Used 2021 Mazda CX-5 for Sale nearColumbus, OH

Compare 2021 Mazda CX-5 Trims in Columbus, OH

The 2021 Mazda CX-5 offers a range of trims from budget-friendly options to well-equipped models, all with impressive fuel efficiency.

• Starting at $22,310
• 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 a great entry-level option.

• Avg. market price: $22,758 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 25 city / 31 hwy
• Inventory: 18 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: $22,758 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 24 city / 30 hwy
• Inventory: 25 listings
• View Sport AWD listings

Touring FWD — "Who It's For"

The Touring FWD is the pick for shoppers who want a standard trim with added comfort features. It offers a solid mix of value and amenities.

• Avg. market price: $22,758 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 25 city / 31 hwy
• Inventory: 52 listings
• View Touring FWD listings

Touring AWD — "Who It's For"

The Touring AWD is the pick for shoppers who want all-wheel drive with a few extra comforts. It’s a practical choice for varied conditions.

• Avg. market price: $22,310 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 24 city / 30 hwy
• Inventory: 88 listings
• View Touring AWD listings

Grand Touring FWD — "Who It's For"

The Grand Touring FWD is the pick for shoppers who want a well-equipped vehicle without going overboard on price. It combines luxury with value.

• Avg. market price: $22,758 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 25 city / 31 hwy
• Inventory: 36 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. It’s the most popular trim for good reason.

• Avg. market price: $24,998 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 24 city / 30 hwy
• Inventory: 99 listings
• 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 premium features and performance. It’s ideal for those seeking luxury.

• Avg. market price: $22,758 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 22 city / 27 hwy
• Inventory: 17 listings — lower availability; may limit negotiating room
• View Grand Touring Reserve AWD listings

Signature AWD — "Who It's For"

The Signature AWD is the pick for shoppers who want top-tier luxury and technology. It’s perfect for those who demand the best.

• Avg. market price: $22,758 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 22 city / 27 hwy
• Inventory: 20 listings
• View Signature AWD listings

Trim Recommendations

Most Popular — Grand Touring AWD

With 99 active listings, the Grand Touring AWD is the clear volume leader in the lineup.

Browse Grand Touring AWD listings

Best Budget Option — Touring AWD

At $22,310 avg market price — below the lineup median of $22,758 — it's the most accessible entry point.

Browse Touring AWD listings

Best for Fuel Economy — Sport FWD

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

Browse Sport FWD listings

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from September 24, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.

How much does the 2021 Mazda CX-5 cost?

Prices have softened 2.70% compared to this time last year, making it a favorable time to shop this model year.

There are 2,190 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 4.79/5 user rating and a 7.5/10 expert rating. The model scores 9/10 across Look and feel and Cost effectiveness.

You get a compact SUV that aims to satisfy typical family needs while still feeling engaging to drive. Owners consistently praise its luxurious feel, sporty performance, comfortable interior, and wealth of standard features. The expert review also highlights excellent value for money and strong safety ratings.

The trade-offs are familiar: poor ride quality and unintuitive technology remain part of the package. That means the CX-5 makes the most sense if you want a practical SUV with a more polished, driver-focused personality and can live with some usability compromises.

Good and great deals account for 35.3% of listings, so there are still worthwhile opportunities in the market.

Is the 2021 Mazda CX-5 reliable?

Owners rate it 4.79/5, a strong signal of long-term satisfaction.

Owners also describe the CX-5 as comfortable, sporty, and well equipped, while the review summary points to a luxurious feel and strong performance that many drivers can count on over time. The expert review reinforces that dependable impression by emphasizing the model’s strong fundamentals and family-friendly usefulness.

Mazda’s warranty coverage includes a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, which helps reduce early ownership risk.

For used buyers, the main long-term concern is less about outright durability and more about whether the vehicle has been maintained well enough to preserve its premium feel and smooth operation.

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

At 74.7% accident-free, a meaningful share of listings has prior incidents — history verification is especially important.

Start with a vehicle history report and make condition your first priority, especially if you’re comparing similarly priced listings. A careful pre-purchase inspection should focus on signs of prior bodywork, uneven panel gaps, tire wear, and any evidence that the vehicle’s technology or safety systems have been repaired poorly. Because the CX-5’s ride and infotainment are already known weak spots, you should pay close attention to how the suspension feels and how the screen and controls operate in real use.

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. The Touring adds rear privacy glass, leatherette seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless entry, two rear USB ports, a six-speaker audio system, and auto-leveling LED headlights. If you want the strongest value, the Touring Preferred SV Package adds a 10-speaker Bose sound system, leather seats, a power liftgate, a power moonroof, and power-adjustable front seats. The Carbon Edition layers on the Touring Preferred SV Package equipment plus unique exterior and interior styling. Higher trims add more premium comfort and convenience features, with the Signature pushing the cabin furthest upscale.
• Powertrain: The CX-5 Sport and Touring use a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic. The Carbon Edition can be had with that engine or a 250-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 320 lb-ft of torque. Grand Touring Reserve and Signature use the turbo engine, and AWD is standard on those models.
• Safety package: Standard equipment 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. The best headlights require an upgrade.
• Infotainment: Every CX-5 gets a 10.25-inch infotainment touch screen, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The system is not especially intuitive, and Mazda’s interface can be troublesome to use through the center-console controller.
• Fuel efficiency: The non-turbo FWD model returns 25 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 28 mpg combined. AWD with the base engine gets 24 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined. Turbocharged FWD models are rated at 23 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined, while turbo AWD models return 22 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined.

Which 2021 Mazda CX-5 trim should I buy?

The 2021 Mazda CX-5 is offered in 6 trim levels: Sport, Touring, Touring Preferred SV Package, 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 the standard 2.5-liter engine, LED headlights, and the full safety and infotainment baseline. It makes sense if you want the lowest-cost way into the model, but it leaves out the nicer cabin and convenience upgrades that make the CX-5 feel more premium.
• Touring: This is the best-value trim for many shoppers because it adds leatherette seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless entry, rear USB ports, and auto-leveling LED headlights. It’s the trim where the CX-5 starts to feel meaningfully more upscale without jumping too far in price.
• Touring Preferred SV Package: This package is the sweet spot if you want the most noticeable comfort and convenience upgrades, including the Bose audio system, leather seats, power liftgate, moonroof, and power-adjustable front seats. It’s the strongest choice if you want a near-premium feel without moving into the higher trims.
• Carbon Edition: This version combines the Touring Preferred SV Package equipment with distinctive styling touches, including Polymetal Gray paint, gloss black mirrors, black wheels, red leather seats, and black honeycomb trim. Choose it if you care about appearance and want a more distinctive look.
• Grand Touring: This trim adds more premium lighting, a digital gauge display, paddle shifters, SiriusXM, and other upscale touches. It’s a good fit if you want a more polished cabin and don’t mind paying more for it.
• Grand Touring Reserve: This is the first trim that gets the turbo engine as standard, along with ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, automatic folding mirrors, and a windshield wiper de-icer. It’s the right pick if you want stronger performance and cold-weather comfort.
• Signature: This is the most luxurious version, with Nappa leather, genuine wood trim, ambient lighting, and other premium cabin details. Buy this one if you want the most upscale CX-5 experience and are willing to pay for it.

The safety package is broad across the lineup, but buyers who want the best headlights should plan to upgrade.

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

This is a moderate market for selective buyers, with enough inventory and deal activity to reward careful comparison shopping.

• Deal availability: 35.3% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Inventory: There are 2,190 listings available.
• Price trend: Prices have softened 2.70% compared with last year.
• Clean inventory: 74.7% of listings are accident-free.

If you find a listing below $20,755, 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 $22,101 sits slightly below last year's $22,714.

That softer pricing suggests the CX-5 is still competitive, but it has moved into a more buyer-friendly position than it was a year ago. For a future seller, that means resale value will depend heavily on condition, mileage, and trim appeal rather than market momentum alone. Well-kept examples with desirable equipment should hold up better than neglected ones, especially because shoppers still respond to the CX-5’s premium feel and strong feature content.

Vehicles with strong owner satisfaction ratings, like this model year's 4.79/5, 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 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

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

Standard safety equipment 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 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.

The main caveat is that traffic sign recognition can be slow and incomplete, and the best headlights require an upgrade. If safety is a top priority, that makes it worth checking exactly which equipment is fitted on the used example you’re considering.

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:

• 35.3% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• At 74.7% accident-free, a meaningful share of listings has prior incidents — history verification is especially important.
• Price trend: Prices have softened 2.70% compared with last year.
• Owners rate it 4.79/5 — a strong satisfaction signal.
• Mazda added a new version for 2021 and improved the tech.

Consider the 2020 if:

• At $20,283, the 2020 costs less than the current year's $22,101 average.
• It blends mainstream practicality with a more premium feel.

Consider the 2022 if:

• At $24,159, the 2022 costs more than the current year's $22,101 average.
• Mazda pushed it further toward premium territory.

The bottom line: The 2021 is the best all-around choice if you want the strongest mix of value, safety, and updated tech. If your budget is tighter, the 2020 is the cheaper path into the same basic formula, while the 2022 makes sense if you want to spend more for a slightly more upscale take.

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from September 22, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.