### The Great Divide: Mazda CX-5 and CX-50 Share a Common Goal The Mazda CX-5 and CX-50 are like siblings who can't stay out of each other's hair. When the CX-50 entered the fray for 2023, Mazda positioned it as a slightly larger and more upscale sibling to the CX-5. However, the truth is that the two SUVs have become increasingly intertwined. The 2026 Mazda CX-5 has narrowed the gap, and these two siblings now overlap more than ever. ### A Tale of Two Siblings The CX-5 adds 4.6 inches to its wheelbase, tying it with the CX-50. The overall length increase puts the new CX-5 just 1.2 inches shy of the CX-50. The CX-50 remains wider, while the CX-5 is three inches taller. This growth has led to the CX-5 now surpassing the CX-50 in both passenger and cargo space. Mazda has focused on rear-seat room, with more legroom ...
### The Great Divide: Mazda CX-5 and CX-50 Share a Common Goal
The Mazda CX-5 and CX-50 are like siblings who can’t stay out of each other’s hair. When the CX-50 entered the fray for 2023, Mazda positioned it as a slightly larger and more upscale sibling to the CX-5. However, the truth is that the two SUVs have become increasingly intertwined. The 2026 Mazda CX-5 has narrowed the gap, and these two siblings now overlap more than ever.
### A Tale of Two Siblings
The CX-5 adds 4.6 inches to its wheelbase, tying it with the CX-50. The overall length increase puts the new CX-5 just 1.2 inches shy of the CX-50. The CX-50 remains wider, while the CX-5 is three inches taller. This growth has led to the CX-5 now surpassing the CX-50 in both passenger and cargo space. Mazda has focused on rear-seat room, with more legroom and knee clearance than before. Wider and taller rear doors enhance access to the cargo area, which has a lower floor to facilitate loading of luggage. The rear seatback is now split 40/20/40 to accommodate long, narrow items.
### A New Steering Wheel and Infotainment System
The front seats are a comfortable blend of softness and support, with thickly padded door armrests. Mid-level models now feature a two-tone color treatment. The top-spec Premium Plus interior finishes are less impressive, with fewer soft-touch surfaces and more hard plastic. The 187-hp 2.5-liter engine with standard all-wheel drive carries over from before, although Mazda claims to have tweaked the powertrain logic. The combination of the naturally aspirated engine and the six-speed automatic provides more linear response than some turbo fours and CVTs. However, the powertrain isn’t a firecracker. The optional 256-hp turbocharged engine was chosen by a small percentage of buyers and has not returned. A hybrid powertrain is set to join the lineup next year.
### A Mazda in its Driving Dynamics
The new CX-5 feels like a Mazda in its driving dynamics. Mazda’s manager of vehicle dynamics engineering, Dave Coleman, describes the goals as retaining the outgoing model’s fun-to-drive characteristics while stirring in a bit more compliance for improved ride quality. The CX-5 masked the patches of deteriorated tarmac on a Southern California drive route, and it exhibited the same athleticism for which this model has long been known, guided by steering that is natural-feeling and perfectly weighted. Mazda has added several applications of automatic braking, including automatic braking when backing up and turning across traffic. Adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, traffic-sign recognition, and blind-spot assist are now standard on all models. The new CX-5 earns top scores in all IIHS crash tests, and adaptive cruise control can now automatically execute lane changes with the driver’s hand on the wheel.
### A New Price Point
Prices have inched up by just under $1000 at the low end to more than $3000 for the top model. The 2026 CX-5 ranges from $31,485 to $40,485, overlapping and even exceeding the base-engine CX-50, which starts at $31,395 and tops out at $36,395.
### Specifications
* Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
* Price: $31,485 – $40,485
* Engine: DOHC 16-valve Atkinson-cycle inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
* Displacement: 152 in 3, 2488 cm 3
* Power: 187 hp @ 6000 rpm
* Torque: 186 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
* Transmission: 6-speed automatic
* Dimensions: Wheelbase: 110.8 in, Length: 184.6 in, Width: 73.2 in, Height: 66.7 in
* Passenger Volume, F/R: 54–55/50–52 ft 3, Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 67/34 ft 3
* Curb Weight (C/D est): 3900 lb
* Performance: 60 mph: 8.2 sec, 1/4-Mile: 16.5 sec, Top Speed: 116 mph
* EPA Fuel Economy: Combined/City/Highway: 26/24/30 mpg
### Reviewed by Joe Lorio
Joe Lorio has been obsessed with cars since his Matchbox days and got his first subscription to Car and Driver at age 11. Joe started his career at Automobile Magazine under David E. Davis Jr., and his work has also appeared on websites including Amazon Autos, Autoblog, AutoTrader, Hagerty, Hemmings, KBB, and TrueCar.
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