Review: 3 Reasons Why I Loved the 2016 Mazda CX-5

Many thanks to DriveShop and Mazda for providing the 2016 CX-5 Grand Touring for my review.

If you follow me on Snapchat, you might remember me receiving the Mazda CX-5. I initially got the car to take us to Dorney Park for the weekend, but it a rainy week. Despite the rain, I was still able to use it. With all these car rentals and testing that I’ve been doing, the 2016 Mazda CX-5 has been my favorite. Read more about the three reasons why I loved it so much.

Mazda CX-5 Style

Since I worked from home when the car came, my first impression of the Mazda CX-5 was its style and I immediately fell in love with the Stormy Blue finish. Honestly, if I didn’t check the logo, I would’ve thought it was a luxury vehicle once I stepped inside. My brother is a former Mazda car salesman and mentioned potential buyers used to think the same.

Safety on the Mazda CX-5

The number one thing anyone should look for in a vehicle is its safety. As mentioned, it rained for the whole week, but despite the rain things still needed to get done. When taking my father to dialysis the first evening, rain-sensingsing windshield wipers activated. Even though I received a quick rundown of the car and basic functionality, the automatic wipers helped me focus more on driving on the busy, narrow roads. Here are some other safety features I loved:

• Automatic headlights
• Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution & Emergency Brake Assist
• Rearview camera

Vehicle Size

Parking in NYC is tough and sometimes a headache. The fact that the Mazda CX-5 isn’t a huge car was a plus; I was able to successfully park whenever I needed a spot. It is a 5-seat crossover, so four averaged sized adults can sit comfortably. My sister in law is about between 5′ 7 and 5’10 and sat in the back seat with [surprisingly] no complaints.

*Bonus* – Features

There were some additional features that I loved in the Mazda CX-5. It came with a push button start so I didn’t have to take the keys out of my bag at all. Even when entering, I just had to push the button on the door handle for it to open. The dual climate control convenience made my mother and I comfortable since she’s mostly hot and I’m mostly cold. We also drove into Manhattan one night and decided to use the navigation system. We knew where we were going, but there was tons of traffic on the road due to construction on the FDR. The navigation system was able to get us out of the traffic and give us the fastest route option to get back home. I mostly used the SiriusXM Satellite Radio for music, but when heading home from church, I connected my phone to listen to my Spotify playlist via the Bluetooth integration. I also had the option to integrate with my Pandora account. We didn’t drive too far, but I loved the “distance to empty” digital display. With some people, seeing the actual numbers resonates with them more vs looking at the fuel tank.

The starting price for the 2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring is $29,870. For more information, you can visit your local Mazda dealer, follow them on Twitter,Facebook or go to Mazdausa.com.