Volkswagen Golf vs Mazda CX-5

What's the difference?

The Volkswagen Golf GTI is still a standard-setter when it comes to the “do it all” style of sporty hatch.

I wish the media screen was simpler, and that it wasn’t so loud inside on rougher road surfaces that are so common around Australia, and I wish it was cheaper, too. 

But if you can justify the cost, and you want a five-door hatch with plenty of power and presence, then the Golf GTI could well be the go. But I’d also personally be checking out the Cupra Leon, which I think looks better and has a bit more individual appeal.

The Mazda CX-5 Akera G35 offers small families a great host of premium features, as well as solid power and handling – all in an attractive package. But the emphasis here is on ‘small’ families because it’s on the compact side for a mid-sized SUV and its rivals offer more back seat space.

Its ongoing costs are reasonable and I enjoy driving it, so it gets a 7.6/10 from me.

My son calls out the back seat as a bit squishy but he otherwise likes it. He gives it a 7.0/10

You can tell it’s a GTI at a glance, and that means it’s off to a good start. There’s the telltale red grille strip, sitting proud above a very aggressive lower bumper with chequered-flag style daytime running lights. 

In profile there’s a GTI badge on the front fender, and I think the 19s on this particular car sit a lot nicer than the ‘Richmond’ 18-inch rims on the standard car. There are red calipers, too, and tinted rear glass.

At the rear there is a minimalist approach to the badging - just the three important letters ‘GTI’ below the VW emblem, which doubles as the boot opening handle. The lower bumper features a pair of round exhaust tips, which poke out a bit more than you might expect.

The inside has the iconic - but not identical between generations - tartan seat trim, and I love it. Got a few really nice compliments on the design, which is called ‘Scale Paper’, in this gen and spec.

Otherwise, it’s a pared back affair, and you could be sitting in any other high-grade Golf.

The Mazda CX-5 hasn’t seen much change to the exterior other than a more horizontally-styled grille. It’s a medium SUV with a handsome kerb-side presence thanks to its full-suite of LED lights and 19-inch alloy wheels. It’s an inoffensive design that should appeal to a wide audience.

The interior looks premium with the brown Nappa leather upholstery and black leather trims. The plethora of soft-touchpoints throughout reinforces that the Akera is the top model.

There's one thing I really like about Mazda and that's how it manages to balance the traditional with the new. The cabin is a seamless blend of the two elements.

The instrument panel features a 7.0-inch digital display but still has analogue dials. There's a 10.25-inch multimedia system on the dash but still a bunch of control buttons and dials to press. The gear shifter is coupled with an electric brake, the sunroof is coupled with a manual blind. You get it.

This duology between high-end tech and traditional elements makes the interior feel up to date but very accessible.

You’ll fit more in the Golf hatch than you might expect. I took myself, my daughter and both my parents for a few-hour drive in it, and there were no complaints about comfort or space.

The 374-litre (VDA) boot space was large enough to fit the pram, a few shopping bags and a baby backpack, though for families with a baby or toddler, longer trips with more baggage might prove a squeeze. If you need more space and don’t have a child-seat in the back, you’ll get 1230L (VDA) with the back seat folded down. And there’s a space-saver spare under the floor.

The back seat is easily roomy enough for smaller adults and kids, and I could even slot in behind my own driving position (I’m 182cm/6’0” tall) with enough room. Three across will be a squishy, but it is possible.

There are dual ISOFIX and three top-tether points for kid seats, plus there’s a fold-down armrest with cup holders, big door pockets for a bottle or loose items, and a few pockets on the front seat-backs, too. There are USB-C ports (x2), and directional air-vents.

Up front you’ll find similar storage - cup holders between the seats, a pair of big cubbies in the doors, and additional holsters for a phone (with wireless charging) and 2x USB-C ports, a centre console bin, and reasonable glovebox.

The usability of the media system is not terrific. There are menus upon menus, and nothing as intuitive as it could be because so much of it is touchscreen-based. There are only a few hard buttons below, and then you still need to use the screen to get where you need.

I also think the much-criticised lack of knobs and buttons for volume and temperature control is an issue. There are controls below the screen, but they aren’t illuminated, and they aren’t always the most receptive. 

I also didn’t love the haptic touch buttons on the steering wheel. I kept bumping buttons inadvertently when driving enthusiastically.  

Despite sitting in the medium-SUV segment, the CX-5 is on the compact side for cabin space and front passengers benefit the most in terms of leg- and headroom.

Back rowers get a decent amount of headroom but legroom is squishy and my legs press into the back of the drivers seat when its in my driving position, and I'm only 168cm tall!

My seven-year old complained about his space and asked Dad to slide forward for more room, which is something to consider if you have gangly teenagers.

The seat comfort sits on the firmer side for both rows and the electric front seats are narrower and shorter than I like for long journeys but for the A to B trips, they’re comfy enough.

Only the driver’s seat gets powered lumbar support but they both have heat and ventilation functions.

Individual storage is average for this class with a smallish glove box and middle console that has a removable shelf. A deep utility tray, which houses the wireless charging pad and a 12-volt port, sits in front of the gearshift and there are two cupholders in the centre console.

Each door has a shallow storage bin and the front doors also get a skinny drink bottle holder.

For individual storage in the rear, you get map pockets on the rear of the front seats and two cupholders in a fold-down armrest.

The armrest also houses two USB-A ports and the heat function buttons for the outboard seats and it's because of this positioning and the narrower width of the seat, that the back row feels more suited to two, rather than three passengers.

The technology on the whole is easy enough to use but the rotary dial operation of the multimedia system is a bit annoying to access while on the go.

The wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is a great feature and means one less cable to worry about but the built-in satellite navigation with 10-year map updates is a highlight. The head-up display pulls through the nav directions, too, which is always handy.

You also get two USB-C ports and another 12-volt outlet up front, so everyone should be sorted for charging.

The boot features a powered tailgate which is a handy family feature and a temporary spare tyre is located underneath the level floor.

You get 438L of storage capacity with the second row seat upright, which is plenty for my errands and grocery shop. That jumps up to 1340L (VDA) when the rear seats are folded. 

The cargo cover attaches to the lid, meaning it stays out of the way when you're loading stuff into the boot.

There are five grades for the CX-5. The top two grades, the GT SP and Akera, have a choice between a 2.5-litre petrol or turbo-petrol engine.

On test here is the flagship Akera grade with the 2.5L turbo-petrol engine. Before on-road costs, it is priced at $55,000. That positions it towards the top-end of its competitors with the Kia Sportage GT-Line AWD coming in at $49,920 (MSRP) and the Toyota RAV4 sliding in just under at $54,410 (MSRP). However, the new Honda CR-V is more expensive by $2.0K.

The Akera is well-equipped with premium features like a sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, a heated steering wheel and brown Nappa leather upholstery.

The technology is well-rounded with a 10-speaker Bose sound system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 10.25-inch multimedia system with built-in satellite navigation (including map updates for 10 years).

There are some good practical features, too, like a powered tailgate, keyless entry and start as well as powered lumbar support on the drivers' seat.

You know the VW Golf GTI formula. Punchy engine, front-wheel drive.

In this iteration, the engine is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol with 180kW of power (from 5000-6200rpm) and 370Nm of torque (from 1600-4300rpm).

This generation doesn’t come with the option of a six-speed manual transmission like GTI models before it - instead, you get a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as standard.

The 0-100km/h claim is 6.4 seconds. But in some situations it feels faster than that.

The Akera is an all-wheel drive with a six-speed auto transmission and our test model has the 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that produces a maximum power output of 170kW and 420Nm of torque. The turbo ensures it never feels sluggish, even when you’re hitting hills.

The official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is 7.0 litres per 100 kilometres. That’s what you should be able to achieve across a mix of driving.

During my time in the Golf GTI, I did a few hundred kilometres of mixed driving, and saw a real-world return of 8.1L/100km. Respectable, I think. Undoubtedly it would be higher if all you do is drive hard - but this test was about how usable the car is in normal life.

It has a 50-litre fuel tank that needs to be filled with 95RON premium unleaded at a minimum.

The compromise for getting extra power from the turbo is fuel efficiency takes a hit.

The official combined fuel cycle figure is 8.2L/100km but my real-world usage came out at 10L/100km. That’s after mostly open-road driving this week, too, so it’s a bit thirstier than I was expecting.

Based on the combined cycle number and the 58L fuel tank, expect a driving range of around 784km – which is still great for the odd road trip.

This was an urban test first and foremost, and the Golf GTI still is one of the most liveable sporty hatchbacks on the market.

There are things you will need to contend with - the amount of coarse-chip road road that intrudes into the cabin is downright nasty at times, and even in the most comfortable drive mode it’s quite firm over Sydney’s pockmarked city roads - but otherwise, this thing is great.

The steering has heaps of weight to it, and is super direct. The heftiness of it might take some getting used to, especially when negotiating tight parking spaces, but there’s always the auto-parking function if you’re nervous. 

Now, the adaptive chassis control dampers will be stiffer or softer depending on the drive mode you choose. There are Eco, Comfort, Sport and the configurable Individual setting, and when my family was on board I had the car in Comfort mode. Again, no complaints about ride comfort.

In Sport mode, it is sharper and lumpier, but never lacking in control or refinement. Yes, you do feel sharp edges, and it might be too edgy for full-time use, but it really does help the car feel more confident and planted.

The engine is terrific. It has more than enough grunt to make easy work of daily duties, and you needn’t fear about whether you’ll have enough squirt to make it for overtaking moves. It has an abundance of torque and the linear way in which it builds power from low in the rev range is superb.

I also had no complaints about the dual-clutch auto transmission. The action of it can take some getting used to at lower speeds, where it can feel like it’s slurring a bit, but it really is a super gearbox, with snappy shifts at speed and smooth changes when you want them.

The Akera turbo-petrol delivers a decent well of power to dip into and it feels peppy in most situations. Even when you’re overtaking or getting up to speed you don’t feel like you’re nearing the bottom of the power barrel.  

Steering is responsive and the car is agile when you tackle narrow car parks or streets. However, you still get some roll in corners which my passengers felt more than I did.

The cabin is quiet, even at higher speeds and the suspension is firm enough that you feel the bumps but you’re not jostled about. The ride comfort is still good.

I’ve said it before but I love parking medium SUVs because their size is so forgiving in a car park! The Akera is no different and it’s especially easy thanks to the ultra-clear 360-degree view camera system. You also get front and rear parking sensors to help out when needed. 

The Akera has a bunch of safety features that are always great to have on a family SUV and a standout is the 360-degree camera system. It’s super clear and well-positioned on the dashboard for easy viewing.

Standard safety items on the Akera include LED daytime running lights, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, a driver fatigue monitor, AEB, forward collision warning and traffic sign recognition.

The previously awarded five-star ANCAP safety rating for this model has just expired and models built from January 2024 onwards are thus unrated. The CX-5 features six airbags, which is a little low for a family car but I like how many safety features this has overall.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seat positions and three top-tethers but two seats will fit best. Front occupant comfort is compromised when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.

Buying a VW? You’ll score a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. That’s good, but not as good as Skoda, MG, GWM Haval or Kia. But none of those brands have a real hot-hatch like this.

Servicing is every 12 months/15,000km. There’s a capped-price plan or “Care Plan” prepay packs for three years/45,000km ($1600) or five years/75,000km ($2800). Choose the latter and you’re saving heaps over pay-as-you-go ($786, to be precise).

You get a year of roadside assistance included, but that renews each time you service your car with VW.

The CX-5 comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is average cover for the class but some of its rivals offer longer terms.

There is a five-year, or up to 75,000km capped-price servicing program and services average $423 per workshop visit, which is competitive.

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.