2020 Mazda CX-5 vs 2021 Subaru Forester

Mazda executed the concept of premium better than its competitors with the 2020 CX-5. This model year, the CX-5 featured more standard equipment, revised instrumentation, and control markings to enhance the cabin's appearance, along with modifications to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness. The turbocharged engine saw an increase in torque output, and AWD versions gained a new off-road traction assistance feature. Prices ranged from $25,190 to $37,155, with trim levels including Sport, Touring, Grand Touring, Grand Touring Reserve, and Signature. The test vehicle had Signature trim, extra-cost Machine Gray metallic paint, and a rear bumper guard, totaling $38,680, including the $1,100 destination charge.

The original Mazda CX-5 set the company on its current design path, and nearly a decade later, the “Kodo” styling themes still looked terrific. Mazda made the CX-5 look appealing, distinctive, and upscale simultaneously, a feat many automakers struggled to achieve. The interior, especially in Signature trim, featured premium Nappa leather upholstery, real wood, and a black headliner, giving the SUV a luxurious look and feel. However, the Caturra Brown leather was almost indistinguishable from the otherwise black cabin, lessening the level of contrast that often made a vehicle seem premium.

The 2021 Forester, redesigned for the 2019 model year, had styling that looked older because it largely carried over from the previous generation. The most significant difference was the taillights, which had a distinctive cross shape. Subaru likely didn't try to fix what wasn't broken, as the Forester's boxy, upright shape appealed to many SUV shoppers. The Base trim level looked plain with its 17-inch steel wheels, but the Forester had a clean and unpretentious look compared to many other compact crossovers.

Forester Sport models, like the test car, featured orange striping around the lower edges of the body and roof rails, a rear spoiler, and black 18-inch alloy wheels. These small changes made a big difference, especially with a complementary paint color like the test car’s Dark Blue Pearl. Under the sheet metal and orange striping, the Forester rode on the same Subaru Global Platform as most of the automaker’s other models. While marketed as a rugged SUV, the Forester shared underpinnings with sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons since the beginning.

The Forester’s interior was a no-nonsense mix of materials likely to stand up to years of use. The Sport trim level added a splash of orange to the interior with colored trim and cross-stitching. Base, Premium, and Sport models had cloth upholstery, while Limited and Touring had leather upholstery. An All-Weather Package, standard on Premium and higher trim levels, added heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, and a windshield de-icer.

The 2020 Mazda CX-5 came standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with a Sport mode. FWD was standard, with AWD optional. The Grand Touring Reserve and Signature trims featured a turbocharged version of the engine, generating 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque on premium fuel, or 227 hp and 310 lb-ft on regular fuel. The turbo CX-5 used the same six-speed automatic but came only with AWD.

The turbocharged engine provided a healthy amount of power for a compact crossover SUV, and the CX-5 Signature accelerated with authority despite a 3,825-pound curb weight. The turbo engine was less efficient, rated at 24 mpg in combined driving, compared to 26 mpg combined for the naturally aspirated engine with AWD. The test vehicle averaged 22.1 mpg. The CX-5 Signature was engaging to drive, thanks to its standard G-Vectoring Control Plus (GVC Plus) technology, which used the brakes to stabilize the SUV when cornering.

However, the CX-5 had excessive body motions when driven aggressively, with a high center of gravity causing rocking and rolling through curves. An adaptive-damping suspension could have improved this. Despite this, the steering and brakes were up to the task, making the CX-5 Signature a delight in typical driving situations.

The 2021 Forester had a single powertrain: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, connected to a CVT with a manual mode and paddle shifters on certain trims. The engine had a boxer configuration, providing a lower center of gravity. Subaru quoted a 1,500-pound maximum towing capacity, with Trailer Stability Assist standard.

The Forester no longer offered a turbocharged engine, and while power was adequate in most situations, it lacked thrust for highway merging or overtaking. The engine also produced a lot of wind noise at highway speeds. The suspension tuning was soft, soaking up bumps but resulting in poor body control, with lots of body roll in corners and bounce on uneven pavement.

AWD was standard, with a sophisticated drivetrain featuring X-Mode for different surfaces. Sport models had Dual X-Mode with “Snow/Dirt” and “Snow/Mud” modes. Premium and higher trims had hill-descent control, and all models had 8.7 inches of ground clearance. However, for serious off-road capability, other vehicles like the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk or Ford Bronco Sport were better options.

The 2020 Mazda CX-5’s interior was more cramped than competitors like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, making it less competitive in terms of practicality and utility. However, Mazda focused on the CX-5’s upscale cabin and generous standard equipment to de-emphasize this drawback. Every version of the CX-5 had an interior reflecting style and good taste, with classy-looking gauges and elegant metallic accents.

Touring trim added dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, and rear air conditioning vents. Grand Touring trim added a power height-adjustable front passenger seat, and Grand Touring Reserve equipped the SUV with ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel. The Signature trim added Nappa leather, genuine wood trim, and more.

The CX-5 Signature’s front seats were comfortable, though small. Rear passengers might complain about legroom, but the back seat was otherwise accommodating for two adults. Cargo space behind the rear seat measured 30.9 cubic feet, and with the back seat folded, the maximum cargo volume was 59.6 cubic feet. A power liftgate with a programmable height limit was standard on Grand Touring trim and higher.

The 2021 Forester offered above-average headroom and legroom in both rows, likely due to its tall, flat roof. The roofline also provided lots of room for glass, giving the Forester a roomy feeling and excellent outward visibility, but also letting in lots of sunlight. Cargo space was generous, with 35.4 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and 76.1 cubic feet with the 60/40 split-folding rear bench down. The Forester had more cargo space than a Honda CR-V or the redesigned 2022 Hyundai Tucson with the rear seats folded, but less with the rear seats up. It lacked a sliding second-row bench available in some competitors. A power liftgate was optional on the Forester Sport trim and standard on the Limited and Touring trims.

The Forester’s cupholders were decently sized, and the center console was reasonably sized, but the phone-storage cubby was too small for an average-size phone, and there was no wireless charging. A power-adjustable driver’s seat wasn’t standard; it required upgrading to the Premium trim. The large knobs for audio volume, tuning, and climate control were appreciated, but the number of buttons and switches on the steering wheel caused some confusion.

The 2020 Mazda CX-5 was equipped with a Mazda Connect infotainment system, which conveyed an upscale impression but could be frustrating to use. The Sport trim had a 7-inch touchscreen that responded to touch only when the vehicle wasn’t moving. Bluetooth, HD Radio, text messaging support, integrated internet radio apps, and E911 emergency notification were included. The Touring trim added Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Grand Touring trim featured a color 8-inch touchscreen, satellite radio, and a 10-speaker Bose premium sound system. The Signature trim enhanced the technology with a navigation system, a surround-view camera system, and a SiriusXM data subscription. Interaction with Mazda Connect could be done via the touchscreen (when stationary), center console controls, steering wheel controls, or voice-recognition technology. However, none of these methods were ideal, and the voice-recognition technology often failed to provide feedback.

The 2021 Forester’s standard Subaru Starlink infotainment system included a 6.5-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, front-row USB ports, and a CD player. Sport models added an 8-inch touchscreen and Harman Kardon audio system, while Limited and Touring models added navigation and dual USB ports in the rear center console.

The Forester’s infotainment system was easy to use, with well-designed graphics and backup analog controls, including physical shortcut buttons. However, the screen was slow to boot up when starting the car. In addition to the main touchscreen, Subaru included a small secondary screen in the center of the dashboard and a small screen in the instrument cluster. These displays showed secondary information like fuel economy, tire pressure, and an inclinometer, but the setup seemed overly complex.

The 2020 Mazda CX-5 excelled in safety, with all advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) standard on most models. The i-Activsense package included adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and lane-keep assist. The CX-5 also had standard LED headlights and rain-sensing wipers, with adaptive headlights standard on Grand Touring trim.

The CX-5 earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with the highest marks in nearly all individual testing parameters.

The 2021 Forester also excelled in safety, receiving the highest “Top Safety Pick+” award from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. The Forester came standard with EyeSight, a group of driver-assist features enabled by a pair of cameras. EyeSight included adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lead-vehicle start alert. Steering-responsive headlights, automatic high beams, and a rear seatbelt reminder were also standard.

Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and reverse automatic braking. The Forester’s adaptive cruise control and lane-centering functions performed adequately, but the lane-centering’s steering inputs felt jerky. The driver-monitoring system, DriverFocus, used a camera to check for signs of distraction, ensuring drivers weren’t misusing the EyeSight tech.