2021 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport FWD review

Mazda’s ability to hold a dizzying number of model variants in its SUV ranges never ceases to amaze me.

Any other company attempting to hold such a long list of different specifications inevitably – and rightfully – waves the white flag and rationalises. Jaguar went from about 17,000 XE variants to two. Mazda itself has done this with its delectable but under-bought 6, a victim of the company’s uncanny ability to shift higher-riding metal.

The Mazda CX-5 is the SUV that set up the company’s success and, it seems, buyers still don’t mind spending time messing around on the website or at the dealer picking through the available options, which if my counting is correct, numbers 16 across six distinct trim levels, four engines and two transmissions (you can still a buy – or try to buy – a manual!).

I’ve driven a lot of CX-5s in the last couple of years but there’s one I haven’t driven for a while and that’s the front-wheel drive 2.0-litre. Available lower down the range in the Maxx and Maxx Sport, it must surely be a dwindling star in the CX-5 cosmos as you can now get a 2.5-litre with all-wheel drive right up and down the range.

Pricing and Features

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The Maxx Sport is the second step of the range, topping out at $42,690 before on-road costs for the turbo-diesel, propped up by the 2.5-litre at $39,690 plus on-road costs and the one I had, the 2.0-litre front-wheel drive for $36,690 plus on-road costs.

You used to be able to get these for rather closer to thirty rather than forty grand, but a combination of supply constraints and a pre-COVID strategy to send the brand upmarket has pushed up prices. The strategy doesn’t seem to have bothered CX-5 buyers too much, bizarro car market notwithstanding.

Mazda's push upmarket hasn’t been a stingy one, though. You get 17-inch alloys, a six-speaker stereo, dual-zone climate control, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, adaptive cruise control, sat-nav, auto LED headlights with auto high beam, leather wheel and shifter, folding powered mirrors, auto wipers and a space-saver spare.

The CX-5 interior is beautifully designed, except it’s really dark. Lots of grey high-quality plastic without much in the way of additional colour.

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An 8.0-inch touchscreen running Mazda’s older version of MZD Connect persists despite the fairly recent facelift putting the new software in up-spec versions. It’s fine and you can still use the touch function when the car is stationary, unlike the new widescreen version (also found on the CX-30, MX-30 and higher-end CX-5s).

You get DAB+ digital radio and USB Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Five-star ANCAP safety (dating back to 2017) comes from with six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, blind-spot monitoring, forward auto emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, speed limiter, speed zone reminder with road sign recognition, reverse AEB and reverse cross-traffic alert.

The forward AEB has pedestrian and cyclist detection and works at both high and low speeds for other vehicles. It’s a lot of gear at pretty much any price.

Comfort and space

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The CX-5 interior is beautifully designed, except it’s really dark. Lots of grey (high quality) plastic without much in the way of additional colour. That may be for the best because the company has occasionally fitted blue or red colour flashes into the armrest and across the dash and it just looked like Play-Doh.

The subtle blades of aluminium-look plastic are better than that, but don't do much to lift the sombre ambience.

Cloth seats are the order of the day in the Maxx Sport and that is not a bad thing at all. They don’t look like much but they’re very comfortable and the fabric hardy, if again, dark. The lovely leather wheel is a terrific size and the thin rim has a classic feel to it.

It’s all very nice in here, without too many buttons or any clashing textures, which kind of makes the darkness worth it. Mazda’s interior design folks are really big on banishing clutter and it works.

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Moving to the back, Mazda’s predilection for tight-but-adequate rear accommodation continues. I’m a hair under 180cm tall and it’s a cosy fit behind my driving position.

The door aperture is annoying if you’re loading kids, too, although the door does open nice and wide. The seat is very comfortable and headroom is good. You have two more cupholders and bottle holders in the doors.

Boot space starts at just 442 litres, down on all of its obvious competitors. A petrol RAV4 has 580 litres and the VW Tiguan up to a whopping 615 litres owing to its sliding middle row. Drop the 40/20/40 split fold rear seat in the Mazda and 1342 litres are at your service.

On the road

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Driving the CX-5 is always a pleasure. The first one, released all those years ago, set the benchmark for the class that even European brands struggled to match for well over half a decade.

The chassis has always had that Mazda feel (which the company calls jinbai ittai, or horse and rider at one) and there’s always a sneaky reference to the MX-5’s balance and poise.

While it’s obviously not that impressive, even on 225/65 rubber that isn’t what you’d call amazing, the CX-5 cheerfully navigates being hustled through roundabouts without the ride quality ever dissolving into a mess.

The multi-link rear end has a lot to do with the latter while the well-tuned front end, with a surprisingly crisp turn-in, delivers a coherent, competent driving experience.

Driving the CX-5 is always a pleasure. The chassis has that Mazda feel (which the company calls jinbai ittai) – a sneaky reference to the MX-5’s balance and poise.

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Less favourable are the brakes. It might just have been this one, but the pedal felt a bit mushy at the top and needed a firmer foot than you might expect. It’s the kind of thing an owner won’t even notice after a week, but it knocks the edge off the chassis’ overall feel.

It may also have something to do with the fact that the last two CX-5s I’ve driven – the GT SP turbo and the turbo-diesel – have 320mm front brakes instead of this car's 297mm.

I’m leaving the engine until last because it’s the most workaday thing about the whole car. Two litres of natural aspiration isn’t going to set 1558kg alight, no, but with 115kW and just 200Nm on offer, you’ll be working a Maxx Sport hard.

The 10.6-second claimed run to 100km/h is entirely believable. The vibe coming through the firewall when attempting that time is certainly not one you’ll enjoy, because the engine isn’t having any fun either. Max power is at 6000rpm and torque at 4000rpm, so those numbers speak for themselves.

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That’s not to say it’s a bad engine – not by any stretch – but it’s one that is good in the suburbs and town, fine in the cruise. But you’ll need patience if you want to indulge in any cut and thrust, because it won’t happen.

Mazda’s combined cycle claim of 6.9L/100km can best be described as unlikely. I don’t think I’ve ever really got a 2.0-litre CX-5 to consume less than 10.5L/100km and while I admit to having a heavier right foot than most buyers, I have tried and have always failed.

Ownership

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Mazda offers a five-year warranty with unlimited kilometres and roadside assist.

Capped-price servicing applies for the first five services and, unfortunately, they come every 12 months or just 10,000km, which is shorter than the CX-5's naturally aspirated rivals.

Pricing is getting on the higher side of reasonable, too, bouncing between $331 and $361 over the first five services for a total of $1719 during the length of the program. Over the five services, it's $150 cheaper than the diesel to service and about $20 and $50 less than the 2.5 and 2.5-litre turbo respectively.

Mazda lists additional items not covered by the service regime, which on this car is the cabin air filter (40,000km, $82) and the brake fluid (two years/40,000km, $71) which appears quite cheap compared to others.

Most of the CX-5’s naturally aspirated rivals push the intervals out to 15,000km while offering similar or cheaper deals, with Toyota walloping them all with a fixed $200 per service on the RAV4.

VERDICT

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With the price increases, the Maxx Sport has really become the pick of the range when it comes to value and specification, especially given its huge list of impressive safety gear.

The 2.0-litre, however, isn’t it, with the 2.5 AWD offering better power, more torque and, in my experience, lower real-world fuel consumption. Not low enough to bridge the price gap, but it does use less because it doesn’t have to work as hard.

Having said that, I really like the Maxx Sport’s specification because it delivers all the things that are good about the CX-5 without any needless frippery like a sunroof or leather seats that just get hot in summer. Comfortable, fun to drive and mostly refined, it still has winner written all over it.

2021 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport FWD specifications