Mazda’s tagline is “Feel Alive” and much like that mantra, being a dad is the ultimate reminder you’re alive, mostly because you’re so constantly exhausted that you yearn for the sweet, sweet release of death. Okay, that’s a bit of a dramatic joke and truth be told, being an exhausted dad does open your senses to the simple joys in life that you somehow tuned out before. Simple joys like moments of peace and quiet when the baby is asleep in the car seat and you can enjoy a comfortable drive with nothing on your mind but the vehicle and the road stretching out before you.
The experience of enjoying drive has everything to do with the choice of vehicle and I’ve long been a fan of what Mazda’s has to offer in its CX-5. It’s a bit on the smaller side for an SUV but it embodies what the term Crossover was meant to signify – a cross between a car and a sports utility vehicle. There are many reasons why the CX-5 should appeal to a wide range of drivers and I am consistently recommending it to crossover-curious friends. But if I’m being honest, at first glance the CX-5 doesn’t necessarily scream “dad’s car.” That doesn’t take anything away from the fact that the CX-5 remains one of the best crossovers on the market and in 2019 – parent or not – there is still lots to love here.
The Soul of Motion
I might be full of lame dad jokes now, but that doesn’t mean that my appreciation for style has diminished. I appreciate good art in all its application and while the function of a vehicle is ultimately to get you from point A to B, there’s nothing wrong with doing it in style. The Mazda CX-5 has more style than James Bond and it’s all thanks to Mazda’s KODO, the “Soul of Motion” design philosophy which the company made a big deal about in 2012 when it was unveiled. Automobile manufacturers often hype up their design philosophies but Mazda’s KODO is one of my favorites because it centers on the idea that less is more.
Fatherhood, as rewarding as it is, can also add clutter to your surroundings. The design of the CX-5 is clean, sophisticated and minimalistic. In other words, a breath of fresh air. Every line sculpted into the body of this sexy vehicle feels like it has a purpose. There’s no flashy, gawdy design aesthetics here, just an aerodynamic body that looks like it can slice through air like a dart. A small grill up front and a robust tail end cap an elegant crafted body, that makes up for a lack of height in length that feels just right.
The interior layout and design of the CX-5 – which carries on the KODO minimalist theme – has always ranked high on my personal list of automotive design but the new Signature trim has take it to a whole new level. The faux wood grain could have easily looked misplaced or tacky in a vehicle like this but it’s subtle texture blends in so well with the materials surrounding it that its hard to imagine the interior without it. Being that KODO demands creative use of space, the wood trim allows for an extra dimension to long, “empty” portions of the dash and the door. I saw empty in the best way possible because Mazda make proper use of empty space here. Just take a look at how decluttered and linear the whole center console stack is in the photo below; there’s no need for large buttons or over-sized climate controls. This interior is what I call modern classic.
Why G-Vectoring is G-Money
The Signature trim level Mazda CX-5 Zoë and I drove around in for this review came equipped with a 2.5 Turbo–4 cylinder engine under the hood, an upgrade from the 2.1 Inline–4 cylinder engine in the base model. This award-winning engine produces 227 horsepower and I was able to launch quickly from a stand still. A turbo engine like this might make you a bit overzealous behind the wheel but Mazda engineers are basically riding shotgun with you through a technology called G-Vectoring Control Plus (GVC Plus). Sounds like the name of a multivitamin and sort of acts like one too by , protecting the driver from him or herself.
You don’t have to fully understand all the fancy tech that goes into GVC Plus but here’s a quick rundown to impress your friends with: GVC Plus is basically computer assisted load bearing that dynamically responds to the way you drive and prevents you from accidently over-driving the CX-5 in high speed and emergency situations. It does this by optimizing the load on each tire during a turn so that the car stabilizes and minimizes any jarring rolls and unintended fish-tailing. Basically, makes any driver look like a bad-ass.
With a child on board, or any passenger for that matter, GVC Plus helps to minimize movement of said passengers as the car veers around corners, resulting in smoother rides. Bonus: GVC Plus not only comes standard on the Signature trim of the MX-5 but on all trim levels. Check out these videos to see it in action:
A Word About Controlling All That Sweet Infotainment
One of my favorite things about Mazda vehicles in general is the ease of using in controlling the infotainment unit. In a world filled with touch screens, it’s refreshing to not add fingerprint smudges to your dash by instead making selections using a giant knob that Mazda calls the Commander knob (keep the snickering to a minimum please.) The knob sits comfortably behind the shifter, in perfect reach, and is super simple to use in navigating the on screen menus. Clicking on the middle of the knob to make a selection is oddly satisfying. Admitedly, first time users will need a little time to get accustomed to the Commander knob but it quickly becomes second nature.
Make Room for the Good, the Bad and the Alright
We all like a little more room. Extra passenger and cargo area are gold mines to all drivers. As a parent, utilizing every bit of space you have to work with becomes an artform. Kids come with a lot of accessories – car seats, bags and snacks, just to name a few – so interior space is key. For all its ingenuity, the Mazda CX-5 is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to interior space. The driver and front passengers have an adequate amount of space for most body types but I’m tall and I often find my knees knocking against the door and the center console in the CX-5; a bit more width in the legroom area would have been nice.
Same goes in the second row. With nearly three inches less of leg room that the front row, rear passengers won’t have as much room to stretch out in. In fact three adults would probably find the second row a bit crowded. Children are more ideal for the space, although Zoë’s car seat barely fit behind the driver’s and front passenger seat. Again, my long legs push my seat back more than most drivers but it’s something to consider.
Cargo area in the rear of the CX-5 is adequate at 31 cubic feet of space behind the back seat. Enough room to fit Zoë’s stroller, a few boxes and several bags of groceries. Fold down the second row of seats and the CX-5 offers up 60 cubic feet of space. A generous amount indeed but still smaller than other crossovers in this same class like the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4. My wife drives a RAV4 and the difference in cargo space was definitely noticeable.
The Signature Trim
The Signature trim level is new to the Mazda CX-5 this year so it’s worth mentioning some of the nifty features that come with the elevated price tag:
• 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels with Dark Silver finish
• 360° View Monitor
• Active Driving Display with Traffic Sign Recognition
• Ambient cabin lighting: front & rear foot illumination
• Auto-dimming rearview frameless mirror with Homelink®
• Caturra Brown Nappa leather seats
• Front & rear parking sensor
• Genuine layered wood trim
• Heated front and rear seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Power sliding-glass moonroof w/ interior sunshade
• Ventilated front seats
The cabin lighting, the Nappa leather seats, and the Active Driving display are some of the highlights from this list that help make the elevated price tag feel worthwhile. My favorite is the wood trim. Again, this design element isn’t overtly gaudy but subtle and as a part of the minimalistic design aesthetic, it gives the MX-5 a pop of sophistication.
The Signature trim level of the MX-5 starts at around $37k; adding all the extra bells and whistles brought the MX-5 Signature AWD I tested in at $38,360 in total.
Jinba Ittai
46 minutes a day. According to a study by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the average American spends 46 minutes a day driving in their vehicles. That adds up over the course of a lifetime so it makes sense that your relationship with your vehicle should be personable. And that’s where Jinba Ittai comes into play. Jinba Ittai – the relationship between horse and rider – is the Japanese philosophy at the core of Mazda’s automotive engineering and it’s evident in the CX-5. I dig how Mazda continues to evolve it’s smallest crossover and while Zoë and I could use just a tad more space inside, the entire package that the CX-5 delivers is more than enough to form a long lasting Jinba Ittai.
If you like stylistic, minimalistic crossovers that deliver on performance, then you’ll like the 2019 Mazda CX-5
Phillip is a filmmaker, an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and craft beer aficionado. He writes about cars, car tech, and various other cool Dad things. He lives, works and plays in Dallas, Texas.
