![]() I can live with Mazda Connect and its menus, though I could just as easily do without it. The interior touches mostly work to the CX-5’s advantage, notably the front seats, which are exceedingly comfortable. It was already a sporty looking rig the new grille and other touches perk it up even more. Overall, the refresh serves the CX-5 well. (Blind spot monitoring is standard on GS and GT trims.) 2016 Mazda CX-5 GT AWD Article content 2016 Mazda CX-5 GT AWDĪs for fuel economy, I averaged 11 L/100 km during my week with the Mazda, the result of a 50/50 mix of highway use and in-town errand running - about par for the segment, though nothing to write home about.įor those particularly concerned with safety, the optional ($2,100) Technology package is a valid upgrade as it includes such features as Smart City Brake Support (designed to help avoid a head-on collision when driving at low speeds), Smart Brake Support, Forward Obstruction Warning, Lane Departure Warning and radar cruise control. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Compared with rival models with non-turbo engines (RAV4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, et al), Mazda’s 2.5L is a strong player, and will motivate the 1,604-kilogram SUV to 100 km/h in 9.7 seconds - reasonable if not exceptional, all things considered. This engine pushes out 184 horsepower and 185 lb.-ft. of torque, 19 per cent more horsepower and 23 per cent more torque than the base model’s feeble 155-horsepower 2.0-litre. This is buttressed by the 2.5-litre four-cylinder that has been standard on the GS and GT trims since the 2014 model year. Its handling dynamics stress agility, something that seems to be part and parcel of just about every vehicle Mazda builds. It has a firm suspension, though an occasionally choppy ride over harsher pavement. Sometimes, buttons are a good thing! The 2016 Mazda CX-5 GT AWD’s infotainment system is a bit more complicated than it needs to be.īut it’s the driving experience that makes the CX-5 a standout in the crowded (more than 20 competing models) compact sport-ute segment. While basic functions such as accessing the audio or navigation systems are OK, there’s too much scrolling through the sub-menus or screen tapping to find exactly what you want, such as the used-to-be-easy task of changing radio stations. ![]() And I’m not a huge fan of the connectivity system (Mazda’s version of BMW’s iDrive). The navigation system’s graphics are not the most detailed. There are a couple of nits to pick, though. Do these changes elevate the CX-5’s interior to the level of its aforementioned competitors? No, but it’s certainly not as cheap looking (admittedly more of a perceived notion with the top-of-the-line GT tester as opposed to a base $22,995 GX front-wheel-drive model). Mazda cites the quality feel of the ornamentation and materials used as well as improvements to the functionality and usability of the cockpit, based on Mazda’s “unique human-machine interface (HMI).” The controls are easier to find and use - such as the audio system volume control, “HMI commander switch” and new electric parking brake, which are located to the centre console. There’s been more effort put into interior upgrades, where the CX-5’s overabundance of plastic in the cabin area had fallen short of some of its rivals, notably Toyota’s RAV4 and the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. So, the 2016 model sees the obligatory nose job, specifically a new front bumper, grille and fog light design. In other words, this is one SUV that does most things right. In Driving’s evaluation of nine compact SUVs last fall, the 2015 CX-5 finished tied for second with Toyota’s RAV4 (and just behind the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport), while it tied for first with the Honda CR-V among editors’ choices. Mazda’s popular-selling CX-5 compact sport-ute gets a mid-cycle refresh for 2016, and it’s definitely a case of the former, not the latter - which is all fair and proper since there wasn’t much to complain about in the first place.
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