross-traffic sensing backup system. Then there's the Zoom-Zoom factor. The bodylean for a vehicle of this class/size is fantastic. I have to look very hard to find any Cons and the following is really nit-picking. The supportive seats the make cornering fun become hard and uncomfortable on long road trips creating the "tired butt" condition. The great MPG is partially achieved by the transmission getting to the higher gear as soon as possible. This can put you in a weak part of the power curve for the 2.5 engine. Yes, you can put the car in sport mode and manually shift but that will carry a MPG penalty. The visibility is poor with large blind spots. This is especially true for the large front roof pillars. The lane warning system is a must and if it fails, good luck. The speedometer goes up to 160. This puts 80 at the midpoint (12:00). I rarely drive over 140 (kidding). The 5 MPH increments are very small. If the midpoint was 60, the 5 MPH increments would be easier to read. Once in cruise control, a digital readout appears in the instrument cluster. April 2017 update: A recent leg injury has made it more difficult to get into the vehicle due to the high door sill. This is one of those things you don't think of or notice when buying the car. Overall, great car.
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Had it for 2 weeks and I love it
Research Nerd, 07/30/2015
updated 08/01/2016
2016 Mazda CX-5 Touring 4dr SUV w/Prod. End 01/16 (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
Nothing I don't like about my 2016 CX5. I drive in traffic a lot, so I like the blind spot monitor. The electronics are very nice. I like the 7 inch screen and the control nobs. Car handles like an expensive sports car. This is my first 4 cylinder in about 15 years and I love the acceleration. Car is built well, interior is great, nothing I would change about this car. I didn't get the technology package, b/c I'd heard it wasn't worth the extra money. Plus Google Maps is good enough for me. Fuel mileage is getting better. I have 1200 miles on this car and I'm averaging 31 mpg (I do mostly highway driving, but some city), so I'm happy I'm above the 29 mpg average. This is my first Mazda, but it certainly won't be my last.
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2016 Mazda CX-5 for sale near you
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- Touring 4dr SUVMSRP: $16,35010 mi away
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I picked AWD CX-5 GT over Ford Escape Titanium
mndriver2013, 05/25/2015
2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/Prod. End 01/16 (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
The CX-5 and Escape are both fun to drive, but the CX-5 handles better while the Escape has better excelleration. The Escape has the edge as far as enfotainment system, but the 2016 CX-5 has come a long way since the 2015 model; however, it does take a little getting used to the joystick/ knob controller. Voice commands are definately better with the Escape( the Mazda dealer even said that the CX-5 are frustrating to use). Mpg is slightly better in the Mazda. Brand reliability is suppose to be better with Mazda... We shall see. The tipping point for me is that Mazda is an IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus and the Escape is not because it got a Poor rating in the Small overlap crash test.
Love it!
Tom, 05/12/2016
updated 11/15/2021
2016 Mazda CX-5 Touring 4dr SUV w/Prod. End 01/16 (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
I have had my CX5 for 2 months now, a good time for a review? So far so good! I decided to get a Mazda because we just loved my wife's mazda3 (now 3 or 4 years old). The CX5 has awesome styling and rides like a dream. I'm going to focus on some things not said as follows but I do love pretty much everything about this vehicle! The negatives are few but are worth pointing out. Backing up is difficult, the camera is awesome and helps a lot but seeing things that are not directly behind me is difficult. I now back into my parking spots because backing into traffic is darn near dangerous, I can not see anyone unless they are directly straight behind. That's the only real drawback and backing into slots is easy with the camera. I do like the cross traffic warning beep and speaking of warnings, I just LOVE the blind spot monitor. I don't have any issues with blind spots going forward but darn, these things really work so well and make me feel much safer! My seat is comfortable but I do sit at a goofy angle and the side supports do jab my side. I am forced to sit at a "proper" angle and I guess that's a good thing but is slightly irritating. I am averaging better gas mileage than most here are reporting. I started in the mid 20's but am now up to just over 30MPG. My driving mix is about 75 Highway/25% city so I'm quite pleased there. The Bose speakers are so very VERY nice, do spend the extra and get that, put some music on a flash drive and you can be forever in bliss! (I have a 32 gig drive and it holds several THOUSAND songs) I did get weathertech mats and I highly recommend them,well worth the extra cost. But I rarely use the trunk so I passed on mats back there, if you do the same, a neat tip is to use those other mats that came with the car as mas in the trunk. Not "custom fit" by any means but they don't look so bad and do the job! update: almost 8 months later and I still love it! a friend just bought a Hyundai Sonata and I scratch my head wondering WHY? and another update, nearly three years later and I still love my CX5. I just drove into work in snow and it handled well (front wheel drive only and no snow tires!) as it always does. Nothing I do not like!
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Love my new car!!
Heather, 05/19/2016
2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/Prod. End 01/16 (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
I bought the Grand Touring model mainly because my husband and I wanted dual AC. So glad we did as we also love the leather! Is this the best stereo, no. But I still think the sound is good and wouldn't hesitate to spend the money on the this trim again. A few days after we bought it we had a lot of rain. Other vehicles were sliding and slipping around us but I had no issues at all even when driving through standing water. The seats are comfortable. I mainly drive in town but I have had no issues with wind noise. My husband is 6'5" and is comfortable in both the driver and passenger seat. I am used to driving a truck with a V8 and was worried about lack of power with this engine. I've had no issues. This car has great get up and go. I can't express how much I love this car. We test drove a Honda CRV, Subaru Outback and a Forester. While the other cars were perfectly fine I am so glad I chose this one. I highly recommend it!
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Better than my BMW
Cassye, 03/19/2016
updated 06/01/2020
2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
19 of 20 people found this review helpful
I’ve been in the market for a new car for over 5 years. I recently traded my trusty 2006 Subaru Forester for my AMAZING new Soul Red Metallic CX-5 GT AWD. Though the Sub was a practical and very reliable vehicle for me in my new mom chapter of life, I was ready to get back to my usual sporty-car personality that I’d abandoned a decade prior. Backstory: The car before the Forester was a red BMW 325i, and I was obsessed with that thing. I ordered it from the factory, waited the agonizing 8 weeks to take delivery, hand washed it every weekend and even set up a separate maintenance savings account based on stories I’d heard from fellow financially tolerant Bmer zealots. Typical DINK. I loved the way it drove, along with the quality of the construction. It made my 1.5 hour commute to and from my corporate job every day somehow worth it. Fast forward a few years and we got rid of it when our daughter came along, and we got tired of paying $800 per electric window repair; all 4 seemed to systematically go out – one by one. I’d quit my job to stay home and we needed a DINKless ride to go with our new, decidedly unDINK lifestyle steeped mostly in kid barf and dog hair. My daughter basically grew up in the Subaru, along with the 3 aforementioned dogs and various school, swim and neighborhood friends. It served us well for hauling and domestic life in general. In fact, I didn’t technically NEED a new car at all right now. But my soul did. Now that my daughter is older and I’m working again, I finally felt like the time was right to regain what I’d lost in the vehicular mojo dept. Because I’m still a family gal I had to think somewhat practically, but this time without sacrificing fun and performance, and the CX-5 stirs those same old car obsessed feelings in me! This is an early review with only about 700 miles driven so far. However, there has yet to be one thing I don’t love about the car. Just like my old Bmer, but with a much better reliability rating and price tag. In fact, I love my CX-5 MORE than my old 325i because they thought of everything. The GT was the way to go for me – larger engine, sporty wheels, newly standard nav and backup camera, and leather heated seats/mirrors. I have to say I haven’t used the nav and I know it got poor ratings from other owners. I’ll be back to discuss that once I take the time to mess with it. I will address the heated seats though. I think they’re more than fine, in fact the high setting is too hot, and I’m a cold-natured person. The sound system seems nice to me; another flaw highlighted in other ratings. However, coming from the Forester it could be more about perception than anything. Not having rear vents for backseat passengers was originally a concern for me, but so far my back-seaters are happy with the car temp and don’t seem to have issues like they did in the Subaru. Summer is coming so I’ll let you know how that goes. Fit and finish of the interior is supurb, along with the road noise. I can actually have a conversation with the backseat riders without yelling. MPG has been a solid 25.5 in and around town, so I’m happy with that. Ride is sporty and solid without being too rough like other small SUVS. Likewise it’s not swoopy and sloppy like the bigger SUVs. Shifting is smooth and the Sport mode turbo button is a fun and effective feature for interstate driving. I gave you the backstory because I don’t know where you’re coming from in looking at this car. I haven’t driven an upscale European vehicle for many years, so this lack of experience could certainly influence the high ratings I give this car. Coming from the Forester many compact SUVs today fare better. But for the price and for it’s class I give the CX-5 a hands down 5 star rating. UPDATE - May, 2020 Still loving this car 4 years later. As promised I'll talk about the navigation which has turned out to be subpar. I gave it a good try for over a half hour and gave up. I just use nav through Bluetooth with my iPhone with no issues. Other than that no complaints whatsoever. Finishes are wearing well (its always been garage kept) and mechanically still a sound vehicle. Would definitely buy again.
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Love this little buggy!
likesredcars, 06/11/2015
updated 06/12/2016
2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/Prod. End 01/16 (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
55 of 61 people found this review helpful
I did research ad-nausea and test drove several different small SUVs before I made the decision that this was the best car for me. Why? reviews, quiet ride, gas mileage, safety ratings, and the fact that I could actually see out the back. I liked the Nissan Rogue's cargo configuration, and the panoramic sunroof better, but not the lower ratings it received from several car review websites. I'm also not in love with the CRV transmission, or anything with a turbo. Any car with a manual stick-thing for parking brake was automatically eliminated. Cheap looking. My inner voice told me to buy a Subaru Outback, but I just couldn't love a station wagon. Just not sexy enough for this granny. So, after owning this car for a year - and only driving it on the weekends - there are only two things that bug me - the navigation is not very good, and the rear tailgate could really use an automatic release.
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It doesn't get better than this!
DAP, 05/08/2016
2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
Go for the Grand Touring. More expensive but it has the safety features & bells & whistles. Great ride and typical Mazda fun performance. Great storage and a perfect size for a small SUV or cross over. The size is easy to maneuver and the sitting position puts you in a good position to see the road. I love the safety features and the integrated control consol is easy to use and great integrated technology. The ride is good and steering excellent. 2.5 liter is solid and has nice power. I'm very pleased with my purchase.
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Exceeds Epectations
Russ, 09/27/2015
2016 Mazda CX-5 Sport 4dr SUV AWD w/Prod. End 01/16 (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
I bought my CX-5 in June 2015 as a 2016 after researching all the small CUVs. The contenders were the Toyota Rav4, Hyundai Tucson and Honda CRV. I did checkout the U.S. models but read many complaints and disappointments in MPG. A few realities that are noteworthy include exceeding the EPA mileage (something I wish U.S. auto Mfgs could say, just ask any Ford Ecoboost owner), best HP from a 2.5L NA engine, excellent handling and braking. A couple of downside issues are it is a bit noisy, and the navigation system is a bit lame (so I’m told, I do not have this option). Overall, I’m completely satisfied with my choice and highly recommend the Mazda CX-5. Specifically, I’ve gone through 4 tanks of fuel and after the first tank, I get 26.6 mpg in town with a little highway thrown in. I get 32.5+ on the highway, during one trip so far. I don’t drive with an egg shell under the gas pedal. The engine feels quite spirited and the 6 speed transmission is smooth and responsive. The interior is very comfortable, more so than the Rav4, and the AC works great and has little effect on engine performance. The sound system (6 speakers) is fine for my tired ears and has fine USB and Bluetooth connectivity for Pandora and some other services I don’t use. It engine is definitely not a droner but is noticeable and Mazda could put more effort in quieting the interior. I find it impressive the Mazda gets the HP and MPG out of a 2.5L NA engine without resorting to force induction. It will be interesting over the next 10 years to see how the many turbo charged engines fair out in the long-term reliability. Pity the future used turbo car buyer whose previous owner didn’t change the oil or understand how to drive and care for a turbo charged engine. As much as the foreign and domestic manufacturers try to make turbo engines a non-issue, with technology like water cooling the turbo, the reality is turbo engines do in fact require different maintenance and driving manners, not the least of which is to idle the engine before turning off after any driving period. Being the owner of three turbo charged engine vehicles; I’m no stranger to the subtitles of turbo-engine ownership. So, I’ve avoided the turbo engines and went for Mazda’s Skyactiv technology. Add in the many other Mazda CX-5 attributes, and the decision was a no brainer.
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Mazda CX5 is right on the mark
Burton Thomas, 05/04/2016
2016 Mazda CX-5 Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
I had narrowed my search down to a Mazda CX5 or a Nissan Rogue. The internet was very helpful in researching both vehicles and getting customer reviews to study. Nissan seems to have had problems with the constant velocity transmission but they claim to have it remedied but after driving both the Nissan and the Mazda I chose not to take the chance on a possible CVT problem. The Mazda seemed to perform a bit better and the handling was far superior to the Rogue. The Mazda is a much sportier handling vehicle and has very little body roll in tight cornering. Visibility is good and the blind spot warning on the mirrors makes it even better. My mileage so far exceeds the claims as I can get 29.5MPG around town but that does include some stretches of roadway that have no stop lights or stop signs. The electronics work as advertised but since my last vehicle was a 2006 I may not be well educated on what others have to offer. They take a bit to get used to but once I became familiar with the controls they are just fine for me. I really like the Pandora radio availability as I can get what I want to listen to without the fees such as Sirius/XM charges. And the sound quality is very good.
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