2018 Mazda CX-5 vs 2020

What's the difference?

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.

I think it's fair to say the Mazda CX-5 has done about as much a single model line could have done for the population explosion of SUVs. The car is still selling like crazy when the economy isn't crippled by a global pandemic and that's despite the second-generation shuffling itself into more upmarket territory.

The CX-5 Akera is not the car people tend to go into Mazda dealers to buy without first doing their homework. Despite hardly anyone (relatively speaking) buying the Akera, you have a choice of three engines, the naturally aspirated petrol, the turbo-petrol and the turbo-diesel (in ascending price order).

The latter two both start at over $50,000. You can't spend that much on a Tucson or a Sportage, or even a RAV4. So you're going to want to know what you're getting yourself into, right?