Living in ‘the now’ thanks to Mazda’s latest CX-5 SUV

Published on 2 April, 2022

Overview

God help me but I am an awful man for looking back. No, I don’t mean in the car mirrors (though I do keep a constant watchful eye).

It’s just that people tell me I seem besotted with the world and memories and events of yesteryear when I should be embracing ‘the now’. I do try, and I succeed a lot of the time, but it is impossible not to slip back sometimes.

And it was utterly impossible when I took the recently revised Mazda CX-5 crossover/SUV for a few days’ test-drive.

It will always have a part in my memory bank because I drove a previous generation (petrol) model over ice on Lake Baikal deep in Siberia, Russia – and the ice was not so thick in some parts as I recall.

It is the biggest fresh water reservoir in the world and is near Irkutsk, north of Mongolia, west of China, east of Kazakhstan and 7,000km from Dublin. We spent eight memorable hours on the ice in a Mazda CX-5.

It was an experience, I can tell you. Those were the days, my friend – they seem so carefree in retrospect.

The contrast in weather conditions could hardly have been more marked as I had a special revised edition out on test which coincided with the recent sunny spell.

It looks that bit sharper and smarter after its overhaul. My 2.2-litre diesel came with a 6spd manual gearbox.

It is a combination that would have been absolutely ideal for open road, motorway driving. But where did we pick? Stop-starting our way to Howth from Clontarf on what was generally reckoned to be one of the busiest days of the year to date.

It was not conducive to driving in sixth gear and not worrying about having to change up and down to fit in with the near-dormant progress of the eternal traffic jam. I spent most of it in first or second.

It was, as the optimist in me now says, a good way to become acquainted with the interior, and once again I have to sing a car’s praises for the quality and support of the seating.

The CX-5 is a nice piece of motoring craft in the true sense of the word. I know from previous experience, and learned again with this, that the more you live with a Mazda the better it tends to become.

It is not a First Dates winner. It is more like a drip-drip unveiling of frequent acquaintance highlighting its better attributes each time.

Mazda tend to do things that way. They refine and refine again, often losing the opportunity to be first but happy to get nearer to what they see as their ideal.

I’m not their biggest fan by any means – one or two of their cars disappointed even after longer tests than the one in the CX-5 – but, generally speaking, they tend to stay the pace better than most and, for the most part, are rock solid second-hand/trade-in buys.

In practical terms that means you get more for your used Mazda even if you pay a little more for it initially.

My test car was comfortable and roomy but, maybe it was the contrast with the beaming sunshine, I thought the interior decor overall was a bit dull. I know black is always fashionable but with a sort-of grey exterior I would have preferred something brighter on the eye inside.

I did get one good chance to try it out on the motorway and that’s where engine and transmission shone. Maybe I’d have liked a little more damping of the engine but I was pushing it hard so some extra noise was inevitable.

It’s quite a tall machine but behaved well on a couple of narrower sharp bends. It’s not designed for what some call sporty handling and drive.

For that matter neither are most SUVs because they have a higher centre of gravity.

However, it was excellent in chassis response and replicated plenty of accurate steering feedback.

I liked the cabin, despite its shade, especially the good driving position and excellent all-round visibility. And there was loads of room in the rear as well as good boot space.

All in all a fine package in what is an understated crossover.

Would I buy it? I think there are better drivers out there and there are better looking cars. But this does grow on you. So I could see myself doing a deal for one alright.

The only reason I wouldn’t buy it would be non-mechanical because I think I would never get in behind the wheel without thinking of driving a CX-5 over the icy lake in Siberia. Sometimes you can look back too often for your own good. It’s a nice car and I enjoyed my drives.

It is well worth a test drive if you’re looking for something quite refined that will stick the pace (and you’re not in a panic over diesel). 

Factfile

MAZDA CX-5 crossover/SUV; 2.2-litre diesel,150ps, 5.6l/km, Homura spec, manual, 147g/km. Car on test: €47,775. CX-5 range starts from €35,745.

Standard across-range spec includes 17in alloys, cruise control, 10.25in centre console display, multimedia commander; dual auto air con, front/rear parking sensors, auto wipers and lights. Homura spec adds black leather seats with red stitching, 19in alloys, reversing camera, 7in TFT colour metre set, radar guided cruise control. Spread of driver assist, safety technology.