So with Utility Vehicles taking over roads across the USA…and new models / re-designs / re-freshens coming out like donuts at Krispy Kreme, how do you stand out in an ever-more crowded environment?
If I said that Mazda's answer was to be the "sports car" of SUVs, that'd be only half right today.
Sure…going back to the days of "Zoom Zoom", Mazda earned its reputation as a Driver's Car…and that included everything that they made…SUVs, too.
But today that's only half of Mazda's story.
Yes…while keeping ( increasing, actually ) their focus on performance, Mazda just might have manufacturers like Acura and even Audi in their sights these days.
Mazda's new top-of-the-line "Signature" trim is proof.
While CX-5s start in the mid $20's, our test Signature model tipped the scales at $38,820. While that's new territory for a CX-5, the Signature trim is all-new in a couple of big ways.
The first big way is performance. The Signature CX-5 connects a turbo to their 2.5 liter four…bringing horsepower up from 187 to 250 HP if you run with premium, or 227 if you chose to run on regular. While the turbo will cost you around 3 or 4 MPG, it'll take a whole lot of the drama out of passing on two-lane roads….and AWD is standard with Signature trim.
That leaves comfort and luxury as the other ways that Mazda has ramped things up with their Signature edition. You get heated and ventilated Nappa leather up front and heated Nappa rears in special Signature-Only Caturra Brown trim, 19" alloys, heated steering, moonroof, Bose 10-speaker audio, LED lighting, rain-sensing wipers, plus all of today's expected connectivity and safety alerts.
The result?
In Signature trim, Mazda delivers a highly responsive and well-optioned 5-passenger SUV that stands up quite well, thank you, to vehicles from Europe and Japan that cost a good ten-thousand more. Follow AutoNSider on Facebook for review videos and more!
AutoNSider Review | 2020 MAZDA CX-5 1
Photo Credit: Bob Jackson/RADIO.COM
AutoNSider Review | 2020 MAZDA CX-5 2
Photo Credit: Bob Jackson/RADIO.COM
AutoNSider Review | 2020 MAZDA CX-5 3
Photo Credit: Bob Jackson/RADIO.COM
AutoNSider Review | 2020 MAZDA CX-5 4
Photo Credit: Bob Jackson/RADIO.COM
AutoNSider Review | 2020 MAZDA CX-5 5
Photo Credit: Bob Jackson/RADIO.COM
AutoNSider Review | 2020 MAZDA CX-5 6
Photo Credit: Bob Jackson/RADIO.COM
