The Dad life is all about playing it safe: Make sure the car seat is properly installed. Don’t let the kids climb too high on the jungle gym (do those still exist?). Don’t let your kids play with legos because you’ll regret it later when they forget to pick them up and you step on them. You get the point. So any chance to buck that trend, a Dad should take. And that’s exactly what the 2022 Mazda CX-5 Turbo feels like.
This is the same CX-5 I’ve raved about for years but Mazda has kicked things up a notch. It’s attempting to compete with performance based crossovers and small SUVs with turbo engines by adding some horsepower under the hood. Will it blow away that competition? Depends on what that competition is. Where the CX-5 is sure to win, however, is in all the areas it continues to reign supreme – mainly style, function, and safety.
What This Dad Digs about the 2022 Mazda CX-5 Turbo
Turbo Tubular – I’ve never accused Mazda of manufacturing a vehicle that was boring to drive. The company’s tagline is “zoom, zoom” and goodness, that is exactly the sentiment driving a Mazda will elicit. The CX-5 in particular is simply a fun crossover to drive. It feels like the right size and weight for a peppy drive. You can find several reviews of previous year’s CX-5s here on Dad Drivers; you’ll find that I highly recommend this family friendly ride to many parents.
But, for those Dads who need a little extra ompfh in their drive – meet the Turbo edition. Mazda took its peppy inline-4 engine you’ll typically find in the CX-5 and turbocharged it so that it’s capable of producing 256 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque. Combine that engine with a six-speed automatic transmission and a newly tuned suspension, and this CX-5 is ready to tear up the road. 0 to 60 took me roughly 6.7 seconds which isn’t mind blowing but exhilarating, nonetheless. By comparison, the non-turbo CX-5 reaches 60 miles per hour in 8.3 seconds.
Handling the CX-5 is as joyful as it’s ever been. There is a real sense of connection between you and the car, as every turn of the steering wheel is immediately channeled through the vehicles movement. Hugging corners tight, the CX-5 is nimble but grounded making a beast of a drive that is responsive to several types of roads. You will certainly feel that turbo engine add a level of power to this handling, which makes for some exciting urban driving.
Continued Improvements on the Inside – 2022 brought small improvements to the Mazda CX-5, some of which might fly under the radar. Take the knee pads for instance. As a driver, your right knee will inevitably shift to the right, whether consciously or subconsciously. Instead of hitting the plastic that makes up the CX-5 center console, your knee will instead be greeted by leather padding. As a tall driver who often finds Mazda vehicles slightly restrictive, this knee pad idea is a no-brainer and a welcome addition.
Mazda also introduced a new, widescreen 10.3-inch infotainment screen to the CX-5 in 2021 and boy is it a thing of beauty. Although it sits high on the dash, it has a low profile giving it a shape that is unlike any infotainment screen you’ll find in other automobiles. It isn’t a touch screen however and learning to instinctively navigate the menus of the user interface with the knob in the center console will take some time. But once it clicks, you won’t miss touch screen navigation. Mazda’s user interface could use a refresh but more on that later.
Mazda outfits the CX-5 with some premium feeling materials, on both the seats and materials used throughout the cabin. It feels luxurious but what catches the eye is the design. Breath taking angles and a minimalist take on overall aesthetics work together to form a sophisticated cabin that any Dad Driver would be proud to ride in. WIth a turbo charged engine under the hood, it might seem counterintuitive to stick with the calming sense of the Mazda design language inside the cabin but somehow it just works here.
As Safe as its Ever Been – The CX-5 has consistently earned top marks for safety and in 2022, it once again earned the Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). It also earned a 5 start rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Mazda’s i-Activesense safety package comes with all the usual bells and whistles, including Bling Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, radar cruise control, lane departure warning system, and a smart braking system that can help avoid collisions. Mazda has even built in a feature that will actually shift the beams of the headlights into a turn so that the driver can get a better view of the oncoming road. Small features like that make all the difference for safety conscious parents.
What Got This Dad’s Downvote
Space Left for More Interior Space – the CX-5 is a midsize crossover but it’s always felt smaller than the average midsize crossover. The 2022 CX-5 model is actually an inch taller and longer than the 2021 version but interior room can still feel lacking, especially for larger passengers and large child equipment like car seats. My daughter’s car seats fit snugly in the second row and with an adult in the passenger’s seat, she barely had any leg room sitting directly behind.
Up front driver and passenger get a respectable 41 inches of legroom, 57 inches of shoulder room and 55 inches of hip room. It’s a comfortable set up but doesn’t leave a ton of room for additional cargo like bags, briefcases, or large purses. The cargo area in the rear offers 30.8 cubic feet of space. It was enough to fit a stroller and a bag but we had to get creative to also fit in groceries during the same trip. When I don’t have to lug around diaper bags, strollers, and toys everytime I leave the house with my daughters, I’ll better appreciate the amount of space the CX-5 offers.
When Too Little is Too Much – I’m a huge fan of Mazda’s infotainment control knob situated in the center console of the CX-5. In a world of touchscreens, it’s a breath of fresh air that not only works better than capacitive screens but also feels much safer to use while driving. Thankfully, Mazda’s user interface is simple and uncluttered which makes using the knob even easier. However, the user interface is starting to feel a bit too minimalistic. I’m all for cutting out the “fluff” but Mazda’s infotainment software feels cold and uninviting. There isn’t always a clear and immediate understanding of navigation and I found myself searching through menus to find what I was looking for. With the gorgeous widescreen touch screen in the CX-5, it’s a shame that the user interface doesn’t use the space creatively. There is a ton of clever innovation happening right now in automobile infotainment software and presentation – all of which suddenly makes Mazda’s software feel dated and sparse.
Mazda: It Is What It Is
Mazda is that person you surely know who doesn’t care what anyone thinks – they will be who they are, despite whatever is fashionable or popular. Thus, Mazda’s vehicles are inevitable trendsetters, particularly the CX-5. It’s the pinnacle of possibilities for affordable crossovers and although it’s smaller than most, it continues to lead the segment. The turbo edition, while not groundbreaking, continues Mazda’s tradition of trailblazing. That trail might not be for everyone, but if you already fancy a CX-5 and want a little extra zoom in your zoom, this is the edition for you.
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.
