In-depth reviews

Mazda CX-5 owner reviews

"The Mazda CX-5 is stylish, well equipped, great to drive and painless to own"

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12 Feb 2024

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Carbuyer Rating

4.0 out of 5

Owners Rating

3.3 out of 5

Reviews

Owner Reviews

5 out of 5
4 out of 5
3 out of 5
2 out of 5
1 out of 5

53%of people would recommend this car to a friend

Common Problems

Electrics, Engine (1 case)
Other (2 cases)
Electrics (2 cases)
Engine (1 case)
Suspension, Other (1 case)
Brakes (1 case)

Review 1 of 15

Tell us what you think about your car?

Second Mazda cx-5 I've owned, bought this one as an ex demo model (circa 2k on the clock) dec 18. The previous version, brilliant car no problems but wanted euro6/ulez proof car. I only do fairly low mileage, but tend to keep my cars for 5 to 8 years, after 3 months I got a fault message up, "too much oil!" Took back to Romford Mazda they reset sensors Shortly thereafter same error, took back New oil sensor reset. and so on, some discussion between garage staff and myself regarding diesel dilution and not enough miles or heavy enough usage. It's been back with Romford Mazda (who are trying but failing to sort this issue) 5 or six times sometimes for multiple weeks at a go, best solution Mazda EU. have told Romford mazda, is that it is because of my driving style. Shame none of the literature says you have to thrash them, speed or do huge mileage!! I live on edge of London, speed cameras every 50 yards it seems, sort of limits ones ability to put your foot down a lot! Currently still in the garage-- They are on notice that this is the last time I will let them try and fix. If the fault occurs again I'm going to be after a full refund as consumer rights act of 2015 allows.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Did a lot of hunting before settling on the CX5. Impressed with the looks and overall performance of the car, plus the features on the Sport Nav version. Whilst it lacks the kudos of an Audi, it packs almost as many features for less than half the price. Driving positions are comfortable, helped by the memory seats which can be activated before entering or starting the car. Like another reviewer, I'm not a huge fan of the electronic parking brake and find it fiddly, particularly in stop-start traffic. Satnav has worked well on the occasions that I've used it, and the head-up display is extremely useful. Only downside thus far is the fuel consumption; Mazda claim 56.5 mpg for this model, but, and I am an extremely street-legal driver, never thrash the accelerator and use the gear change indicator religiously, I cannot get the car to produce better than 48 mpg, despite using it on a range of short, medium and long journeys.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

It’s a great car to drive, the stearing is very responsive and the quality is generally very high. I’m very very pleased with it.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

4.5 years, never missed a beat. Had it serviced for the first two years, now I just change the oil and filter once every year. I use it as a towcar too. After 48,000 I'm still on the original brakes, pads. Couldn't be happier. Im hoping to run for another 7 years

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I bought this car as a useful family car which has loads of capacity and space , but the main reason we chose it was because it was reviewed to be great in the snow and ice. Every winter we spend time in the alps and need a car that performs well in the cold, but the CX-5 it doesn't! Yes it handles well in the ice but this is the second model we have had now that doesn't cope with cold temperatures. The car's diesel has gelled two years on the trot – we thought the first time was a fluke as it was really cold (minus 20 degrees) but this year it has gelled again. It wasn't particularly cold, maybe minus 15, but despite following all of the Mazda advice, keeping it covered, adding diesel additive and keeping the tank filled it still will not run – it would pink on acceleration or when climbing an incline. Other negatives are that navigation / entertainment system kept turning off and on in the cold; this car is simply not made for cold environments. We have since replaced it for a newer model because we got told that the problem had been solved (car salesmen will say anything).

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

I absolutely love this car! Coming out of a BMW 4 Series which I thought was noisy and uncomfortable. I wanted an SUV for my next car I checked out the new X3 and XC60 and was leaning towards the Volvo. By chance I was driving past the Mazda dealership and saw the new CX5 parked outside. Thought it was a far better looking vehicle than the others do went in and took a test drive. I found it amazingly quiet and comfortable, far more so than the BMW/Volvo and in Sport Nav trim it's kitted out with everything I needed. And it was over £10k less than those cars. I went for a Manual box and 2WD because I don't need 4WD and I fancied the better fuel economy. I will buy a set of winter tyres if it ever becomes necessary. The highlights are its striking design, comfort, the Safety Pack which includes adaptive LED Headlights, the quality leather interior, heated seats and steering wheel, crystal clear heads-up display and simple to use infotainment. Only one negative would be that there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto functionality, but, apparently that is on the way and will be available as an update to existing models. All in all it's the best car I've ever owned...

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I've had the latest version since mid July, changed from a Mazda6 saloon that was 3.5 years old. My local conditions in Scandinavia don't favour diesels-they're much more expensive to buy, service, have an annual road tax & I see they are more prone to costly repairs whatever the marque. British journalists often seem dismissive of the petrol Mazda 6 or CX-5 but I find this wrong. OK if I were towing stuff regularly or living in mountain terrain a diesel would be better. The petrol Skyactiv is VERY quiet indeed, will cruise beyond the speed limit and is very impressive in terms of fuel consumption. I had no faults of any kind with my previous 4 Mazdas so I feel confident with the new CX-5. Extremely comfortable seats, excellent headlights and AC/heating system, good practicality and a big quality feel to the cabin. Only thing I dislike is the horrible electric handbrake, I much prefer the bite&feel of a conventional hand brake. Otherwise a really pleasant car to be in both as driver and passenger. Mazda could offer some better colours, not a fan of the garish Red you see in the adverts so I chose Sonic Silver.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Car drives nice and smooth and the first year it was great. I have no complaints with the actual functionality of the car and the way it drives but the software is awful. It once shut off as I was on the motorway, showing all dashboard lights on as if the car was about to explode. I had to get it towed to the Mazda dealer where they couldn’t run diagnostics on the car until the next day. They ran diagnostics and said nothing was wrong. It also showed that I had 73 miles left until empty but it ran out of gas, again stranding me with a a vehicle that doesn’t work. Then my Bluetooth wouldn’t play any audio out of the blue. Went through all the the “forget device” and “unpair” and “resetting the console. Then it started working again out of nowhere, and then stopped connecting completely mid-drive. I was unable to “unpair” the device which is something I have never seen. That is currently where I stand. I cannot use the Bluetooth on my 2017 CX-5. The Mazda support couldn’t fix the problem either. I wouldn’t recommend this car to anyone. Drives great, but unreliable in more ways than one. I drove a Kia for 5 years before this and never had any of these problems.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

This has been the saddest purchase of my life. Having paid for this car in full after saving for years it has been nothing but trouble. I was going to buy the petrol as I heard the diesels were having issues, I was assured that was only in the older models, so I forked out $45k for the best model of cx5 diesel.....the car made it to 110,000kms before the engine started to stop and start. very dangerous! I had to pull over at a speed of 80kms with a toddler in the car! I rang the dealership. They said to bring it in. I said that they can come and tow it. They said it'll be fine to drive. It stopped on the way and never started again. I was told that the engine had been severely neglected and that it was our fault. The oil was like thick clag. The car was late for its service by not even 2000km. I have read online that most cx5s are getting their engines replaced. Yet, ours is sitting in a garage somewhere growing mould. I refuse to pay a further 22k to buy a new engine. I won't even fork out 8k for a second hand engine. As far as I'm concerned Mazda KNEW that the diesel engine was having issues and yet they still continued to sell them. They have since issued a re-call. My car is on that list. I have to know wait a couple of months until the dealership is ready to see my car again. It has been six months that my family have not had a car. We are stuck between a rock and hard place. We don't want to purchase a new car if this can be resolved, but the resolution is taking way too long. It looks like we will have to get a car loan out to buy something in the meantime and when it gets fixed sell it to someone....but who would buy the mazda diesels knowing they are a lemon boggles my mind. I feel that all of the diesel owners should be getting together and organizing a class action for severe negligence, endangering lives and financial loss to its customers. They had a duty of care and they failed us. I'd rate the car a zero if I could. I will be seeking legal advice.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

I'm almost to give up on Mazda because of an intermittent crashing sound from suspension, drive shaft or gearbox. Mazda's workshops were unable to solve it 1-2 years ago, and keep on "guessing" from mounting, bearing and carbon cleaning. I also spent some money and time but it's still the same.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Possibly the best car i have owned. Outstanding. Good looking inside and out quite smooth and well kitted out

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

A distinct step up from the outgoing model, much quieter with a more upmarket interior. It still handles well for this kind of car and is, if anything, even better than before. Fuel economy seems to be better too, despite the official figures saying otherwise. My only negative comment is that it is still saddled with a poor sat nav, live traffic comes via your smart phone's wi-fi hot spot, who thought that was a good idea?

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I purchased my CX-5 as a pre-registered managers special offer from Stoke in January 2019. The car performed brilliantly and was just what I needed. I travel around the country visiting relatives and on holiday. Plenty of space for cases and comfortable. In September 2019 I drove to Cornwall on holiday and as i approached Plymouth in Devon warning lights came on and told me the speed would be restricted in 30 miles and the engine would cut out in 435 miles. It informed me the problem was engine emissions. Luckily, I thought, I was 4 miles away from the Mazda dealer in Plymouth. I drove in and asked for assistance thinking it would be a quick fix. How wrong could I have been. I ended up leaving the car with them for 3 days and eventually after 7 hours, I was given a CX3 to tide me over. I picked the car up after I was told it's all ok now and drove to Yeovil and then up to Bristol. On route just passed Bath the warning lights came back on again. As luck would have I was again only a few miles from the Mazda dealership in Bristol. I drove in and explained the problem and said I was not happy with what was happening with my car. They were much better than Plymouth and just after an hour later I was back on the road with a hire car again leaving my car to be sorted. I still have the hire car as there seems to be a problem getting my car delivered to me in Staffordshire from Bristol. Although I have been told my car is working well and has been extensively tested to ensure there is not a recurring fault. I would be interested to know if any owners have experienced the same issue. I am pretty sure the car is fine but the onboard computer appears to be the issue. Bristol have now had my car for over 2 weeks and it would be nice to be able to drive my automatic rather than a manual hire car. I would recommend this car if I can be assured it will not continue to cause me problems in the future with the computer. There is one other issue I have found with the car and that is one of the built in safety features causes the car to automatically brake if it think you are too close to the vehicle in front. This can be a serious safety issue if you are trying to overtake to avoid a collision.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I started off liking this car. It's roomy and economical for its size and fine for short and intermediate journeys, say up to 70-80 miles. On longer motorway slogs the seating position is uncomfortable; you can't easily rest your elbow on the interior door handle/armrest so I get shoulder strain from having both hands constantly high up on the steering wheel. The sat-nav must be about the least intuitive I have come across and is not a patch on setting up a route on Google Maps on your smartphone. You can't deselect unwanted countries when updating the database so downloading updates takes forever - does Mazda think everyone has fibre broadband? I no longer use it. The radio isn't much better. Instead of pressing just one button to select a pre-set station you need to twiddle the selector knob to Favourites, press, twiddle again to scroll to your preferred station, press again to select, then press the audio home button to go back to the display screen. Not very conducive to safe driving. Sound quality is excellent though. Another poorly thought through irritation is that the front parking sensors don't activate unless either reverse is selected or they are switched on at the dash. All in all, the car hasn't lived up to expectations but the worst is Mazda's attitude to customer service; it just isn't interested.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

I find this car extremely hard to get into and out of, especially on the passenger side. There's a lack of seat adjustment controls, so I do not recommend for anyone with any mobility issues or older than 40. It also has a cramped interior compared to other SUV's I have owned and the Controls are in awkward positions. I regret having bought the car.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down