Mazda CX-5 review: what the car critics say
The CX-5 has now undergone a mid-life facelift

Originally launched in 2012, with a second-generation model rolled out in 2017, the CX-5 has now undergone a mid-life facelift, said Autocar. New for 2022 is a revamped front end, a boost in rolling refinement and the addition of Mi-Drive on automatic models, which gives Sport and Off-road driving modes. Mazda also claims to have improved ride comfort with modifications to the CX-5 bodyshell.

The CX-5 is one of Mazda’s best-selling cars in the UK, and it remains a well-rounded SUV, said Auto Express. New dampers and softer springs make for a more comfortable ride, but the soft springs mean there’s a bit more body roll through corners. And though the entry-level 2.0-litre engine is a little gutless, the manual gearbox it’s linked to is a cracker. It does 0-62mph in 10.5s, and has a top speed of 125mph.

Where other companies are dropping diesel, Mazda is sticking with it, said The Daily Telegraph. The CX-5 isn’t all that fuel efficient (official consumption is 46.3mg), particularly compared with the new rival petrol hybrids that Mazda isn’t offering. The lovely interior is little altered, except for a new infotainment system with a wider screen. There’s plenty of room in the back, but at 510 litres, the boot isn’t the largest of its class. Price: from £30,765.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Keep the fun going with these 7 subscription gift boxes
The Week Recommends Bring the party to their mailbox
-
Babies born using 3 people's DNA are without hereditary disease
Under the radar The method could eliminate mutations for future generations
-
Crossword: July 23, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Art Review: Hilma af Klint's What Stands Behind the Flowers
Feature Museum of Modern Art, New York City, through Sept. 27
-
Geoff Dyer's 6 favorite books about the realities of war
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by Ernie Pyle, Michael Herr, and more
-
Book review: 'A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck'
Feature A couple works to keep their marriage together while lost at sea
-
Kartoffelsalat (potato salad) recipe
The Week Recommends German dish is fresh, creamy and an ideal summer meal
-
6 peaceful homes near small towns
Feature Featuring doors with local topographical maps in Oregon and a 1850s homestead-turned-house in Vermont
-
Too Much: London-set romantic comedy from Lena Dunham
The Week Recommends Megan Stalter stars as a 'neurotic' New Yorker who falls in love with a Brit
-
Apocalypse in the Tropics: a 'troubling' portrait of modern Brazil
The Week Recommends Petra Costa's sobering documentary examines the rise of right-wing evangelical Christianity in Brazilian politics
-
Murderland: a 'hauntingly compulsive' book
The Week Recommends Caroline Fraser sets out a 'compelling theory' that toxins were to blame for the 1970s serial killer epidemic