Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Mazda CX-5 review - Reliability and safety

Customers rate the Mazda CX-5's reliability, while safety levels are top-notch

Overall Auto Express Rating

4.0 out of 5

Reliability and Safety Rating

3.9 out of 5

Price
£31,020 to £42,635
Find your Mazda CX-5
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Customers got an average £1000 more vs part exchange quotes
Advertisement

With an engine range carried over from the last car with only small revisions, as well as plenty of existing tech from the rest of the Mazda car range found throughout the cabin, there shouldn't be much that will go wrong with the second-generation CX-5.

Mazda’s reliability record is rated positively by customers - in our 2023 Driver Power satisfaction survey the manufacturer finished seventh out of 32 brands, while the CX-5 achieved ninth place on a 75-car list.

On the safety front, Mazda has made a number of key advances. An increased use of ultra high-tensile steel and underbody structures enhance the car’s strength in an impact without adding significant weight, while Mazda has worked hard on improving pedestrian safety with the front-end design. As a result, Euro NCAP awarded the CX-5 a top five-star crash test score in 2017.

Advertisement - Article continues below

All models come with six airbags as standard. Isofix child seat points feature on the rearmost two seats, too, but it’s the active safety tech that’s come on most: Advanced Smart City Brake Support (standard on all models) is improved over the old car with a wider operating window and the ability to detect pedestrians. 

Adaptive LED headlights are standard on Exclusive-Line and above, while lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control feature across all trim levels.

Warranty

All Mazdas come with a typical three-year, 60,000 mile warranty. It’s par for the course, but an increasing number of manufacturers offer five or (in Kia’s case) seven-year cover. There’s also a three-year warranty on paintwork, and twelve years cover for rust. There are varying levels of extended cover available to buy, too. 

Servicing

Service intervals for the CX-5 are carried over from the old car, meaning all models require a trip to a garage every 12,500 miles or 12 months, whichever comes sooner. Owners can keep track of their service record via a smartphone app, too. In addition, the company offers a fixed-price maintenance plan, which covers all scheduled servicing parts and labour for the first three years. Prices start from around £700, depending on the model.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    2.0 SE-L Nav 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £23,835

Most Economical

  • Name
    2.0 SE-L Nav 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £23,835

Fastest

  • Name
    2.2d [175] Sport Nav 5dr AWD
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £31,225
Executive editor

Paul was employed across automotive agency and manufacturer-side sectors before joining Auto Express in 2020 as our online reviews editor. After a brief sojourn at a national UK newspaper, Paul returned as executive editor where he now works closely with our commercial partners.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars will now pay £10 more per year, although the biggest gas guzzlers fare even worse
28 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Huge Audi new car blitz to bring us 9 models in 2 years
Upcoming Audi models - four-way image
News

Huge Audi new car blitz to bring us 9 models in 2 years

After a quiet few years, the German giant is gearing up for its biggest product onslaught to date
25 Mar 2024