When the Mazda CX-5 entered the competitive crossover market last year, it might have rocketed straight to the top of the heap if the automaker could have fixed one thing: the engine. Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley says that with the 2014 CX-5, Mazda has eliminated that weak spot. A 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine boosts power sufficiently to overcome the sluggishness of the old 2.0-liter without great sacrifice to gas mileage. Some may feel the “unapologetically” firm ride offers far more information about what they’re driving over than they need, but otherwise the CX-5 has little to apologize for. Read Hanley’s review below.
Former Assistant Managing Editor-News Matt Schmitz is a veteran Chicago journalist indulging his curiosity for all things auto while helping to inform car shoppers.