2017 Mazda CX-5 vs 2018

What's the difference?

VS
Mazda CX-5
Mazda CX-5

$10,999 - $31,888

2017 price

Mazda CX-5
Mazda CX-5

$12,990 - $31,990

2018 price

Summary

2017 Mazda CX-5
2018 Mazda CX-5
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Diesel Turbo 4, 2.2L

Diesel Turbo 4, 2.2L
Fuel Type
Diesel

Diesel
Fuel Efficiency
6.0L/100km (combined)

6.0L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • No Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
  • Still small in the boot
  • MZD Connect starting to look its age

2017 Mazda CX-5 Summary

The Mazda CX-5 was a genuine phenomenon. It pretty much came out of nowhere and knocked off a few cars we previously thought had an unassailable grasp on the Australian SUV budget.

Even more extraordinary was the fact the stylish CX-5 came from a company that had given us a fairly bland decade of cars, after a flourish in the late '90s descended into a series of dull boxes (although the 3 did signal a revival).

I drove a first-gen CX-5 late in its life and found it hard to believe it needed replacing. But in 2017 that's exactly what Mazda did. Fresh sheetmetal, lots of detail work, and a new interior were all dropped on to a lightly updated chassis to give us the second-generation CX-5.

And a lot faces ended up buried in hands at other car companies because it turns out Mazda did a smashing job second time around.

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2018 Mazda CX-5 Summary

Mazda makes nice looking, user-friendly vehicles and its CX models are great examples of what has been a rather successful formula so far. But the pressure, perceived or otherwise, of a rapidly-growing and -changing population which seeks new shiny and bright stuff minute to minute, weighs heavily on car manufacturers and, as is their won’t, they are swift to tweak/change/facelift/upgrade their vehicles in attempt to keep pace with the times. But, does any good ever come from messing with a winning formula? Has it backfired this time? Read on to find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2017 Mazda CX-5 2018 Mazda CX-5

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