2026 Mazda CX-5 Preferred Review | Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports

We bought a 2026 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Preferred to see whether Mazda’s redesigned compact SUV is still the fun-to-drive standout it used to be. The new CX-5 adds more rear-seat room, better everyday usability, standard all-wheel drive, and updated tech. Disappointingly, we found cost-cutting trade-offs: