2022 Mazda CX-5

This vehicle offers eight fashionable trims: S, Select, Preferred, Carbon Edition, Premium, Premium Plus, Turbo, and Turbo Signature. The base model sets the stage with a sleek four-door design, 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights with an on-and-off feature, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. Higher trims toss in a suite of elegant extras, from heated side mirrors to adaptive headlights to a power rear liftgate. You can also choose from a range of premium topcoats, including Machine Gray Metallic, Snowflake White Pearl Mica, and Soul Red Crystal Metallic. Meanwhile, the Turbo Signature sports exclusives such as a redesigned front grille, body-colored lower bumper, and 19-inch bright alloy wheels.

The Mazda CX-5 runs with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Together with a six-speed automatic transmission, this unit is capable of pushing out 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. Optional hardware includes adjustable drive modes, paddle shifters, and a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine. The latter significantly raises the overall output: 227 to 256 horsepower and 310 to 320 pound-feet of torque depending on your choice of fuel.

Let's start the segment with this SUV's fuel ratings. Estimates average 24 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway with the base engine, or 22 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway with the turbocharged unit. On the other hand, standard i-ACTIV all-wheel drive and cutting-edge Mazda Intelligent Drive Select technology team up to enhance your engine's torque and brake force output for better stability and handling.

The cabin boasts basics such as cloth upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, push-button start, dual USB ports, and Apple and Android smartphone integration. It also features a central infotainment display with a 10.25-inch touch screen and voice-controlled capability. More impressive, still, are the spacious dimensions: 39.6 inches of rear legroom and up to 59.6 cubic feet of total cargo room. On another note, extravagant upfits consist of dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, a rear armrest and air vents, a sunroof, and gorgeous surface upholstery such as black or red leather for the Carbon Edition and red accents and stitching for the Turbo. Other embellishments include ambient lighting, a heated steering wheel, a 10-speaker Bose audio system, satellite radio, and a wireless charging pad.

The 2022 Mazda CX-5 earned a Top Safety Pick Plus title from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It backs these awards with cutting-edge systems such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and lane departure mitigation. For even more state-of-the-art assistance, technologies such as a 360-degree camera system, head-up display, radar cruise control with low-speed steering support, and traffic jam assist are up for grabs. Additional maneuvering aids such as parking sensors and rear automatic braking are also on the market.