Used 2021 Mazda CX-5 for Sale nearAurora, IL

Compare 2021 Mazda CX-5 Trims

The 2021 Mazda CX-5 offers a range of trims from budget-friendly options to well-equipped models, catering to various preferences and needs.

• Starting at $19,328
• Best MPG/MPGe: 25 city / 31 hwy
• Most Popular: Grand Touring AWD

Trim Overview

Prices updated weekly from CarGurus listings.

Quick Compare Table

Listing prices sourced from CarGurus — updated weekly. OEM specs from manufacturer data.

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Trim Deep Dives

Sport FWD — "Who It's For"

The Sport FWD is the pick for shoppers who want essential features without paying for extras. It's the most budget-friendly option in the lineup.

• Avg. market price: $19,328 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 25 city / 31 hwy
• Inventory: 163 listings — lower availability; may limit negotiating room
• View Sport FWD listings

Sport AWD — "Who It's For"

The Sport AWD is the pick for shoppers who want all-wheel drive without a hefty price tag. It balances features and affordability well.

• Avg. market price: $19,835 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 24 city / 30 hwy
• Inventory: 266 listings
• View Sport AWD listings

Touring FWD — "Who It's For"

The Touring FWD is the pick for shoppers who want a standard set of features without going over budget. It offers a good mix of comfort and technology.

• Avg. market price: $19,719 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 25 city / 31 hwy
• Inventory: 505 listings
• View Touring FWD listings

Touring AWD — "Who It's For"

The Touring AWD is the pick for shoppers who want sporty handling with the added confidence of all-wheel drive. It’s a popular choice for those in varied climates.

• Avg. market price: $20,937 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 24 city / 30 hwy
• Inventory: 1,251 listings — widest selection in the lineup
• View Touring AWD listings

Grand Touring FWD — "Who It's For"

The Grand Touring FWD is the pick for shoppers who want a well-rounded vehicle with premium features at a reasonable price. It combines luxury with practicality.

• Avg. market price: $20,427 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 25 city / 31 hwy
• Inventory: 343 listings
• View Grand Touring FWD listings

Grand Touring AWD — "Who It's For"

The Grand Touring AWD is the pick for shoppers who want a sporty feel with all-wheel drive and premium features. It’s the most popular trim for good reason.

• Avg. market price: $22,101 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 24 city / 30 hwy
• Inventory: 1,541 listings — widest selection in the lineup
• View Grand Touring AWD listings

Grand Touring Reserve AWD — "Who It's For"

The Grand Touring Reserve AWD is the pick for shoppers who want a powerful engine and luxury features. It’s ideal for those seeking a premium experience.

• Avg. market price: $23,849 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 22 city / 27 hwy
• Inventory: 203 listings
• View Grand Touring Reserve AWD listings

Signature AWD — "Who It's For"

The Signature AWD is the pick for shoppers who want the ultimate in luxury and performance. It’s designed for those who appreciate high-end features and capability.

• Avg. market price: $24,275 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 22 city / 27 hwy
• Inventory: 133 listings — lower availability; may limit negotiating room
• View Signature AWD listings

Trim Recommendations

Most Popular — Grand Touring AWD

With 1,541 active listings, the Grand Touring AWD is the clear volume leader in the lineup.

Browse Grand Touring AWD listings

Best Budget Option — Sport FWD

At $19,328 avg market price — below the lineup median of $20,682 — it's the most accessible entry point.

Browse Sport FWD listings

Best for Fuel Economy — Sport FWD

The Sport FWD offers the best fuel efficiency in the lineup with 25/31 MPG/MPGe.

Browse Sport FWD listings

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from October 29, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.

How much does the 2021 Mazda CX-5 cost?

Prices have softened 1.43% compared to this time last year, making it a favorable time to shop this model year.

There are 2,284 listings available, which suggests you have a solid amount of inventory to compare.

Is the 2021 Mazda CX-5 a good car?

Yes — the 2021 Mazda CX-5 earns a 4.8/5 user rating and a 7.5/10 expert rating. The model scores 9/10 across Look and feel and Cost effectiveness.

Owners consistently praise its luxurious feel, sporty performance, comfortable interior, and wealth of standard features. The overview also points to a compact SUV that balances family-friendly practicality with a more engaging driving character, which helps explain its appeal if you want something useful that still feels rewarding to drive.

The trade-offs are clear: poor ride quality and unintuitive technology remain part of the package, and owners also mention road noise and an outdated infotainment experience. Even so, the CX-5’s strong value proposition and premium-leaning personality make it a compelling choice if you can live with those compromises.

There are 37.9% good or great deals in the market, which gives you some room to shop selectively.

Is the 2021 Mazda CX-5 reliable?

Owners rate it 4.8/5, a strong signal of long-term satisfaction.

The owner feedback points to a vehicle people feel good about living with over time, especially because they describe it as comfortable, well-equipped, and enjoyable to own. That kind of response often lines up with a dependable ownership experience, particularly when buyers value a vehicle they can count on day to day.

The expert assessment also emphasizes Mazda’s strong standard safety equipment and solid overall execution, which supports confidence in the CX-5 as a long-term pick. For used buyers, the main risk is less about a known mechanical red flag and more about choosing a well-kept example with the right maintenance history.

What should I look for when buying a used 2021 Mazda CX-5?

At 74.9% accident-free, a meaningful share of listings has prior incidents — history verification is especially important.

You should start with a vehicle history report and then prioritize a thorough pre-purchase inspection, especially if the listing price looks unusually attractive. Focus on condition details that matter most in daily use: signs of prior bodywork, tire wear, brake condition, and whether the cabin electronics work as expected.

Key things to evaluate:

• Trim level: The base CX-5 Sport comes with automatic on/off LED headlights, 17-inch gray metallic aluminum alloy wheels, a rear roof spoiler, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. Higher trims add leatherette seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless entry, rear USB ports, a six-speaker audio system, and auto-leveling LED headlights, while the top trims move into more premium materials and features.
• Powertrain: The standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder makes 187 horsepower and pairs with a six-speed automatic transmission. A turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder is available on higher trims and delivers stronger performance, with AWD standard on the upper turbo models.
• Safety package: Mazda’s standard safety suite includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, forward automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, lane keep assist, and a rearview camera. Available upgrades include a head-up display, reverse automatic emergency braking, driver attention monitoring, a surround-view camera system, front and rear parking sensors, and traffic sign recognition.
• Infotainment: Every CX-5 gets a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Mazda’s interface is a weak point, so make sure the system responds properly and feels usable to you.
• Fuel efficiency: The non-turbo front-wheel-drive model returns 25 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. The turbocharged front-wheel-drive version is rated at 23 mpg city and 28 mpg highway.

Which 2021 Mazda CX-5 trim should I buy?

The 2021 Mazda CX-5 is offered in 6 trim levels: Sport, Touring, Carbon Edition, Grand Touring, Grand Touring Reserve, and Signature.

Here's the short version:

• Sport: This is the entry point, and it gives you the core CX-5 experience with standard LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, and the 10.25-inch touchscreen. It makes sense if you want the lowest-cost way into the model, but it leaves out many of the comfort and convenience upgrades found higher up the range.
• Touring: This trim adds leatherette seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless entry, rear USB ports, and a six-speaker audio system. It is the best-value choice for many shoppers because it adds the most useful everyday upgrades without pushing too far up the price ladder.
• Carbon Edition: This version builds on the Touring equipment and adds distinctive styling touches, including Polymetal Gray paint, gloss black mirrors, black wheels, and a red-and-black interior theme. It suits you if you want a more distinctive look and a richer-feeling cabin.
• Grand Touring: This trim adds more upscale lighting, a digital gauge display, SiriusXM, paddle shifters, and a power liftgate. It is a good fit if you want a more premium feel without jumping all the way to the top trims.
• Grand Touring Reserve: This is where the CX-5 starts leaning harder into comfort, with ventilated seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, automatic folding mirrors, and a windshield wiper de-icer. It suits you if you live in a colder climate or want more luxury-style features.
• Signature: This is the most premium version, with Nappa leather, genuine wood trim, ambient lighting, and a more upscale cabin presentation. Choose it if you want the richest CX-5 experience and are willing to pay for it.

For safety-minded shoppers, the available head-up display, reverse automatic emergency braking, driver attention monitoring, surround-view camera system, parking sensors, and traffic sign recognition are worth considering on higher trims.

Is now a good time to buy a used 2021 Mazda CX-5?

The market looks moderate and selective buyers should have some room to shop carefully.

• Deal availability: 37.9% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Inventory: There are 2,284 listings available.
• Price trend: Prices have softened 1.43% compared with last year.
• Clean inventory: 74.9% of listings are accident-free.

If you find a listing below $20,756, that's toward the low end of the year-round range and worth acting on quickly.

What is the 2021 Mazda CX-5's resale value?

The current average of $21,583 sits slightly below last year's $21,895.

That modest decline suggests the CX-5 has softened a bit, but not dramatically. For a future seller, that means the model is holding value reasonably well rather than dropping sharply, which is a good sign if you plan to own it for several years.

The current pricing also suggests buyers still see enough appeal in the CX-5’s mix of style, features, and driving character to support demand. If the vehicle stays well maintained and presents cleanly, it should remain competitive in the used market.

Vehicles with strong owner satisfaction ratings, like this model year's 4.8/5, tend to retain buyer demand, which supports resale value over time.

Is the 2021 Mazda CX-5 safe?

The 2021 Mazda CX-5 has been named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and it earns five-star ratings from NHTSA.

It earns an 8/10 safety score from our experts.

Mazda’s standard safety suite includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, forward automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, lane keep assist, and a rearview camera. Higher trims can add a head-up display, reverse automatic emergency braking, driver attention monitoring, a surround-view camera system, front and rear parking sensors, and traffic sign recognition.

One caveat is that the best headlights require an upgrade, and the traffic sign recognition system can be slow or incomplete. Even so, the CX-5’s crash-test performance and broad standard safety equipment make it a strong choice if safety is high on your list.

Should I buy a 2021 Mazda CX-5 or consider a different year?

If you're weighing the 2021 against nearby model years, here's how to think about it:

Choose the 2021 if:

• 37.9% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• At 74.9% accident-free, a meaningful share of listings has prior incidents — history verification is especially important.
• Price trend: Prices have softened 1.43% compared with last year.
• Owners rate it 4.8/5 — a strong satisfaction signal.
• Mazda added a new version for 2021 and improved the tech.

Consider the 2020 if:

• At $19,707, the 2020 costs less than the current year's $21,583 average.
• It emphasizes a more premium feel with stylish design and upscale materials.

Consider the 2022 if:

• At $23,089, the 2022 costs more than the current year's $21,583 average.
• It adds more premium polish and stronger turbocharged appeal.

The bottom line: The 2021 is the best fit if you want the updated model-year mix of value, safety, and improved tech. If price is your top priority, the 2020 is the better bargain; if you want to spend more for a newer-feeling version, the 2022 is the step up to compare.

How does the 2021 Mazda CX-5 compare to the 2021 Honda CR-V?

Expert Pros & Cons (per CarGurus review team)

2021 Mazda CX-5:

• Pros: Excellent value for money, Fun to drive, Great safety ratings.
• Cons: Poor ride quality, Unintuitive technology.

2021 Honda CR-V:

• Pros: Plenty of cargo space, Standard advanced safety features, Excellent value for money.
• Cons: Uninspired styling, Fairly pedestrian performance.

Our experts score the 2021 Mazda CX-5 7.5/10 and the 2021 Honda CR-V 7.8/10. The CX-5 is the better pick if you care more about driving enjoyment, upscale feel, and safety reputation. The CR-V has the edge if you want more cargo space and a more practical, easygoing personality. If you value style and a more engaging drive, the Mazda stands out; if you want a roomier, more conventional compact SUV, the Honda is the safer bet.

Read our full side-by-side expert comparison here.

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from November 3, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.