Distance: 389 km
Date: 29 August – 1 September, 2025
Location: Georgia
Up front: The leather seats with lumbar support and memory settings are great for longer drives. The leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob also give the car a premium feel. However, the steering wheel didn’t telescope as far forward as I would have liked and assumes that drivers would like to sit higher and closer to the dashboard. Apple CarPlay pairs every time, as it should in a Japanese car.
Controls are mostly well laid out with intuitive buttons for the climate control. The screen is touch sensitive while the car is stopped and drivers use a scroll wheel by the gear knob while the car is in motion for safety. My one complaint is the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel are too far away from my thumb, and I have a large hand.
In the back: The rear seats are comfortable for two passengers seated abreast. The height of the front seats give rear passengers space to put their feet under them, extending legroom by about 10 centimetres. The middle armrest folds down to reveal two cupholders, though I would’ve preferred the cupholders to be one in front of the other instead of side by side.
Rear cargo room is generous with a little bit of space around the space saver spare tire under the false floor to hide small items. Drivers can easily stack two medium sized suitcases on top of each other and still maintain some rear visibility.
Driving: This generation of CX-5 is getting old. I drove the same generation just before its mid-cycle facelift in 2021 and was impressed at the time for a 5-year-old design and turbo engine. However, as the generation approaches its ninth year, its age is apparent.
The 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated engine no longer keeps up with competitors like the the 2.0 turbo Toyota Rav4 (at the same price) for acceleration and the CX-5 non-turbo is only drivable in sport mode, or semi automatic. The transmission is slow to respond and can’t make up its mind on hilly terrain. Without a turbo acceleration is sluggish and merging on highways is a concerning experience. Despite not having a turbo, the fuel economy is only at 23 mpg in mixed conditions.
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