![]() The handling is exceptional too, with great precise steering feel, and a perfect blend between smooth ride and responsive handling. The Miata company isn’t going to stop at an exhilarating straight line. You’ll even eke out a little bit better mpg – expect 30 or so on the highway – and stepping into a Turbo CX-5 can be as much as $10k more. Objectively the turbo is faster, but subjectively, our tester felt more responsive, zingy and it just made you smile and want to drive enthusiastically. The 6-speed auto keeps things on the boil, and this is a joy to raaaaaaap, raaaaaap through the gears. This is a wonderful engine with a throaty burble, rev-happy manners, and a hard pull to the redline. Well, our tester was equipped with the non-turbo SkyactiveG 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, and while it serves up a lesser 187 hp and 186 torques, surprise! We like it better. But we always felt it lost some of the fizzy fun with that added power. It’s tuned for refinement and makes the CX-5 swift and smooth. Lately Mazda has been spreading the joy by giving us press vehicles with the powerful 2.5-liter, turbo motor that kicks out an impressive 250 horsepower, and a stout 320 lb.-ft of torque. ![]() You get used to it, but we’d love it more as touchscreen.Īnd under the hood was our biggest surprise. It works very well, but to be honest, that big screen is nice and close to the driver, and we often found ourselves trying to use it as a touchscreen, but no dice. Like Audi, you access the goods through a large, center rotary controller with a smaller volume knob next to it. You’ve got all the goods like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus Mazda Connected Services and in-car Wi-Fi hot spot. Info-tainment is handled by a 10.25-inch display that sits big and beautiful on top of the center dashboard. Unlike the Turbo models that have a digital speedo display in the middle of the cluster, our tester was analog through and through, but with a nicely sized 8,000 rpm tach, 160-mph speedo and useful combo gauge it’s handsome, legible and sporty. One thing you’ll be focusing on is the gauge package. It may be a crossover, but the “Zoom-Zoom” company knows a thing about creating an environment that feels driver focused! Along with the leather-wrapped seats, there’s a nice fat leather-wrapped steering wheel and perfectly placed shift lever. Reserved doesn’t mean boring – there’s a horizontal dash that creates a sense of width, and all the plastics have nice graining and a softness that feel expensive to the touch. ![]() Open the door, and one of the first things you’ll notice are the rich red leather seats that are part of the Carbon Edition, and not only do they pop, but they add interest to Mazda’s otherwise reserved interior. One of the great joys of Mazda interiors are the level-above design and quality of materials. ![]() We really loved our Carbon Edition’s Polymetal Gray Metallic, a gray-green that shimmers in the right light and looks like a million bucks. The rear echoes the front’s simple lines, with rectangular LED taillights that warp around, a scooped-in rear hatch panel, spoiler on top, and dual round tailpipes poking out from the rear fascia. ![]() Giving our Carbon Edition some added oomph were meaty black 19-inch alloy wheels and rear privacy glass. The profile will be familiar to any who have seen a CX-5, with a sporty swept-back windshield, muscular fender blisters with blacked out fender trim, and a scooped-out line below the doors. Sleek rectangular LED headlights give an aggressive looking frown, but the lack of bling makes for a tasteful start. The lower signature front signature wing is blacked out for extra badness. Up front there’s a prominent grille that manages to avoid the monstrous look you find in the latest BMW and Lexus models. Mazda talks about its “Kodo” design philosophy, and we like the subtle sophistication that feels very European. ![]()
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