I have to admit, I don’t like the coarse sound of Mazda’s 2.5L engine under hard acceleration – for me, it cheapens the whole experience of this vehicle, which is otherwise an attractive, quality-built crossover. To be fair, at city speeds and when cruising on the freeway, the engine noise and vibration are barely noticeable. I noted an engine speed of just 2,000 rpm on the tachometer at a constant 100 km/h.
 2014 Mazda CX-5. Click image to enlarge |
The six-speed automatic works better with the larger 2.5L motor – crisp shifts timed for fuel economy benefits don’t drag down the overall performance because the extra torque of the engine makes up for it. The driver has the option of shifting manually with the shift lever, but there are no paddles behind the steering wheel. Mazda’s shift directions are the opposite of many manu-matics: push forwards to shift down, pull back to shift up. Shift times are quick.
The optional all-wheel drive (standard in the GT) is an on-demand type system that sends most of the power to the front wheels but apportions more power to the rear wheels when needed. It works without any driver input and maintains traction and stability that improves roadholding on slippery roads in a way that the driver won’t even notice. Unlike some crossovers, the CX-5 doesn’t have a locking centre differential to split torque 50/50 front to rear, a feature that’s useful if you’re stuck in a snow drift, but is otherwise hardly ever used.
 2014 Mazda CX-5. Click image to enlarge |
With its long 2,700-mm wheelbase, independent suspension and extra large 19-inch tires, the CX-5 GT provides a comfortable but firm ride that absorbs bumps and pavement cracks well, grips the road tenaciously, and leans very little when cornering quickly. My test car had 225/55R19-inch Toyo A23 all-season tires which performed well on the predominately wet roads in Vancouver at this time of year. Judging from our previous reviews of GX and GS models with standard 17-inch tires, handling was not as quite as crisp or as grippy as with the 19-inch tires. So that’s one reason to go for the GT trim.
The GT’s rack and pinion electric power assisted steering has a purposeful, responsive feel that makes the CX-5 one of the sportiest crossovers to drive, but I felt that the steering in the 2014 CX-5 GT AWD with the 2.5L engine was a little heavier than the steering in the 2013 GT AWD with the 2.0L engine that I tested last year. The 2.0L car also seemed a little more nimble. Perhaps it’s my imagination.
The optional Technology Package ($1,795) in my test vehicle included self-leveling bi-xenon headlights that really lit up the road at night, and turned with the steering wheel to illuminate the road ahead around the corner. While it’s a bit unnerving to see the headlight beam moving sideways, you soon appreciate the extra visibility on dark roads where there are no reflective markers or street lights.
Standard in the CX-5 GT is a Blind Spot Monitor which flashes a warning light in the side mirrors when another car is driving in the left- or right-side blind spot. If the CX-5 driver tries to change lanes at that point, a sharp warning sound warns of a possible collision. Though I always shoulder check before changing lanes, there were a couple of times when the warning beep alerted me to cars I couldn’t see.
 2014 Mazda CX-5. Click image to enlarge |
Another potentially life-saving safety feature in my test vehicle (part of the Technology Package) is the automatic braking system to prevent low-speed collisions. Called ‘Smart City Braking System’, it uses a laser sensor mounted on top of the windshield to detect objects in front of the vehicle and automatically brakes the vehicle if the driver doesn’t brake in time. In the CX-5, it functions between five and 30 km/h and would typically prevent running into a pedestrian at an intersection or rear-ending another car in heavy traffic. I wasn’t prepared to drive towards the nearest pedestrian without braking to see if it works, but I’m sure it does. Basically, it brakes the car automatically at the last minute if the driver fails to do so.
