Is the 2026 Mazda CX-5 a good car?

The 7.17/10 expert rating points to a compact SUV that does a lot right for you if style, interior quality, and standard equipment matter most. The standout strength is Safety at 9/10.

Mazda’s full redesign makes the CX-5 longer, wider, and more spacious than before, and the cabin still leans upscale with soft-touch materials and a driver-focused layout. It also comes with standard all-wheel drive across the lineup, which broadens its appeal if you drive in bad weather or want extra confidence year-round.

The trade-offs are clear: the 187-horsepower engine feels underpowered for the vehicle’s size, and the six-speed automatic is dated compared with what rivals offer. That means you’re buying into design, refinement, and value more than outright performance.

With 34.4% of listings marked as good or great deals, there’s enough market activity to make shopping worthwhile.

Is the 2026 Mazda CX-5 reliable?

The CX-5’s redesign keeps Mazda’s reputation for solid everyday usability in view, and the standard all-wheel-drive setup adds confidence for year-round driving. The powertrain is simple rather than complex, which can be a plus for long-term ownership, and the cabin materials and insulation suggest a vehicle built to feel durable over time.

Mazda also includes a year of free data for Google built-in, which helps reduce some early ownership friction if you rely on navigation and voice control. The performance setup is straightforward, but the underpowered engine and aging transmission mean you may feel the strain more quickly if you regularly drive hard or carry passengers and cargo.

For used buyers, the main long-term risk is that the combination of modest power and a dated transmission may age less gracefully than more modern rivals if you expect strong performance under load.

What should I look for when buying a used 2026 Mazda CX-5?

Accident-free inventory is excellent at 93.8% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.

You should still run a vehicle history report and verify that the specific car you’re considering has a clean title and consistent service records. A pre-purchase inspection is especially useful here because you’ll want to confirm that the drivetrain, brakes, and electronics all feel as expected on a redesigned model. Pay close attention to cabin condition too, since the interior uses a mix of soft-touch surfaces and harder plastics that can show wear.

Key things to evaluate:

• Trim level: The base trim uses 17-inch wheels and the cabin is less well equipped than higher trims, while upper trims add more premium touches and larger wheels.
• Powertrain: You get a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder with 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic; it’s smooth, but not quick.
• Safety package: Standard equipment includes adaptive cruise control with speed limit assist, automatic emergency braking with Turn-Across Traffic detection and Head-On Collision Mitigation, rear automatic emergency braking with rear cross-traffic alert and pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitors, vehicle exit warning, driver-attention monitor, traffic-sign recognition, front and rear parking sensors, and dynamic guidelines for the rear-view camera.
• Infotainment: Most trims get a 12.9-inch touchscreen, while the top trim gets a 15.6-inch unit; Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wired on the base trim and wireless on Select and above, and Google built-in comes standard.
• Fuel efficiency: The CX-5 is rated at 24 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined.

Which 2026 Mazda CX-5 trim should I buy?

The 2026 Mazda CX-5 is offered in 5 trim levels: 2.5 S, Select, Preferred, Premium, Premium Plus.

Here's the short version:

• Base trim: The 2.5 S gives you the essentials, but it sticks with wired smartphone integration and the smaller wheel setup, so it feels more basic than the rest of the lineup.
• Sweet-spot trim: The Preferred is the best value because it adds AWD, 19-inch wheels, a power liftgate, a head-up display, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a 10-way power driver’s seat with memory.
• Premium/top trim: The Premium adds a Bose 12-speaker audio system and SiriusXM satellite radio, which makes the cabin feel more upscale without jumping all the way to the top.
• Premium/top trim: The Premium Plus is the tech-heavy choice, with a 15.6-inch screen, a 360-degree View Monitor with underfloor and parking views, a Driver Monitoring system, rear USB-C ports, and more advanced lighting and highway-assist features.

The safety package is especially strong across the lineup, so you don’t need to move up far just to get a well-equipped driver-assistance suite.

Is now a good time to buy a used 2026 Mazda CX-5?

This is a moderate, selective-buyer market, so you can shop carefully without expecting every listing to be a bargain.

• Deal availability: 34.4% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Inventory: There are 2,886 listings available.
• Clean inventory: 93.8% of listings are accident-free.

If you find a listing below $36,316.88, that's toward the low end of the year-round range and worth acting on quickly.

Is the 2026 Mazda CX-5 safe?

The CX-5 earns a 9/10 safety score from our experts.

Mazda gives you one of the most comprehensive standard safety suites in the class, with adaptive cruise control with speed limit assist, automatic emergency braking with Turn-Across Traffic detection and Head-On Collision Mitigation, rear automatic emergency braking with rear cross-traffic alert and pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitors, vehicle exit warning, driver-attention monitor, traffic-sign recognition, front and rear parking sensors, and dynamic guidelines for the rear-view camera.

That’s a strong baseline, and it’s especially notable because some rivals reserve features like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert for higher trims. The top Premium Plus adds an adaptive front-lighting system, front cross-traffic alert with automatic braking, Cruising & Traffic Support with Lane-Change Assist, a driver monitoring system, and a 360-degree View Monitor.

Crash test results from NHTSA and IIHS had not been published at the time of writing, so you should treat the current safety picture as strong on equipment rather than officially rated.

Should I buy a 2026 Mazda CX-5 or consider a different year?

If you're weighing the 2026 against nearby model years, here's how to think about it:

Choose the 2026 if:

• 34.4% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Accident-free inventory is excellent at 93.8% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.
• Mazda’s first full redesign in nearly a decade brings standard AWD, a larger cabin, and Google built-in across the lineup.

Consider the 2025 if:

• It offers a more engaging driving experience with available turbo power.

The bottom line: If you want the newest CX-5 with the most modern cabin, standard AWD, and strong safety equipment, the 2026 is the one to target. If you care more about performance and want a livelier engine, the 2025 is the better fit for you, especially if you’re willing to trade some redesign freshness for stronger acceleration.

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from August 14, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.