2022 Mazda CX-5 Touring Active AWD review

The Mazda CX-5 has been riding high in the sales charts for the thick end of a decade. To reward Australia's (justified) confidence in this midsized SUV, Mazda provides a mind-boggling number of variants to suit just about everybody.

Not content with the double-digit options available, Mazda used a 2022 range update to quietly slip in yet another variant at a few hundred bucks above what we always considered the spec to have – the Touring.

The Japanese company took that model and added some, well, green, while slimming down the number of engines and transmissions available to create the 2022 Mazda CX-5 Touring Active AWD we've tested here.

It’s slightly complicated when you think about it, but, bottom line, the Touring Active is meant to look a little more adventurous while still delivering a good spec.

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Pricing and Features

There are two Touring Actives: the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel at $45,880 and, for three thousand fewer dollars, the 2.5-litre petrol at $42,880 (both before on-road costs). Sadly, the turbo-petrol engine isn’t available in the Touring Active, but we can’t have everything, I suppose. The Touring soldiers on with just the 2.5 petrol for $42,580 plus on-road costs.

Once ordered and on your driveway, you get a CX-5 with 17-inch alloys, dual-zone climate control, six-speaker stereo, reversing camera, cloth interior, keyless entry and start, front and rear parking sensors, active cruise control, sat-nav, LED headlights with auto high beam, auto wipers, leather steering wheel and gear selector trim, heated and folding rear vision mirrors, wireless charging and a space-saver spare.

The Active part of the name adds a sparkle of lime green in the grille as well as applying the same vivid colour to the interior. The exterior also scores some rugged cladding to imply owners can get it muddy and not worry too much about scratching the (always lovely) paint.

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Mazda’s older version of MZD Connect and its 8.0-inch touchscreen provide the sat-nav and media connectivity, with USB for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The software is getting on a bit, but unlike the CX-30 and Mazda3’s newer system, you can still use both the touch function (when the car is stopped) as well as the rotary dial controller.

Five-star ANCAP safety (from 2017) comes from six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, blind-spot monitoring, forward and reverse auto emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, speed limiter, speed zone reminder with road sign recognition and reverse cross-traffic alert.

The forward AEB has pedestrian and cyclist detection and works at high and low speeds for other vehicles. One of the good things about this list of safety gear is that it stretches across most of the CX-5 range.

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Comfort and Space

The CX-5 might be one of the biggest sellers in the segment but is one of the smaller offerings. That means cargo space starts at 442 litres, down on all of its obvious competitors and not a lot more than some cars from a segment down.

A petrol RAV4 has 580 litres and the VW Tiguan 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 there for the filling.

One of the things I say time and again about Mazda interiors is that they’re quite dark. Built from a lot of high-quality but highly grey plastic, the designers struggle to add colour without adding naff. The little sprinkle of lime green from the grille – which grew on me, I have to say – finds its way inside to a strip in the dash, the surrounds on the air vents and the seats.

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I’m fully expecting Mazda to get mad at me for saying it’s a good try but doesn’t really work because I keep complaining there isn’t enough colour to break up the interior’s grey.

Thankfully the CX-5’s other interior strengths, such as high quality, impressive comfort and thoughtful, uncluttered design more than make up for it. You get two cup holders, storage under the centre armrest and bottle holders in each of the doors, as well as the charging mat for your phone under the climate controls.

The rear seat is classic Mazda – tight for the segment but very comfortable once you’re in. The door opens wide but the aperture is a little small so getting in and out can be tricky if you’re tall. Once in, I fit comfortably behind my own driving position and I’m 180cm tall.

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On the Road

The Touring Active I had for the week was the 2.5-litre petrol with all-wheel drive. A full $3000 cheaper than the diesel and using a fuel slightly less on the nose with consumers, it spins up 140kW at 6000rpm and 252Nm at 4000rpm. All four wheels receive power through Mazda’s six-speed automatic transmission.

It’s a fairly traditional sort of set-up but Mazda has been honing it for years, including adding G-Vectoring, where the car senses steering inputs and as you turn in lightly lifts the throttle to shift the weight to the front wheels.

Think of it as a virtual racing driver's throttle foot. It’s barely noticeable but adds to what is already a very capable car.

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The 17-inch wheels don’t look like much – as in, they look tiny – but the combination of decent tyres with a bit of sidewall delivers a handy ride and handling balance. The CX-5 is genuinely fun to drive, as it always has been, which is a key part of its appeal.

While the front suspension is the near-ubiquitous MacPherson struts and (in this segment at least) very common multi-link rear end, the CX-5’s balance is impressive for a mid-size SUV.

Ride comfort is pretty cushy for all passengers while a keen change of direction means you can hustle through urban environments without upsetting passengers.

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As ever, the thing that lets down the CX-5 compared to the competition is the engine. There’s nothing wrong with it specifically – in 2.5-litre form it’s far preferable to the 2.0 – but its torque figure of 252Nm means that loading up will slow things down. Some rivals have smaller engines but with more torque due to either turbo or hybrid power.

Performance is fine with a sub-ten second sprint to 100km/h but on the freeway you do need to plan overtakes. Cheeringly, the power delivery is clean and linear. The six-speed automatic – again down on numbers compared to some competitors – remains excellent and doesn’t really suffer from missing a gear or two.

The official combined cycle fuel figure of 7.4L/100km is a little off the mark, with my week delivering a 9.3L/100km figure. I do always get a better figure with the 2.5 than I do the 2.0 because it doesn’t have to work as hard.

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Ownership

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

Servicing comes up every 12 months or 10,000km, the latter being a bit short, especially when the Touring Active is aimed at folks supposedly keen on getting out more. The capped-price servicing regime lasts for five services, with three priced at $350 and two at $380 for a total of $1810 over the five.

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VERDICT

The CX-5 Touring last year lost its status in our heads as the best bang-for-buck in the broadly appealing CX-5 range, that plaudit switching to the Maxx Sport through a combination of an increased spec and a better price point.

The Touring Active's extra splash of interior colour and extra off-roader exterior cues, however, do add a further temptation over the Touring's additional features, as subtle as they are.

And for just an extra $500... well, there are certainly harder choices to make in life.

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