Another year, another round in one of my favorite small crossovers, the Mazda CX-5.
New for '24? Not a lot. There's a new Carbon Turbo trim line, a couple of new paint colors and a two mpg bump in the EPA fuel economy estimate for the non-turbo 2.5 S model.
No news is good news in the engine compartment. The CX-5 Turbo continues with the 227-horsepower turbo four that makes 256 hp on premium fuel and can knock off 0-60 runs in 6.2 seconds. The EPA fuel economy estimate of 24 mpg combined city/highway isn't bad, but could be improved with a few added gears---the CX-5's automatic is a six-speed.
As always, the CX-5 is beautifully balanced and a great example of how Mazda's "driver's car" philosophy crosses over to...um...crossovers.
There was one oddball occurrence---the head-up display shows the speed limit. In my neighborhood, where it's 25, it read 70. It's by no means a Mazda-exclusive issue (the Dodge Hornet I reviewed in October showed 14 mph for an on-ramp one day and 31 the next---it's neither), but given the tech glitches in the Mazda CX-90 I reviewed in August and the absence of them prior, I thought it should be mentioned here.
The base price of the 2024 Mazda CX-5 Turbo Signature AWD is $41,975 with destination. That comes with a staggering amount of standard equipment, including 19-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, a rear wiper, a windshield wiper de-icer, heated power auto-folding mirrors with turn lamps, rear privacy glass, a power , Nappa leather-trimmed seats, an eight-way power driver's seat with lumbar adjustment, a power front passenger seat, heated front and rear seats, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a comprehensive suite of active safety features, LED headlamps, taillights and daytime running lights, adaptive front lighting, automatic high beams, a Bose 10-speaker audio system, navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto.
That's enough standard that the extra-cost option list came down to just two things---$595 for the Machine Gray Metallic paint and $135 for a rear bumper guard. Bottom line on the window sticker: $42,705.
While a pricetag breaking $40k in this class can cause a sharp intake of breath, that's just us.
I went back to the CX-5 that won me over in the spring of 2015---nine years ago. That one had an as-tested price of $32,890. Plugging that into the Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator, it works out to $42,683 today---22 bucks shy of the as-tested price on the 2024, which is a much more powerful, much better-equipped vehicle. Bravo to Mazda for maintaining excellence and value.
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