Mazda adds 4.5 inches of length to the CX-5 for 2026, and refines the steering and suspension for an even livlier feel. Powertrain is largely carryover, with a few minor refinements.Prices start at $31,485 for the entry-level S model, and top out at $40,485 for the Premium Plus, with 12 Bose speakers, 15.6-inch touchscreen and 19" wheels.Unless they’re coming out with a turbo or a hybrid we don’t know about, the 2026 Mazda CX-5 soldiers on with roughly the same 2.5-liter, 187-hp naturally aspirated four it had in its entry-level trim last year. Even though it gets the mellifluous “SkyActiv-G” moniker, that powerplant takes over eight full seconds to get this new CX-5 to 60 mph. But you won’t care, because the handling is easily the best in the class.Such is the conundrum with the 2026 Mazda CX-5. Last year you could get a turbo with 256 hp that would lower launches to just over six seconds, according to published figures. And it would sure be nice to imagine a turbo somewhere in the future for this model. But as of right now, if there’s a turbo or a hybrid or some kind of nuclear reactor coming, they ain’t sayin’.What they are saying, and what we felt behind the wheel of the 2026 CX-5, was a decidedly spritely feeling that made even sluggish city driving kinda of fun.“The CX5 was already the most fun-to-drive car in the segment,” says Mazda engineer (and one-time Autoweek contributor) Dave Coleman on a Mazda video. “So our goal was just to preserve those capabilities.”That’s a "bolder Kodo design, featuring sportier proportions and a more confident stance," Mazda says. Yes, they largely carried over the base powertrain that 87 percent of buyers went for anyway, but as Coleman says, “It’s a workhorse of our fleet, 187 hp 186 lb ft of torque. It was developed around getting the most efficient combustion, getting the most energy from the fuel we put in it. The highest compression ratio you could have is 13:1. We’ve managed to run it on 87 octane.”So it’s cheap to operate. That efficiency translates to 24 city/30 hwy/26 combined with standard all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic. The six-speed gets better software controlling it, too.“We’ve improved the engine response by making EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) system smaller,” said Ruben Archilla, senior manager at Mazda R&D. “We’ve revised the shift control logic, too, especially on the downshift side, making the logic more predictive. It looks at how fast you’re pushing the accelerator pedal not just how far. We can also get the car into the correct gear. We look at the accelerator pedal input we can hold the gear for better engine braking. Also looking at steering inputs. If we know you’re in a corner, we’ll hold the gears after a downshift.”They can also skip shifts for quicker response. There are 10 airbags.“The end result should have been that it feels a bit more responsive and controllable, especially in transient conditions.”The CX-5 has been stretched 4.5 inches in the wheelbase, which could result in a more comfortable ride. The new ute’s dampers have wider piston diameters to help reduce friction.“There’s much more force at low piston speeds when piston starts to move. By front-loading the damping force, if we can capture and contain the motion at that moment, we don’t have to play catchup w progressive damping,” Archilla said. The CX-5 has firmer dampers at low speeds. The lighter springs/stiffer damper setup is the same thing you’ll find on the MX-5, of all things. All that combines to give best-in-class handling.“We didn’t look at the competition, we looked at the previous car,” Archilla said. All that is good for you to know, Autoweek reader, but the average buyer will want to know that the 2026 CX-5 is 4.5 inches longer than before, has a 15.6-inch touchscreen center display (12.9-inch base), 12-speaker Bose audio, and 10 airbags. As a basic family conveyance, the CX-5 is as good as anything in the class: the all-conquering Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Hyundai Tucson. I tried all that stuff out on a day’s drive in far south SoCal and the most impressive thing was the tight, taut feel from behind the wheel that you get with all Mazdas. Credit whom you want, but we’ll give credit to Coleman, who leads expeditions up Angeles Crest Highway in various Mazdas, checking and calibrating as he goes, to make sure the handling is not only safe but also fun.Handling is crisp.The CX-5 starts at $31,485 for the entry level S model, and tops out at $40,485 for the Premium Plus, the one with those 12 Bose speakers, 15.6-inch touchscreen and rolling on 19-inch wheels. The 2026 model gets standard Google built-in, which responds to “Hey Google” and does everything from telling you which side your gas cap is on (left) to providing directions to Taco Bell. There’s no separate volume knob—that’s done on the redundant steering wheel controls—and to adjust the HVAC you have to slide a finger over the touchscreen. Some people like that, others don’t.But you, who probably recognizes a sporty car when you get behind the wheel, will almost certainly pick this one out of the vast sea of compact crossovers out there, and you will almost certainly be glad you did. The fact that it's also practical and efficient like all the others is just the icing on the cake.
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