2023 Mazda CX-5 – Great Value, Premium Coziness

For a new car that you can hopefully find for under $27K US, the 2023 Mazda CX-5, admittedly a compact SUV, is something that money-concerned Bears might want to check out if you need to buy new and just need to get around town.

Yes, it can get a little tight inside for men like us, but I didn’t really have any problems getting in and out – and I have never been considered dainty. And it’s pretty snazzy inside – but not enough to make me forgo a trip through the drive-thru for something cheesy.

U.S. News and World Report, one of my first go-to websites for car information, ranks this year’s CX-5 as its No. 1 Compact SUV of the year.  “Poised ride and handling, zippy acceleration, premium interior….” I couldn’t agree more. 

For many of us, we just need to get through life – yes, that does sound a tad sad, but, hey, it’s true.  And while it is cheaper to buy used, it’s not always a bargain: you never know what auto-body part is going to go bonkers the moment you take ownership.  At least when you buy new (if you can afford to do so), you are guaranteed ‘new everything’.

There are a lot of standard features on this year’s CX-5, which have not really changed from 2022. All-Wheel Drive, all-season tires, 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, remote start, push-button start, Bluetooth, 10.2-inch infotainment screen, Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Safety-wise, standard features include a rearview camera, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning with automatic braking, adaptive cruise control and automatic high beams. Impressive for the class. 

Mileage is 24 city / 30 highway, so that’s not bad. Cargo space is about 30 cubic feet with the backseats up and 60 cubic feet with the seats down. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the 2023 CX-5 a Top Safety Pick+.

I tested the Turbo Signature AWD trim.  Truly snazzy, and something that really puts the zing back in Zingers + Swingers. Turbo, 256 horses, navigation, wood interior trim, metallic exterior accents, surround-view parking cameras come with this cub-ster. It was nice, at just over $40K US after taxes. 

I recently wrote about the 2023 Mazda CX-50, which is essentially the same car (Mazda doesn’t like me to say that) but a sportier snazzier version of the CX-5. Here’s a link to my January review. It’s a bit pricier and it too is definitely worth your consideration.  

Congrats to all who attended Texas Bear Round Up (TBRU) in Dallas recently.  I know y’all had a great time. We saw the photos.  And some of the incident reports!!