How Mazda Most Successful SUV Stays Relevant For Over A Decade
In 2004, Mazda’s lineup offered 7 vehicles, including just 1 SUV, the Tribute. Today, in 2025, Mazda remains a 7-model manufacturer, with 5 of 7 models on offer being an SUV. Somewhere near the middle of those is the CX-5– which launched initially in 2013, saw various siblings come and go, and ultimately remained a compelling choice for years while being a Mazda best-seller.
2024 Mazda CX-5
Was it the styling? Safety equipment? Drive? Just what’s kept the Mazda CX-5 relevant for more than a decade now? Below, we’ll dig into the key ways Mazda has kept the CX-5 strongly positioned amid highly established rivals for over a decade.
A Brief History of the CX-5
2022 CX-5 2.5 Turbo_01
When the Mazda CX-5 launched for the 2013 model year, the Toyota RAV4 had been on sale since 1996, the Honda CR-V since 1997 and the Ford Escape since 2001. Don’t forget the Dodge Journey, a popular pick from 2009 all the way through to 2020. The point is, by the time the CX-5 rolled around in its first generation, it was joining some highly-established competition, as well as existing Mazda SUV’s like the CX-7 and CX-9, which were initially launched for the 2007 model year.
The CX-5 was late to the game and would launch amidst some tough and well-established competitors who guarded their territory fiercely, though it did have the advantage of being a fresh new face among established players, from a brand who, in 2013, was starting to build the reputation of a new fuel-saving technology called Skyactiv, which helped put them on the mental radar of more shoppers.
Mazda CX-5 Competitors:
- Toyota RAV4
- Honda CR-V
- Nissan Rogue/X-Trail
- Hyundai Tucson
- Kia Sportage
- Subaru Forester
- Ford Escape
- Volkswagen Tiguan
- Mitsubishi Outlander
- Jeep Cherokee
- Jeep Compass
- Chevrolet Equinox
- GMC Terrain
- Mazda CX-50
Skyactiv Technology At The Right Time
2022 CX-5 2.5 Turbo Signature_02
Key Principles of Skyactiv Engines
- High compression ratio for improved efficiency
- Designed to run on regular-grade gas
- Specially-shaped pistons
- Reduced internal friction
- Variable valve timing
- Supercomputer-designed exhaust manifolds
By the time the CX-5 came around, Mazda had been advertising Skyactiv technology heavily on TV, print and radio spots to promote their small car, the Mazda 3. This was a means of getting Mazda onto the mental radar of drivers after fuel-efficient vehicles that were fun to drive. This was a growing demand in the SUV segment of the day, and Mazda was well-positioned to build something fuel-efficient and sporty for that segment.
Initially, Skyactiv models tended to focus on engines and transmissions, and that was the case when the CX-5 launched. Over subsequent years, Skyactiv evolved to cover more re-engineered parts and components added to vehicles like the CX-5 through its mid-cycle updates. With Skyactiv established up front as a fuel-conscious choice for shoppers to consider, subsequent Skyactiv updates (which included structural and driveline updates) squeezed out even more fuel efficiency and driving pleasure– enhancing the foundation the CX-5 was built on.
On the one hand, it’s clever branding that came around at the right time and evolved with the product to help keep it relevant in light of rising fuel costs and ever-evolving competition. On the other hand, as Skyactiv engineering updated more and more parts of the CX-5, it meant there was an even sharper and more fuel-efficient version of the CX-5 waiting once your lease was up.
2024 Mazda CX-5 Headlight Right
Making The Updates Count
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The CX-5 got its first update for the 2016 model year, sharpening its sense of style with a new front bumper and grille. The 2.5-liter Skyactiv engine got improved fuel economy, and elsewhere across the lineup, more high-end features were available more widely across more trim grades. Two engine options remained available, both with front or all-wheel drive configurations and even a six-speed manual on front-drive models with the base engine. This selection helped keep the CX-5 relevant by allowing it to cover a wider span of price points while being a go-to model for shoppers who liked to shift their own gears.
More updates came in 2017. Now, the CX-5 has all-new exterior bodywork, adaptive front lights, a significantly revised chassis, a more responsive drive, and a slew of new safety equipment. By the time the 2017 CX-5 rolled onto the scene, it had begun strongly honing the recipe of the original, by adding even more of what its shoppers were after.
Is-This-A-Luxury-Car
Must-have features of the day, including radar cruise, traffic sign recognition and a power tailgate, were added to the lineup as well. Now, the CX-5 was moving its well-recognized styling to next-generation territory while improving overall value and enhancing the upscale look, feel, and drive that helped it connect with so many owners.
When 2019 rolls around, the CX-5’s latest styling and interior are earning it a good reputation as a cut-price alternative to pricier SUVs. A turbo engine option joins the lineup for the first time, again expanding the CX-5’s appeal and relevance amid changing consumer tastes. Ambient lighting, satin chrome accents and a new heated steering wheel help push things more upscale on the feature content front.
For 2022, there’s an additional styling update, improved turbo-engine performance, and AWD becomes standard as Mazda shoppers are now tending to go more upscale and are increasingly likely to use the higher-end trim grades of the CX-5 as an alternative to pricier luxury SUVs.
To summarize, the CX-5 started out with a solid platform and marketing effort that was well-received, and evolved carefully, while following its shoppers up-market and aggressively adding tech and safety content along the way.
Still, we haven’t even covered the main reason the CX-5 has remained so relevant for so long.
2026 Mazda CX-5 Render
Evolving Its Most Valuable Asset
2013_Mazda_CX-5_044Hi-1 (1)
| Model | 2.5L SKYACTIV | 2.5L SKYACTIV TURBO |
|---|---|---|
| Power | 187 HP | 227 HP |
| MPG | 23/29/25 | 22/27/24 |
| 0-60 | 8.5 sec | 6.3 sec |
| Towing | 2,000 lbs | 2,000 lbs |
Remember– the CX-5 was the bread-and-butter, heart-of-the-segment SUV launched by a brand perhaps best known for sporty cars. Appropriately, it arrived with a driving experience noted for its above-average responsiveness and fun factor.
Back in 2013, it wasn’t easy to find an SUV that cornered flat like a car, steered like something sporty, and showed the fingertips and toes of enthusiast drivers a refreshingly responsive set of reflexes– at least with mainstream pricing. With Skyactiv engines boosting low-rev torque and a manual six-speed available, there was above-average attention to how the CX-5 felt to its driver.
The CX-5 was out of the gate with a great reputation among drivers, and future improvements kept that driving experience front and center as the engineers tinkered away.
Even first-generation models had an advanced AWD system that could work to pre-emptively eliminate wasteful wheelspin, and worked well in challenging slippery and off-road situations. Engineers spent considerable time reducing noise and harshness from the system in situations where many competitor AWD systems can feel clumsy or rough, helping to ensure a low-effort, high-traction winter drive.
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The AWD system received numerous efficiency-enhancing tweaks thanks to a do-over by the Skyactiv team, with a new ‘i-Activ AWD’ system now joining the range. Engineers even sculpted special channels into the inner casing of the new ball-bearing differential to help reduce the amount of fluid required inside, to reduce weight and friction. The system can even monitor things like external temperature and windshield wiper usage to make smarter decisions about where to send engine power.
Add in the adaptable lighting system which stands as one of the best on the road at the CX-5’s price point, as well as special windshield wiper sprayers on new models that apply fluid directly to the windscreen for a cleaner wipe with less fluid, and the CX-5 has a few tricks up its sleeve that are bound to surprise and delight drivers, with many particularly appreciating how their CX-5’s feel in the snow.
Perfect-For-Winter
Elsewhere, the second-generation structure was now 15% stiffer, making for a quieter and more comfortable ride and forming an even better basis from which to dial in the steering and suspension. G-Vectoring control was added, which can make subtle throttle adjustments to manipulate weight transfer when cornering for sharper-still responses. The engineers even spent extensive time determining the level of traction and stability control intervention required to be detectable to the driver, and worked to optimize system performance outside that realm.
Translation? A few genius electronic tweaks enabled by the CX-5’s latest platform, tech and clever innovations helped polish the ride and handling of the second-generation model even further than its predecessor. From the driver’s seat? Expect a sharper-than-average steering feel, reduced workload on winding highways, and pleasing response from low revs, especially with the turbo engine equipped.
The Reliability Factor
2013-CX-5-001Hi-1
The range of engines used in the CX-5 today are the latest versions of a highly mass-produced and market-proven engine family that has undergone relatively few major changes since their launch. Where some automakers change engines and transmissions with new generations or even mid-cycle updates, the Skyactiv powertrain options you’ll find in a CX-5 are all well-proven and familiar. It's no surprise, then, that the CX-5 is the most reliable Mazda SUV you can currently buy.
In some circles, this approach helps sell vehicles to shoppers who prefer the familiar (or an updated version of it) to something brand new and novel. Mazda’s factories, equipment, and teams have loads of experience in building the CX-5’s major components, including the engine, chassis, transmission, and AWD system, which have been in production for years with countless copies produced.
