Likes
- Beautiful styling, inside and out
- Excellent ride and handling
- Genuine levels of practicality
- Superb build quality
Used Mazda CX-5 (2nd-gen) review
2017 - 2021
Dislikes
- Technology is starting to feel dated
- Engines (excluding turbo) can feel lacklustre
- Not the most economical in its class
- Diesels engines starting to have issues
Stuff you should know
The Mazda CX-5 is an immensely popular SUV here in Australia for being one of those very rare vehicles that beautifully balances the knife edge between having stylish good looks and a dynamic driving experience while still being practical, economical and sensible.
While it received upgrades and revisions every year of its production cycle, now that this generation of CX-5 is nearly five years old, are used CX-5s worthy of the car’s acclaim and should you buy one? Read on to find out.
What goes wrong
- We found very few “common” issues when it comes to petrol-engined CX-5s. We know of minor timing chains issues and the odd oil leak but by no means are these common issues
- The red paint on some early CX-5s was known to flake off in tiny amounts but this was sorted under Mazda warranty
- Some diesel-engined CX-5s are starting to show typical common rail diesel engine issues like DPF issues, EGR valve issues and some turbo problems
- We found very few “common” issues when it comes to petrol-engined CX-5s. We know of minor timing chains issues and the odd oil leak but by no means are these common issues
- The red paint on some early CX-5s was known to flake off in tiny amounts but this was sorted under Mazda warranty
- Some diesel-engined CX-5s are starting to show typical common rail diesel engine issues like DPF issues, EGR valve issues and some turbo problems
- We found very few “common” issues when it comes to petrol-engined CX-5s. We know of minor timing chains issues and the odd oil leak but by no means are these common issues
- The red paint on some early CX-5s was known to flake off in tiny amounts but this was sorted under Mazda warranty
- Some diesel-engined CX-5s are starting to show typical common rail diesel engine issues like DPF issues, EGR valve issues and some turbo problems
Should you buy it?
Yes. In fact the Mazda CX-5 may very well be our pick in this segment.
The CX-5 is popular for a reason, it just does everything so well and even with a few years and thousands of kilometres under its belt, Mazda’s reputation for providing reliability, precise Japanese engineering and a genuinely entertaining driving experience is only let down by minor discrepancies when it comes to the CX-5.
For which CX-5 we’d recommend, read on.
Yes. In fact the Mazda CX-5 may very well be our pick in this segment.
The CX-5 is popular for a reason, it just does everything so well and even with a few years and thousands of kilometres under its belt, Mazda’s reputation for providing reliability, precise Japanese engineering and a genuinely entertaining driving experience is only let down by minor discrepancies when it comes to the CX-5.
For which CX-5 we’d recommend, read on.
Should you buy it?
Yes. In fact the Mazda CX-5 may very well be our pick in this segment.
The CX-5 is popular for a reason, it just does everything so well and even with a few years and thousands of kilometres under its belt, Mazda’s reputation for providing reliability, precise Japanese engineering and a genuinely entertaining driving experience is only let down by minor discrepancies when it comes to the CX-5.
For which CX-5 we’d recommend, read on.
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Disclaimer
Please note that pricing information is subject to fluctuations in the automotive market.
Information correct as of Feb 23, 2024.
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