Someone else lived with the Mazda CX-5 for six months just to paint an accurate picture of what living with the SUV is like. After six months and 12,000 miles, which is a ton, there is positive and negative feedback to consider. 

The worst parts of driving a Mazda CX-5 for six months 

First of all, the average driver in America racks up about 15,000 miles per year. So the fact that Alex Kersten of Car Throttle burned through 12,000 miles in only half a year is insane! 

His first complaint is that the CX-5 is on the sportier side. It’s a bit stiff and provides a firm ride thanks to its athletic nature. As a result, it never feels settled on the highway. 

Also, the engine tends to drone on and on. It gets worse under a harder acceleration. Plus, the automatic gearbox can hang onto gears for too long, prolonging the noise. 

Next up, the fuel tank is too small. It only has a 15.3 gallon tank and Alex found himself fueling up more than expected. Also, the Mazda CX-5 gets an EPA-estimated 26 mpg in the city and up to 31 mpg on the highway. 

Now we can cover what Alex enjoyed. He loves the size of the CX-5 because it’s agile and easy to park. Plus, it sits at a good height for visibility in traffic and while off-roading. 

The CX-5 provides an athletic performance and corners well. Plus, it’s even up for light off-roading challenges. It’s stable and confident. 

Alex used it for towing and had no issues. However, the towing capacity maxes out at 2,000 lbs, so his loads must have been light. 

The Mazda CX-5 also feels safe thanks to standard features like automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, and drowsy driver monitoring. 

Plus, the systems and tech are intuitive and easy to use. He also mentioned that it’s one of the best-looking SUVs available.