2017 Mazda CX-5 vs Kia Sorento

What's the difference?

The new CX-5 has certainly picked up where the old one left off, and is better in every way. The new diesel is a cracker and the safety package belongs on a much more expensive car. 

Mazda has lead the way for so long and the CX-5 was such an accomplished car, a face-lift barely seemed necessary. While it's not all-new from the ground up, this is the kind of thing Mazda has taken to doing really well - every time we drive a freshened-up machine, it's those little details that add up to the feeling a lot of work has gone on to build on a solid base.

And with this diesel engine, the big wheels and those sharp looks, the CX-5 has something for pretty much everyone.

This tiger may be more at home in the concrete jungle than the forests of Asia, but it has the presence and growl to make people sit up and take notice. It's nice to look at, and easy to drive, with impressive inclusions and a solid safety package. This Sorento Platinum, with its spacious interior, feeling of prestige, and air of sophistication, is a great option for large and growing families.

If the first CX-5 impressed with its understated good looks, the new one goes further by being a very pretty car. Mazda's 'Kodo' design language looks good at just about any size, but this latest evolution puts the CX-5 in genuinely beautiful territory.

The slimmer headlights work well with a longer-looking nose and a body that looks more pulled down over the wheels. Despite bearing more than a passing resemblance to the old car, all the panels are new and that's partly because a shift of the A-pillars of just 35mm was enough to make everything move.

The cabin has come in for a much bigger change. There wasn't a great deal wrong with the old one, but it was feeling a bit old, and some of the materials weren't quite there. As ever, the CX-5's first generation launched into a completely different, rather more sparse segment. With competition from all sides, the new interior had to deliver a more premium feel.

With improved plastics and fittings, a more cohesive design (something simple like consistent fonts go a long, long way to giving that impression) and the sort of detail improvements I've come to expect from Mazda, the new interior is lighter, feels better, and looks better. Job done.

Having said all of that, I can't really recommend the white leather. It looked pretty good with the red exterior and well-judged interior materials, but it's unlikely kids will be kind to it.

Allow your imagination to run a bit and it's easy to see how the Sorento's 'Tiger Nose' grille came by its name. More a relaxed, playful tiger, than a ferocious, snarling one, but a tiger all the same.

The Sorento is a handsome looking chap, sleek and sophisticated, sitting low on its haunches, a high belt line adding to a decidedly muscular appearance.

The air of prestige is replicated on the inside where two tone leather, in our test car at least, sat alongside brushed metal highlights and tasteful wood grain. Kia has stepped up a gear here to produce interior delights in line with a post $50,000 price tag, and unsurprisingly, those tend toward subtly suave, rather than bold and brash.

Instrumentation is logical and clear, the climate controls easy to reach on the move, and thanks to a reach and rake adjustable steering wheel, the perfect driving position is (you guessed it) easy to achieve.

The 7.0-inch colour touchscreen may be a tad small for a dash of this size but is nicely integrated into the console, and simple to operate.

Heated and cooled front seats (heated in the second row) are accommodating; long enough under the thigh and wide enough across the shoulders to satisfy most shapes and sizes.

Never a class-leader in the spaciousness department, this CX-5 is still at the rear of the pack, but it hardly seems to matter. Boot space is up by 39 litres to 442 (VDA) with the seats up, tripling to 1342 litres with the seats down. The seatback is split 40/20/40 and you can drop each section individually, which is unusually generous.

The CX-5 has four cupholders (a pair up front and a pair in the rear centre armrest), a tray for your phone, bottle holders in each door and vents for the rear seat. Courtesy of a new higher centre console, the storage bin is deeper and also hides two USB ports.

The new car isn't any bigger, so the rear door aperture is still on the tight side compared to, say, Volkswagen's Tiguan or Hyundai's Tucson. It doesn't seem to bother owners I've spoken to, but it's worth noting. 

Once you're in, there is plenty of leg and headroom for rear passengers, providing the driver or front passenger isn't a Canadian Redwood.

Seven seaters, especially those built in the Kia mould, are nothing if not practical. That easy-fold third row offers a number of efficiencies, especially for larger families, and the one in this Sorento Platinum is sturdy, comfortable, and able to offer reasonable-sized adults acceptable lodgings on shorter trips.

Headroom may get tight, but not neck-crickingly so. Passengers in the third row get cupholders, a storage cubby and climate controls, too.

My girls were quick to avail themselves of the luxuries of the second row, decadently sprawling out in comfort. Window blinds help keep things cool and there are air vents and cupholders, as well deepish door bins that can hold a water bottle, not to mention a healthy number of Pokémon figurines and trainer balls.

There are no built-in DVD players, which didn't bother my chatterboxes, but may be missed by families that regularly take long trips.

Three ISOFIX points in the second row make for the easy installation of child seats, and top tether points on the back of the seat, rather than the floor of the cargo area, means the straps don't impact luggage space.

There are a number storage options for the driver and front passenger, including space in the doors for water bottles, a deep covered centre console box and a couple of cupholders to keep them happy.

With all seven seats in place the boot still manages a healthy 320 litres. This grows to 1077 litres with the 50/50 split third row dropped, and an amazing 2066 if you also lower the 40/20/40 split second row.

The luggage area has two hooks to hang a couple of shopping bags on and a screen and net if you are carrying larger items. The latter two store neatly into the under-floor compartment when not in use.

The second row slides forward and aft to accommodate passengers, while large door openings and lowered seats help with entry and exit. Access to the third row could by sharpened if the second row seats tumbled over instead of just leaning forward.

With only the new GT-Line to keep it from range-topping glory, you'd expect this Platinum spec, which starts from $56,590, to offer up an extensive features list. And it does. Swivelling LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, 19-inch alloys, tri-zone climate control, heated and cooled seats, and a heated steering wheel are just the beginning of this story.

The Sorento also has an impressive glass roof, sunblinds for those in the second row, a reversing camera, all-round parking sensors and powered tailgate. The 7.0-inch colour touchscreen fronts a multimedia system including a premium 10-speaker sound system, MP3 compatibility, Bluetooth connectivity, two USB chargers, and three 12-volt power outlets.

A top-draw safety package (see below) serves to sweeten the deal.

The 2.2-litre 'SkyActiv' diesel is the only turbo in the range, for now at least. Developing 129kW and a very decent 420Nm, it has a portly 1744kg to move. Power reaches the road through all four wheels via a traditional six-speed automatic.

The diesel is also fitted with technology to reduce the clatter reaching the cabin, start-stop tech and Mazda's 'G-Vectoring Control'.

Towing capacity is rated at 1800kg for braked trailers and 750kg unbraked.

The AWD Sorento Platinum is powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel good for 147kW/441Nm. That torque is available from a low 1750rpm, delivering the grunt needed to move this two tonne SUV along.

A six-speed automatic transmission with Sport mode is an accomplished support and difficult to fault. There are steering wheel paddles if you have occasion to drive this family carrier like a race machine.

The Sorento is also available with a 3.3-litre V6 petrol (199kW/318Nm) but that seems to be the preserve of the front-wheel drive models.

The sticker on the windscreen reckons you'll get 6.0L/100km on the combined cycle while exhaling 158g/km of CO2. With a 58-litre tank, that suggests a range just short of 1000km. And you know what? You might be able to do that if you don't spend too much time in traffic.

Mazda's 'i-stop' technology meant that over three weeks, we averaged 7.8L/100km in mostly urban and suburban driving. While that's a bit above the combined figure, it's not far off the urban number, 7.0L/100km.

Kia claims a combined economy figure of 7.8L/100km. Over 800km we recorded closer to 8.6L/100km and we're pretty happy with that. The tank holds 71 litres.

The CX-5 has always been at or near the top of the medium SUV heap when it comes to the drive. The same couldn't be said for overall refinement. The old car suffered quite a bit from a classic (and fading) Mazda fault - cabin noise. The front suspension was the worst offender, with every bump, thunk and pop reaching your ears, along with tyre roar. 

It wasn't insurmountable - you could just turn up the stereo - but around town you got used to a cacophony of noise.

The new CX-5 - as with most major updates - has changed all that. While the underbits have barely changed (testament to the popularity of the car and the quality of its fundamentals), every spare gap has been filled with noise deadening materials, there's more carpet and just more stuff to reduce the racket. While it's not exactly silent, it's not far off the Tiguan, which is arguably the class benchmark.

As before, it's a lovely thing to drive. Easy-going but accurate steering, a firm but compliant ride (this car is not intended for off-roading) and a responsive transmission all combine to make life very relaxed behind the wheel.

The star of this car is the 2.2 diesel. Quiet, smooth and distinctly un-diesel in its aural character (inside at least), it makes the CX-5 a proper all-rounder. It cruises at speed in sixth, overtakes with just a little bit of toe pressure and is quite frugal, coming reasonably close to matching its claimed figures. Around town there is little lag to deal with and the power comes on nice and smooth.

The only complaint we had was that the blind spot monitor is perhaps a little over-enthusiastic, seemingly beeping every time we used the indicator to change lanes.

The thing about good family cars, like the Sorento, is they're so efficient at going about their business, they allow you to calmly go about yours. On the road, the Sorento is capable and assured, quick to respond, and unflappable when you change your mind.

It's quiet, thanks to increased dashboard insulation, with reinforced transmission and rear suspension bushes helping to nullify vibration and harshness.

Braking is good and the Sorento is easy to manoeuvre in the confines of a busy city.

Localised suspension tune makes for a super comfortable ride, with the Sorento able to make short work of all but the most aggressive bumps. Naturally, given its size, there is some lean in the corners but even those movements are controlled with the SUV never giving the impression it's out of sorts.

Braking is good and the Sorento is easy to manoeuvre in the confines of a busy city, around tight traffic circles and even tighter shopping centre car parks. Unlike its Hyundai Santa Fe cousin, the Sorento misses out on an automated parking system, but it's hardly a deal breaker.

While the Sorento does well on secondary tracks, it's not really suited for more serious off-road adventures. The AWD system will send drive mostly to the front wheels in general everyday situations. When cornering quickly, or on loose or wet surfaces, when one or two wheels lose traction, the AWD ability offers assurance.

The Sorento has no centre diff, but at speeds below 40km/h you can lock the drive distribution between the front and back, which can be useful if you are making slow progress on muddy ground or sand.

This Sorento is a far cry from the first model that could only manage a one-star ANCAP rating when it arrived on these shores more than a decade ago. This car is a high five (the maximum available) and boasts an enviable safety package of active and passive features.

In addition to six airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, AEB and blind spot monitoring, the Sorento Platinum also features, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist and adaptive cruise control.

The body of the Sorento now uses almost 53 per cent high tensile steel components giving the shell the extra strength needed to improve occupant safety during a crash.

Mazda's three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty is part of the CX-5 package, along with capped price servicing. Roadside assist is offered at $68.10 per year.

Your dealer will expect to see you every six months or 10,000km and will charge you between $317 on three of the five scheduled services, $387 for the second and $359 for the fourth. Extra items include $69 for the cabin air filter (every 40,000km) and $64 for brake fluid every 40,000km or two years.

The Sorento is backed by Kia's trio of seven - seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, seven-year capped-price servicing and seven-year roadside assistance. Service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km.