2024 Mazda CX-5 G35 Akera Turbo review

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2024 Mazda CX-5 G35 Akera Turbo

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But you can stick a turbocharger on the engine, which is the case here.

After more than 10 years of sitting on showroom floors and competing for spots on family driveways, does the Mazda CX-5 still have the same level of appeal to compete in this highly competitive segment?

Mazda has been using turbocharged petrol power in the CX-5 medium SUV range since 2018, keeping it reserved for the top-spec all-wheel-drive Akera and GT SP trim levels.

And in this most expensive form, the undoubtedly old and soon-to-be-replaced Mazda CX-5 cannot help but continue to impress. Mazda’s bread-and-butter medium-sized SUV has been one of the segment’s most popular in Australia for many years now, despite the continuous onslaught of new competition.

While the 2024 Mazda CX-5 does certainly fall off the pace in some regards, it also feels highly polished and competent in others. Here’s what we found – warts and all – after a week of driving Mazda’s most expensive 2024 CX-5.

How much is a Mazda CX-5?

It’s possible to get into a 2024 Mazda CX-5 for as little as $36,590 plus on-road costs. That’s for the entry-level CX-5 Maxx trim level, with a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine and front-wheel drive.

Along with the much saucier turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive powertrain, we have a much higher level of standard specification to justify the near 20 grand increase in asking price.

The CX-5 Akera includes 19-inch alloy wheels, a 360-degree camera, adaptive LED headlights, heated and vented front seats with electric adjustment, heated rear outboard seats, nappa leather interior trimming, a heated steering wheel and interior ambient lighting.

This comes atop other goodies like an electric boot, sunroof, keyless entry, parking sensors front-and-rear, wireless charging and dual-zone climate control.

This makes the asking price $55,000 plus on-road costs for an all-you-can-eat CX-5 experience. If you want the full suite of equipment, but don’t need the turbocharged performance, the Akera is also available with a non-turbo 2.5-litre engine for $52,500, while one step down in the range, the GT SP variant is priced from $52,810 with the turbocharged engine, or $50,310 without, all before on-road costs.

How big is a Mazda CX-5?

The overall dimensions of the CX-5 put it in a position that’s a half-step smaller than many others in the segment. It’s not a case where the CX-5 is shrinking in its old age, like grandma Mabel, but rather it’s a case that new-generation models from other manufacturers are getting larger. The Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan X-Trail and Mitsubishi Outlander are examples of medium-sized SUVs that look and feel bigger than the Mazda.

Being just over 4.5 metres long does lend the CX-5 well to family duties, however. Our tribe of five – three of which are in bulky child seats – fit in without any issues. We certainly filled the boot up for our weekend visiting family with 438 litres being available. That number is decent for the class, but also not the best in terms of outright space.

The second row is spacious enough, but you can sense that there isn’t as much leg room and head room available here as you get elsewhere. So if you value overall roominess more than anything else, then look around at the competition. But while your knees might be in relatively close proximity to the seats in front, general comfort is good.

There are air vents in the back and room for bottles in the doors. There are no power outlets for your kids to charge their tablets, however, unless you drop down the middle armrest to access two hidden USB-A points. There’s not really any way to access these without the armrest down and lid open (I tried).

Seat heater controls for the second row are only accessible with the armrest down too. This hints towards the fact that the CX-5 feels fine with four adults on board, but would start to feel a bit titchy with five.

Up front, the Mazda CX-5 feels quite nice with some upmarket materials and finishes in this Akera model, and the build quality of our test car was top-shelf.

Some elements of the interior and technology hint at the age of the underlying platform here, but there’s a nice premium feel inside that plays well against the asking price. In terms of practicalities, the wireless charging pad up front doubles as a handy storage area for things like wallets and keys. The central storage console is average-sized, and you can fit bottles in the doors.

Does the Mazda CX-5 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

The 10.25-inch infotainment display inside the CX-5 has been thankfully upgraded since this car first lobbed onto showrooms, and is what you’ll find across every variant of the 2024 CX-5. It offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both via wired and wireless connection, but only operates as a touchscreen when the car is parked up.

When you’re on the move, you’re forced to use the rotary dial for navigating around to different on-screen functions. Here, the experience can be frustrating. But once you get your head around the twisting and prodding needed, the dial can be reasonably effective.

I kind of get it, but I also don’t. If you don’t want people interacting with technology while driving, turn it all off. But if you’ve got a front passenger, surely they should be able to use the touchscreen?

Instead, we are left with an ineffective and annoying middle ground in this case.

The system is backed up by a decent 10-speaker Bose-branded sound system that has a 249-watt amplifier.

Picking up a new infotainment display also gives access to connect the CX-5 to a MyMazda app, which yields a basic range of functionality like servicing information, owner’s manuals, and vehicle location.

Is the Mazda CX-5 a safe car?

One possible problem that comes with older vehicle designs these days is that ANCAP crash safety tests have an expiry date. A rating – good or bad – can only last for eight years now, which means a lot of previously five-star vehicles are now officially ‘unrated’ in the eyes of our local crash-testing authority.

The 2024 Mazda CX-5 falls into this expired five-star case. Despite getting a top-shelf five-star rating in 2017, it’s not something that is recognised as legal tender by ANCAP any more.

For what it’s worth, models up until the start of 2024 got an adult protection score of 95 per cent, while child occupant protection rated lower at 80 per cent. Vulnerable road users (pedestrians) got an 78 per cent protection score, while the on-board safety systems of the CX-5 sit at a relatively low 59 per cent.

Because of ANCAP’s evolving assessment criteria, an earlier five-star result may not be comparable with a five-star vehicle with a newer test date.

What safety technology does the Mazda CX-5 have?

Not all examples of the Mazda CX-5 are created equal, and lower specification grades of the CX-5 do miss out on some nice-to-have pieces of safety technology.

That’s not the case here, however, with the no-stones-unturned Akera getting everything available. The 360-degree camera system is Akera-only, along with adaptive LED headlights.

Despite being one of the older vehicles on the medium-sized SUV block, the CX-5 still feels well equipped with the important safety technology that Australian buyers will expect.

Newer examples of vehicles will have more sophisticated versions of similar technology, with elements like blind-spot monitoring or rear cross-traffic alert having the ability to intervene as well as alert.

But at the same time, the relative simplicity of the safety suite here means it doesn’t tend to get in the way of everyday driving, and therefore doesn’t find itself being turned off.

How much does the Mazda CX-5 cost to run?

Servicing works out to be a little bit more expensive for this turbocharged model – in comparison to a naturally aspirated CX-5. However, both examples are not as cheap to maintain as others in the segment. After three years, you’re averaging just over $450 per year to keep the CX-5’s logbook up to date, while five years creeps that average up to $515 per year.

The insurance cost for a top-spec turbocharged CX-5 is $1724 based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

But if you’re opting for the turbocharged model, you’re going to need to forego some running-cost efficiencies in return for having some extra grunt available from the skinny pedal. And most notably, you can expect to burn through some extra fuel.

Is the Mazda CX-5 fuel-efficient?

Against a claim of 8.2 litres per 100 kilometres, we saw an average consumption in the turbocharged CX-5 that was conspicuously higher at 11.5L/100km. This puts the CX-5 at the top of the consumption class for mid-sized SUVs, and something worth noting for buyers.

In a current climate where hybrid medium SUVs can comfortably use less than half that amount of fuel, you’ll need to want this powertrain to justify the extra consumption.

Our testing was a fair mix of highway and town driving overall, and Mazda’s own figures suggest that urban driving will see a relatively high number at a claimed 10.3L/100km.

What is the Mazda CX-5 like to drive?

It uses a fair chunk of fuel, but that at least does translate into some emotive performance when on the road. Assisted by forced induction, this 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine is able to push the CX-5 along at a hurried rate, and can be a really helpful ally when overtaking on the highway or merging into a busy motorway.

It’s an engine that pulls strongly in the mid-range, trading strongly on that 420Nm around 2000rpm, and feeling eager to upshift as it approaches a relatively low 5000rpm top end.

Having a healthy dose of torque available also means the six-speed automatic gearbox feels well matched, never really running out of ratios and responding smoothly to driver inputs.

In comparison to other medium-sized SUVs, the CX-5 is quite a sharp driving experience. Throttle response is quite pointed, requiring careful modulations at low speeds for smooth progress. Steering is sharply responsive as well, with precious little dead space as you turn the wheel off-centre.

Once loaded up dynamically, the CX-5 winds its way through corners deftly and enjoyably, giving the driver plenty of feedback on what is happening below deck. It’s a fun car to punt around, made more fun with the additional 30kW and near 170Nm available compared to the non-turbo model.

There is a clear front-wheel-drive bias if you push the performance side of things, but splitting the driveline outputs between the front and rear wheels helps the CX-5 feel settled against the available torque.

Overall, the CX-5 feels something like a warmed-up family SUV thanks to a responsive chassis matching well to the powertrain. For some, it could feel a little too twitchy through the steering wheel and accelerator, but it will suit others quite nicely.

It’s worth pointing out, because there are others in the segment that will offer better levels of overall ride comfort and compliance, and a less precise steering feel. I don’t think the CX-5 is bad in this regard, but the overall package does lean a little into the dynamic side of things. So, choose your poison.

Being a little smaller than most other mid-sized SUVs means the CX-5 shrinks around you somewhat. The wheelbase isn’t necessarily that much smaller than others in the segment, but the combination of the seating position, visibility and fast steering allows the CX-5 to feel a little smaller from behind the wheel. And with a decent 360-degree camera as an ally, you don’t get the heebie-jeebies when you’re lining up a tight park.

Can a Mazda CX-5 tow?

With a 2000kg braked towing capacity, the Mazda CX-5 is capable of towing more than you might expect. Provided that the trailer has its own form of braking, the CX-5 will be able to pull a reasonably large and loaded-up box trailer, camper trailer or even a small caravan.

As always, though, ensure you don’t overload your vehicle via the tow ball, which has a 150kg limit. Keep an eye on your payload as well at 445kg, which needs to account for tow ball mass and passengers.

Should I buy a Mazda CX-5?

It’s an oldie, but the CX-5 is also a goodie. The pricing hasn’t really slid downwards (like it often does) in the twilight of its life, perhaps because it has remained a popular option. Some elements of the technology give the age away as well, and there’s no shortage of alternatives in the segment that have the upper hand in this regard.

But if you’re happy to forgo some efficiency in return for added punch, the CX-5 does stand apart from the crowd with all of that torque matching well with a sharp driving experience.

How do I buy a Mazda CX-5?

We’ve focussed on the top-spec Akera model here, which costs the most amount of money, but does have a high level of standard kit.

Turbocharged performance is available on the CX-5 G35 GT SP as well, but Mazda has a broad range of models all the way down to the more basic G20 Maxx starting from $36,590 plus on-road costs. Although, this feels particularly more lethargic with the 2.0-litre non-turbocharged petrol engine.

The next step on the purchase journey is to check the Mazda website for stock of your preferred CX-5 variant. You can also find Mazdas for sale at Drive Cars For Sale.

We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes can differ. Find your nearest Mazda dealer via this link. We’d also recommend test-driving the Toyota RAV4 hybrid, as well as the Nissan X-Trail and Kia Sportage. Honestly, there’s a lot of high-quality competition in this segment, which is great for buyers to deliberate over.

If you want to stay updated with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, you’ll find all the latest news here.

The post 2024 Mazda CX-5 G35 Akera Turbo review appeared first on Drive.

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