I received this car for one week to review in exchange for sharing my honest opinion.

I have driven a lot of Mazdas in my life and they are always what I expect. They are fun cars to zoom around in and have just enough features. The recent model I drove was the 2017 Mazda CX-5. It is a compact crossover SUV perfect for wherever you need to go!

Some Features:

• Good size inside for seating. My family of five fit in this car, although I wouldn’t recommend five all the time as the middle person will be tight. My kids also liked when there was just four of us and they could have the middle armrest open between them.

• There was no third row so this did have a decent size trunk. I feel like I was able to pack it in back there with is especially important to my hockey playing family.

• 4 cylinder engine but still had decent pickup
• Sporty design, not boxy
• USB outlets all over – my kids especially appreciated the one in the back middle armrest

• Push Button Engine Start – Again this becoming standard but it goes along with keyless entry and is a convenience thing.

• 7-inch Touchscreen Navigation/Entertainment System – This navigation was super easy to use and I didn’t need a manual to figure out. Mazda also uses this knob feature so while you are driving you can just turn a knob and click a small button for what you need. I found this weird when I first starting driving but then found it super comfortable to use and got used to it.

• About 24 MPG City and 31 MPG Highway – not bad for a SUV
• Winshield-projected Active Driving Display with Traffic Sign Recognition – So at first this was annoying to me then I found it is super helpful to show me the information up on the windshield then having to look down. Beleive me when I say you will get used to it and love it, as I now miss it.

• Standard rearview camera – Whether you have kids or not, this feature should always be standard. I cannot tell you how many times it has saved me from backing into someone or something – kids can be quick to run behind cars or sometimes you may miss something behind you. I like it too so I can tell how much room I have when backing into a spot.

• Seat warmers for the front and back row – my kids were so spoiled with their toasty butts

• Vents for back row – I am always surprised when cars don’t have this as the poor people in the back are usually freezing waiting for heat to reach them

• Power liftgate – I will say I do like pushing a button to close my trunk rather than reaching it to pull it down. It’s the little things, right?
• Standard Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio – this is a must have for me

Honestly, I look at the Mazda CX-5 as a standard but cozy SUV. I would recommend it for a family of four or less or even a single person who just wants more room than a car. It was a great car for me to zip around town in and stored everything I needed it to. The models start at $24,000, with the model I drove costing around $34,000 – not a bad price for all the features in it.

Check out the Mazda CX-5

Check out the Mazda CX-5 to learn more.