Five Features I Love About My 2018 Mazda CX-5

When my five-year-old BMW X3 began to cost me an arm and a leg for maintenance, I recently found myself shopping for a new crossover. As I explained in a previous story, I decided against another pricey “premium” European vehicle after my personal ownership experience. As a single working mom, I just don’t have time for frequent repair visits to deal with the needs of a cranky car.

After researching the 2018 Nissan Rogue and 2018 Honda CR-V in their top trims, I headed out to drive a Honda CR-V. The Honda dealerships were around located me on all sides, something important to me. The CR-V also had the size and safety I was looking for. However, after test driving a top-trim and speaking to the helpful salesperson, I learned that I could not get a heated steering wheel and that every interior came with old-fashioned wood trim. In the end, I opted against the Rogue and CR-V. They just didn’t light my fire and I didn’t see myself spending over $30K on a vehicle I didn’t love.

Almost as an afterthought I decided to stop into a Mazda dealership instead of going directly home from the Honda place. I was surprised to find out Mazda had two dealerships very near my home. When I arrived, the salesperson at Liberty Mazda in Wakefield Mass was very helpful and was able to quickly put me in the seat of a top-trim (Touring Premium Package) CX-5 for a test drive. It was love at first sight as they say. The CX-5 looked and felt more my style. It is hard to explain, but it seemed like it was more premium to me and the ride more sporty. Here are the five top things that I found out I loved about the Mazda CX-5 from the time I first saw it, till today, about a month after having bought it.

2018 Mazda CX-5 Unique Color
The first CX-5 I saw was black and I had just come from a black car. Black cars are always dirty in the New England winters, so I asked to see other colors. The Soul Red Crystal Metallic was amazing. The salesperson explained how it is specially applied and it really makes the CX-5 stand out. It sort of shimmers. Coupled with the white interior, the red makes the car seem special.

2018 Mazda CX-5 Heated Steering Wheel
One of the few premium features my BMW had was a heated steering wheel. Once you’ve had one, it is hard to go back. I almost didn’t even look at the CR-V because it didn’t come with one. The heated wheel is super warm on my CX-5 and I don’t have to wear gloves when I head out to work in the morning.

2018 Mazda CX-5 Bending Adaptive Headlights
I honestly didn’t even know the CX-5 had headlights that turn with the car until I owned it a couple of days and drove it at night for the first time. It’s so cool! They swivel back and forth and you can see better in the turns.

2018 Mazda CX-5 Quiet Smooth Ride
Having come from a BMW vehicle that cost 50% more five years ago, I assumed the ride of the BMW would be noticeably better and I would have to “settle” for less in a car from Mazda. As it turns out, the CX-5 is quieter and feels smoother and sportier to me. The BMW had a great ride, it was one of its best features, but I don’t miss it one bit. The new CX-5 feels as good or better, and to my ear, is quieter.

2018 Mazda CX-5 Seats
The seats in my 2013 BMW were supposed to be leather but they didn’t feel like leather. They felt sort of artificial. My new CX-5 has soft leather seats and I think a lot of the great new car smell is from the leather Mazda uses. They are easy to adjust and have two settings to keep the adjustment in memory. The white color also brightens up the inside of the car a lot, which I like.

As you can tell, I am pretty happy with my purchase. If possible, I hope to check back in with Torque News over time and tell readers how the CX-5 holds up. If there are any Mazda owners out there with tips on features I might be overlooking, please let me know in the comments.