#PRODUCTWATCH: 2025 MAZDA CX-5 SPORT DESIGN

We are delighted to collaborate for the first time ever with Mazda Canada on a test drive of one of their most popular offerings, the 2025 MAZDA CX-5 SPORT DESIGN. Mazda‘s philosphy always has been to make driving a pleasure and also enrich the lives of owners, achieving this through a unity between vehicle and driver. This is known as “Jinba-Ittai”.

Our beautiful midsize SUV came in an eyecatching Soul Red Crystal Metallic, seating five comfortably on a sturdy Leatherette. The driver and passenger each get six-way seat adjustment, with and there are luxuries like a heated stearing wheel, seat heaters and coolers. And did we mention a gorgeous moonroof? All adventures begin with a simple pushbutton start.

The CX-5 is powered by a SKYACTIV-G 2.5T, DOHC 16-valve, 4 cylinder engine, operating on Regular fuel and 187 horsepower. We felt empowered on the road, driving with force whether we were in the City, on the highways, or in the suburbs.

It also runs on 17-inch alloy wheels (silver metallic), 225/65R17 all-season tires, complete with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System. Anyone who’s ever experienced a flat tire will understand the importance of having this feature.

We were blessed to be driving in a time of a Carbon Tax slash, which gave us even more value out of the CX-5‘s great fuel economy of 10.8, 8.7, 9.8 L/100km (city, highway, combined). This means more budget for shopping and its spacious allotment for cargo in the back, you know the CX-5 has got you.

Mazda’s focus on innovation is seen in the many day to day things that make our drives more pleasurable. Air conditioning with manual climate controls for driver and passenger show a real concern for others riding along, plus rear heater ducts (under front seats). We’ve never driven a car that had a Pollen Filter, but the CX-5 had this, and this would come in handy in the upcoming allergy season for many. Wheel- mounted controls were very handy, allowing us to adjust audio volumes and skipping ahead on our Playlists with ease during our drives.

One thing we will point out though is that we appreciate keyless entry with its fob type key, having Proximity Entry would have sealed the deal for us completely. It can be cumbersome fidgeting to open a door with full hands and the placement of the lock/unlock features on the key are a tad tricky, having such tiny buttons on the side of the key. Another small issue was not having actual USB charging ports as there was every other option available including C Port charging outlets and a 12V socket (who honestly uses a 12V socket for real?). These are minor issues however, and can be overlooked.

We love a large screen, and the CX-5‘s 10.25” full colour centre display with Mazda Connect Infotainment system, touch-screen centre display for Apple CarPlay™ / Android Auto™ was appreciated. Syncing to Bluetooth was a breeze, but where we had some struggles was not being able to disconnect from Android Auto once the car was connected. This means we couldn’t switch over to Sirius XM or the Radio. If there was a way, it truly didn’t feel easy. We found it interesting that you could not navigate the touchscreen at all during the drive out of safety, which can be a bit frustrating for some. While the car is braked or in park mode, that’s when you can navigate the menu again.

Other things that we loved were the front centre console with armrest, cupholders and a sizy storage. Latches for internal hood and fuel door release were thoughtful, and we love tinted windows in the back. Our dear miss beanie needs her privacy for her naps while we drive!

We love Mazda‘s next level concern for safety and the CX-5 is loaded with safety features including: Smart City Brake Support Front (SCBS-F); Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM); Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA); Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop&Go function (MRCC with Stop&Go ); Smart Brake Support Front (SBS-F); Pedestrian Detection (forward sensing); Distance Recognition Support System (DRSS); Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW); Lane keep-Assist System (LAS); Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS); High Beam Control system (HBC); Rearview camera (wide angle); Dynamic Stability Control (DSC); Traction Control System (TCS); Hill Launch Assist (HLA); Dual front and dual side airbags; Dual side curtain airbags; 3-point seat belts for all seating positions (2 front; 3 rear); Front and rear (outboard seats only) seat-belt pretensioners with force limiters; Integrated child-safety-seat lower anchors & upper tether anchors; Child-safety rear door lockouts; Height adjustable front and rear seat head restraints, Height adjustable front seat belts; and Engine immobilizer theft deterrent system.

We found Traffic Sign Recognition with navigation on our windshield an amazing feature not only for recognizing speed limits, but also knowing which way we’re turning next on our drives. This is a game changer. We cannot speak enough to the importance of a rearview camera for flawless parellel parking and reversing. Above this the CX-5 was always on the ball pointing our vehicles coming into our blind spots, giving us that extra piece of mind.

Some very star-studded and delicious adventures, thanks to the 2025 Mazda CX-5 Sport Design:

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The 2025 Mazda CX-5 Sport Design retails at $44,200 CAN. More here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)