First Drive Review: Sleek, Sporty, Well-Equipped 2026 Mazda CX-5

If there’s one thing we’ve come to count on from Mazda, it’s striking design, and with the new 2026 CX-5, it delivers again. In a crowded segment of lookalike packages, the third-generation crossover is a real standout. But that’s just one of the reasons why the latest CX-5 got my thumbs up after spending a day driving it around San Diego.

The gen-3 CX-5 grows in all the right dimensions, delivering more space for passengers and cargo. It adds more useful features, including an all-new infotainment system, finally equipped with a functional voice control system.

If there’s a downside to the 2026 CX-5, it’s the lack of options when it comes to powertrains. The old turbo package has been dropped this year, leaving only the time-tested 2.5L SkyActiv-G engine. For now, that is. Patient Mazda fans might want to hang tight until next year when an all-new hybrid makes its debut. It will be the first developed in-house and should deliver the sort of sporty responsiveness recalling the brand’s long-running Zoom-Zoom tagline.

In short: The 2026 Mazda CX-5 is stylish, both inside and out, and its increased length yields a roomier, more comfortable cabin for both front and rear-seat occupants. The new CUV adds some welcome new tech features, including larger gauge and infotainment screens backed up by the Google built-in software. The gen-3 model debuts with only one powertrain, Mazda abandoning the previous turbo package. The naturally aspirated SkyActiv-G engine is solid, but buyers looking for both more power and better mileage might want to wait for the hybrid option, which is being added next year.

2026 Mazda CX-5 Review

Let’s start out by dealing with the question we most frequently hear about Mazda’s mid-range SUVs: what’s the difference between the CX-50 and CX-5? We could offer up a snarky reply: noting that the CX-50 was updated in 2023, the CX-5 is getting its complete makeover for the 2026 model year. But that doesn’t quite answer the question.

The slightly larger CX-50 takes aim at buyers who want a long-distance cruiser with a higher two capacity. The CX-5 is more compact and maneuverable in urban settings, according to U.S. brand boss Tom Donnelly. While some skeptics might argue there’s really no need for the two nearly identical packages, Mazda insists they’ve developed unique audiences, the CX-5 marginally the better seller in the U.S, demand last year topping 100,000.

CX-50 does have one key advantage — for the moment — a high-mileage hybrid drivetrain. That gap gets closed next year when the CX-5 gets its own gas-electric option. But where the CX-50 system was developed by Mazda’s bigger alliance partner, Toyota, the upcoming CX-5 hybrid is being developed entirely in-house.

What’s New for 2026

Though the 2026 Mazda CX-5 remains a bit smaller than the CX-50, with its first completely new platform since 2013, it adds about 4 inches in total length this year, and 4.5 inches of additional wheelbase, while width increases 0.6 inches.

That’s not a massive jump, but it’s enough to yield improved shoulder and legroom, something vehicles in this segment are often painfully short of.

The new CX-5 also gets more storage space, a full 33.7 cubic feet behind the second row. While that jumps to 66.5 cubic feet if you fold flat the 40/20/40 split rear bench.

The overall look of the 2026 makeover doesn’t stray far from the prior package, itself based on the brand’s well-received Kodo design language. The added dimensions yield what Mazda describes as a “more chiseled, wider-set look.”

One of the more subtle new details: the 2026 CX-5 picks up on the latest industry trend, the name “Mazda” boldly spelled out on the tailgate where the brand’s familiar logo previously sat.

Updated Interior

The larger dimensions also allowed Mazda to widen the CX-5’s doors for easier access, while the tailgate is also a bit wider. 

The cabin itself has undergone a more dramatic makeover than the exterior. It adds new color-selectable ambient lighting and the sort of details Mazda says are meant to deliver a “uniquely Japanese sense of craftsmanship.”

The most immediate change is visible on the instrument panel with its 15.6-inch touchscreen, larger even than the 12.3-inch displays in the automaker’s two top-line models, the CX-70 and CX-90.

A look at the center console reveals another big difference. The previous generation CX-5 required a rotary controller to operate its infotainment system. As noted, the 2026 model switches to a touchscreen, obviating the need for the big knob.

To our dismay, however, Mazda also dropped the easy-to-reach volume button from the console, though you can still adjust audio levels using the screen or a control on the steering wheel.

Downsized Powertrain Choice: For Now

The outgoing Mazda CX-5 offered buyers a choice of two SkyActiv powertrains. For the moment, there’s only one, the Japanese automaker dropping the turbo option while carrying over a 2.5L inline-four making 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a six-speed automatic and, on all trims, sends power to all four wheels.

The SkyActiv-G package delivers 24 mpg in the EPA’s city test, 30 mpg on the highway, and 26 combined. It boasts a modest tow rating of 1,500 pounds. The CX-50, by comparison, handling up to 3,500 pounds when properly equipped.

As earlier noted, the CX-50 offers a choice of a turbocharged SkyActiv powertrain or a hybrid it borrows from Toyota. CX-5 buyers won’t have to wait long if they prefer their own high-mileage hybrid. While specific details haven’t been released, Mazda confirmed that the gas-electric under development in-house will be more of “a driver’s hybrid, where you get the benefits of the efficiency improvements, but it’s very much the Mazda DNA in terms of the performance,” according to Donnelly.

Driving Impressions

From a performance standpoint, the 2026 CX-5 does take a hit with the loss of the old turbocharged package. The naturally aspirated inline-4 is a decent option, but not something you’d describe as “spritely.”

One odd fact: the use of a seemingly dated six-speed gearbox. Most competitors now offer eight speeds and up, which usually means more seamless shifts and improved mileage. I found myself relying on the paddle shifters on the steering wheel to yield a bit more of that Zoom-Zoom feel Mazda used to brag about.

That said, the CX-5 delivers the sort of smooth, well-planted ride one might normally expect from a more expensive vehicle with an air suspension or other electronically controlled damping technology. Mazda uses some neat tricks to subtly shift torque around to minimize squat and dive when accelerating or braking. It also keeps the crossover firmly planted in its lane during hard cornering.

One complaint: the surprisingly numb steering, which just seems completely out of character for any Mazda. Let’s hope the automaker doesn’t wait for the usual mid-cycle refresh to update this.

Technology & Safety

Steering isn’t something you normally hear folks complain about with Mazda. The infotainment system? That’s another matter.

I intentionally got into the outgoing CX-5 recently and tried to use the voice system to find my destination. Instead of Brighton, Mich., it gave me an assortment of choices in small Missouri towns I’d never heard of. I finally had to use the rotary controller to manually enter the correct address.

Long resistant to touchscreens, Mazda now offers one of the biggest you can find, 15.6 inches. On the CX-5 Premium I tested, base models still fitted with a large 12.9-inch alternative. The operating system is Google built-in, and I found it responded quickly and accurately, one time after another. The overall suite of connectivity features marks a major improvement — but for the lack of the volume knob.

With Mazda clearly aiming the 2026 CX-5 at family buyers, it has wisely put emphasis on upgraded safety, with the use of more high-strength steel, for one thing, along with 10 airbags. There’s also an upgraded suite of advanced driver assistance systems, with some features coming as high-cost options on competing products. The list includes active cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot assistance, and sign recognition on all trims. 

2026 Mazda CX-5: Pricing & Availability

As Mazda’s bestselling product line last year, it’s obvious why the automaker needs to come up with the right volume proposition for the 2026 CX-50. With the naturally aspirated 2.5L engine now rolling into U.S. showrooms, the crossover starts at $29,990, the heavily loaded Premium package pushing that to $36,900. Add $1,495 for delivery fees.

Officially, the 2026 Mazda CX-5 doesn’t go on sale until spring, which is just days away. Most dealers have been taking orders for a while and should have a decent inventory already in stock. The automaker has yet to offer many details about the upcoming CX-5 hybrid.

Curiously, with the CX-50, you can get into a base hybrid for as little as $33,970 compared to $40,800 for the base turbo model — plus destination fees. The most affordable package comes with a naturally aspirated engine and starts at $30,500.

Those aren’t direct apples-to-apples prices, however, as the turbo is a better-equipped package overall. But it suggests Mazda may not position the CX-5 Hybrid as its premium package once it debuts sometime in 2027.