2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring FWD Review

 I was loaned the 2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring FWD for a week to give my honest opinions

Hey yall!  All last week the family and I have been cruising around town in this sporty gem, the 2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring FWD.  This eye candy was dropped off to me at my home to help us get the girls back to school in a stylish way.

When I first laid my eyes on this car I couldn't help but love the sleek, yet sporty design.  The rugged look gives it a great style, especially the two tone rims.  This car looks like it  has gone through a wind tunnel, or maybe caught some ocean waves from the beach.   The color, sonic silver metallic is one of my favorites when it comes to cars, my current car I drive is currently silver as well.  The Mazda CX-5 is a crossover vehicle which means it is a crossover between a car and a SUV, but the way it drives is more like a car.

I’m a fan when it comes to sports cars because I like to drive fast vehicles.  This Mazda did not disappoint, once I put my foot on the gas the car takes off quickly due to the 184 horsepower; I found myself going over the speed limit a lot and not realizing it due to how smooth and quiet this car drives. If you really want to put the pedal to the metal, there is a sports button you can push to make the car go even faster!  Good thing no cops were around, I want to keep my driving record clean; yes, I do not have a single driving ticket, not even a parking ticket. (Knocks on wood)

Interior was all black everything, just the way I like it!  I sat down and felt instantly comfortable like if I had the car for years.  Leather is smooth like butter with a very soft feel that feels good on your skin. 

Although the car seems like it’s small from the outside, it does pack quite a bit of room on the inside.  I had enough leg room in the front and my girls had enough room in the back.  But I will say once they get older the car may become a little too small for our family; as for now the car has the perfect space for my small family of 4.  I was very impressed to see the trunk having a lot of space for storage.  We had enough room to stuff all our back to school shopping bags and also our groceries.   If I’m in need of more space and the girls are not with me, the back seats folds down easily if you have long items in tow.  There are two ways to fold down the back chairs, using a handle on the chairs themselves, or using the side handles that is located on the wall in the trunk.

With all the back to school shopping I had to do it was great that the Mazda CX-5 has keyless entry as long as I had the key on me and also just a tap on the push button located on the back door opens up the trunk.  But hey, that’s not all!  There is a push button on the trunk door that unlocks all the car doors, so while you’re loading up the trunk, the kids can get in the car and wait for you.

Let’s talk about the front seat area.  Like many newer cars today, this Mazda CX-5 has navigation system with better graphics than the Mazda 6 I reviewed last year, HD Radio, Satellite Radio, Bluetooth Control, and a lot more.

What I found that I have never seen in cars before is that this car has an electric park brake.  This Mazda CX-5 does not have a park break that you step on; it has an electric park break button that you push next to the driving gear, it is a really cool feature that took some time for me to get use to.  When you want to turn off the parking brake you must have your foot on the brake pad and then you can push the parking brake button to turn it off, this is for safety reasons.

Speaking of safety, this car is a great safe vehicle to drive.  Safety is one of the biggest importances to me when it comes to choosing cars.  The Mazda CX-5 has the lane departure warning alert that lets you know that you’re not maintaining lanes, side mirrors has blind spot warning alerts to alert you when a car is traveling near your blind spot, when backing up the backup camera turns on and alerts you if a car is passing by behind you, and if a car is slowed down or at a stop in front of you the car will alert you and if you don’t slow down it’ll slow down for you or stop the car completely.   Also, you can’t fiddle around with the Navigation system and radio while the car is in motion to help keep you having your eyes on the road.  So this car is wonderful when it comes to keeping you accident free.

The Bose sound system produces great high quality sounds to make your ride around town or on trips enjoyable.  There are three ways to control the sound, the dashboard, steering wheel, and the knob near the driving shift gear.

Both driver and passenger has the option to set the climate control to their preference with the dual temperature option which is always a feature I love in many cars I’ve driven.  During the winter months, the front seats are heated by a push of a button, but the car doesn't have cooling seats.  I think the cooling feature is not needed in this car because due to the tinted windows it keeps the seats cool during the hot days.



Another feature I like that was not included with the 2015 models is the led lighting.  At night the led lighting shines bright in front  and rear of the car making it better to see when you're driving at night.  Also with the led lighting it gives the car a really awesome appearance.



Although we are in the deep days of summer, it hasn't been really raining as much while I had the car but this car includes a hip feature that when it rains it senses it and will automatically turn on the windshield wipers for you.  But the thing is that might annoy you is that when a bug lands on your windshield the car may think it is rain and will automatically turn the windshield wipers on.  If you notice that keeps happening you can turn this feature off. 

More Information about the 2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring FWD

Engine/Mechanical Features

• SKYACTIV-G 2.5L Engine
• SKYACTIV-Drive 6SPD Sport Mode AT
• 184 Horsepower; 185 LB-FT Torque
• Front-Wheel Drive

Exterior Features

• 19-Inch Alloy Wheels
• P225/55 R19 All-Season Tires
• Variable Rain-Sensing Wipers
• Fixed-Intermittent Rear Wipers
• Heated Power Mirrors w/Turn Lamps

Interior Features

• 5- Passenger Seating
• Tilt & Telescopic Steering Column
• Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel w/ Audio/Cruise/Bluetooth Controls
• Power Automatic Door Locks
• Power Windows  w/Driver One- Touch
• Leather Trimmed Sports Seats
• 8-Way Power Driver's Seat
• Driver Power Lumbar Support
• Manual passenger Seat Lifter
• Heated Front Seats
• MID w/Trip Computer
• Advanced Keyless Entry System 
• Electronic Parking Brake

Safety and Security Features

• 60MO/60K MI Powertrain & 36MO/36K MI Bumper-To-Bumper Warranty
• 24 Hour Roadside Assistance 
• 5 Passenger 3-Point Safety Belts
• Latch Child Safety Seat Anchors
• Anti-Theft Engine Immobilizer
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Blind Spot Monitoring 
• SKYACTIV Body- Ring Structure
• 4-Wheel Disc Brakes
• Electric Power Assisted Steering
• Independent Front/Rear Suspension
• Front & Rear Suspension
• Front & Rear Stabilizer Bars
• Rear Privacy Glass
• Auto-On/Off Halogen Headlights
• Fog Lamps/Daytime Running Lights
• Roof Spoiler & Shark Fin Antenna
• Power Moonroof
• Push Button Engine Start
• Dual Zone Auto Climate Control
• Bose Am/FM/CD/MP3/SAT 9-SPK
• HD Radio/ AUX Jack / 2 USB Input
• Bluetooth Hands Free Phone/ Audio
• 7' Color Touch-Screen Display
• Multi-Function Commander Control
• Rearview Camera
• Dual Illuminated Vanity Mirrors
• Center Armrest w/Covered Storage
• 40/20/40 Split Fold Down RR SEAT
• Rear Seat Center Armrest
• Carpeted Floor Mats
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS with EBD & Brake Assist)
• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
• Traction Control System (TCS)
• Hill Launch Assist
• Advanced Dual Front Airbags
• Front Side Impact Airbags
• Front & Rear Side Air Curtains

Extras

• Cargo Mat
• Mazda Mobile Start
• Rear Bumper Guard
• Door Sill Trim Plates
• Sirius Satellite Radio

GT 1-Activesense Package

• Mazda Radar Cruise Control
• Smart Brake Support

Grand Touring Tech Package

• Navigation System
• Led Headlights
• Adaptive Front Lighting
• Led Daytime Running Lights
• Lane Departure Warning
• High Beam Control
• LED Foglights
• LED Combination Taillights 
• Smart City Brake Support
• Auto-Dim Mirror

Total MSRP: $32,940  Price for all of these features is not bad at all, quite affordable.  If you do not want all these bells and whistles you can get it at in even lower price by purchasing the base model that starts at $21,000. 

Fuel Economy: 29 MPG (26 City and 33 Highway)  I did a lot of inner city driving and I only had to gas up once while having this car for 7 days.  The car is okay on gas and it didn't cost a lot to fill up the tank.

The 2016 Mazda CX-5 is the perfect car for small families, men, women, and teens.  

This car was very hard to part ways with, it became apart of my family and it'll be missed.  If you're thinking about buying a inexpensive car you should definitely check out this one, it'll have you zoom zooming up and down the roads and highways in style while still having money in your pockets!

Has your children gone back to school yet?

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