Is the 2026 Mazda CX-5 a good car?

The 2026 Mazda CX-5 earns a 7.17/10 expert rating. The standout strength is Safety at 9/10.

The redesign gives you a longer, wider, more spacious CX-5 with standard all-wheel drive across the lineup, a high-quality interior, and a more advanced infotainment setup. It also keeps the model’s strong design appeal and upscale cabin feel, which makes it especially attractive if you care more about style and interior quality than outright performance.

The trade-offs are clear: the 187-horsepower engine feels underpowered in this larger body, and the six-speed automatic is dated compared with rivals’ transmissions. If you want a compact SUV that looks and feels premium while still offering strong value, the CX-5 fits that brief well.

Good and great deals account for 35.2% of listings, which gives you a decent chance of finding a competitive price.

Is the 2026 Mazda CX-5 reliable?

The 2026 Mazda CX-5 is built around a carryover 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder and a six-speed automatic, so the mechanical formula is familiar rather than experimental. Mazda also pairs the model with standard all-wheel drive and a broad safety suite, which supports the sense that this is a conservative, well-developed redesign rather than a risky one.

The performance side is straightforward: the engine and transmission are simple, but they are also the weak point because they have to move a heavier vehicle without added power. On the ownership side, the warranty coverage is average for the class, and the model does not bring any maintenance perk language that would materially lower your early ownership burden.

For used buyers, the main long-term risk is that you may end up living with a powertrain that feels strained and less efficient than newer rivals.

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

Accident-free inventory is excellent at 93.6% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.

Even with a strong clean-listing rate, you should still run a vehicle history report and prioritize a pre-purchase inspection. Focus on how the cabin materials have held up, whether the tech interfaces work smoothly, and whether the vehicle shows signs of hard use in the lower-cost interior surfaces. You should also verify that the safety and infotainment features on the specific trim match what you expect.

Key things to evaluate:

• Trim level: The base trims use 17-inch wheels, while higher trims move to 19-inch wheels and add more upscale cabin touches. Upper trims also bring leather seating and a more premium interior presentation.
• Powertrain: You get a 187-horsepower 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder with 186 pound-feet of torque and a six-speed automatic. It is smooth enough in normal driving, but it feels underpowered in this larger, heavier CX-5.
• 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: You get a 12.9-inch touchscreen on all trims except the top trim, which gets a 15.6-inch unit. Google built-in is standard, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wired on the base trim and wireless on Select and above.
• Fuel efficiency: The CX-5 is rated at 24 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 26 combined mpg. Those figures are identical across the lineup.

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 standard AWD and the core safety suite, but it keeps the wired phone projection setup and the smaller 12.9-inch screen.
• 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.
• Premium/top trim: The Premium Plus brings the 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 tech.

The safety package is strong across the lineup, so your trim decision mostly comes down to how much comfort, screen size, and camera tech you want.

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

This is a moderate market for selective buyers, so you have room to shop carefully without expecting a deep bargain on every listing.

• Deal availability: 35.2% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Inventory: There are 2,694 listings available.
• Clean inventory: 93.6% of listings are accident-free.

If you find a listing below $36,314.45, that's toward the low end of the year-round range and worth acting on quickly.

Is the 2026 Mazda CX-5 safe?

It earns a 9/10 safety score from our experts.

The 2026 CX-5 comes with a comprehensive standard safety suite that 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.

The top-tier 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. Seven airbags come standard across all trims.

Crash test results from NHTSA and IIHS had not been published at the time of writing, so you should treat the model’s safety reputation as promising but not yet fully confirmed for this redesign.

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:

• 35.2% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Accident-free inventory is excellent at 93.6% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.
• You want the redesigned CX-5’s standard AWD, upscale cabin, and stronger tech package.

Consider the 2025 if:

• It offers a turbocharged engine option and a more performance-oriented feel.

The bottom line: Choose the 2026 if you want the newest CX-5 design, standard AWD, and a more premium interior and tech experience. If you care more about acceleration and a stronger driving punch, the 2025 is the better fit for now, while price-sensitive shoppers should compare both years closely before deciding.

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from August 7, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.