The redesigned CX-5 is ever-so-slightly larger than the outgoing model, with the majority of the growth coming in the wheelbase, which is 4.5 inches longer. It’s also 3.2 inches taller than the CX-50.
It is odd that Mazda’s two compact SUVs compete against each other. Although the 2026 CX-5 has just five trims, down from the 2025 CX-5’s eight, there is still significant price overlap with the CX-50. Only the CX-50 hybrid and turbocharged versions cost more than the CX-5.
Mazda says the CX-5 is focused on on-road performance, while the CX-50 is geared toward adventure-seeking buyers, although it lacks mechanical features to make it more off-road capable.
Mazda loaned Consumer Reports a 2026 CX-5 Premium Plus, the top trim level, for this First Drive Review. We will buy a CX-5 Preferred, which is the middle trim, for our road-test program as soon as the CX-5 is available at Mazda dealers.
Once we complete 2,000 break-in miles, we’ll put the CX-5 through more than 50 tests at the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, including empirical tests of acceleration, braking, handling, and usability. Consumer Reports members will have access to the full road-test results as soon as they’re available.
What we borrowed: 2026 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Premium Plus
Powertrain: 187-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine; 6-speed automatic transmission; all-wheel drive
MSRP: $38,990
Options: Machine Gray Metallic paint, $595
Destination fee: $1,495
Total cost: $41,080
Final assembly: Hiroshima, Japan
