It was kind of refreshing to get behind the wheel of a Mazda again. I do that regularly, but it is usually in a 1997 Miata. So, yes I am somewhat predisposed to liking the rather quirky little brand. 
A little background here on how I feel Mazda engineers and designers work. They are highly technical and highly motivated. They create cars that fit a very particular mode. The best way I would describe it is with a story about a book. Legendary racecar driver, Jackie Stewart, wrote about how you should make a sport-oriented car in a way that truthfully allows the driver to use the power and handling properly. No feel-good spikes in power that then drops off. No over-harshness of suspension to say “oh, this is dynamic.” He spoke of it in terms of what he was trying to get Ford to do when he acted as a consultant. Whether Ford listened past a model line or two is a whole other discussion.
I pretty much think Jackie Stewart defined Mazda engineers and designers on this, though.
The CX5 AWD Sport we drove followed this. It felt like a car meant to enjoy driving in immediately. The seats were supportive but comfortable, switches fell to hand with ease. The needed infotainment screen was not huge, but it did the job.
Then, you get to start driving, and that’s where things feel connected. Power comes on smoothly and predictably, proper push on the pedal gives you vary finesse-able application of power. The steering wheel may seem ‘heavy-ish’ when you compare it to younger car brand offerings, but what it does is it allows you to be more precise when you wind in or out with your steering input.
It is, happily, still a car where old-school driving desires can be realized.
The engine is a 2.5-liter from their SKYACTIV-G family. It puts power out to all four wheels with i-ACTIV all-wheel drive through a six-speed transmission (SKYACITV-DRIVE) so clearly there are pushing their word “active” at you. But they do follow through.
The CX5 model line has always been a strong presence in the compact crossover segment, aimed pretty well at those that want the feel and ability that it provides. It is nice to see Mazda building on its strengths here without diluting its soul.
Or pandering. The car is really meant for handling nicely on road, but it is all-wheel-drive and your mode choices reflect that with Normal Sport and Off-Road available. In this car there is also Off-Road Traction Assist, which is more for if you take the car on a long drive to a nice beach and need a little help than going rock-crawling. For on-road fun-road dynamics, they have G-Vectoring Control Plus for that.
In terms of connectivity and such, Apple CarPlay was pretty seamless for me. It can be done wireless, but I prefer wired because the end-result audio is just better especially if you are using a lossless format. Which you should. All the model line has is a Bose system, which I found more tuned to nuance and definition than thumping bass. Which is good. And which is, actually, pretty much on-brand for them.
The CX5 AWD Sport is pretty much meant to bring the driving dynamics of their small sedans and their experience with sports cars to a more usable package, and that is what it does. It communicates fun more than anything else, really. Some people appreciated the sedate interior and felt it was very premium, others said why such a small screen. So, it comes down to personal preference. Same for the fit of the seats and how things feel to you.
Best thing to do really is get behind the wheel. All will be clear.
