Thank you to Middletown Nissan for giving me some time with the 2016 Mazda CX-5 Sport!
If you live in the US, 2016 was the last year of the manual transmission equipped Mazda CX-5. If you're in Canada, you were lucky enough to get the 2017 refresh with a stick—which was subsequently killed off in 2018. Unfortunately, this one was a case of base. If you wanted a manual, it meant you had to get the base model—Sport trim—which also meant that you were stuck with front-wheel-drive. Have you lowered your expectations yet? Let's raise them back up a bit because it still carries a Mazda badge. That badge represents reliability, modern styling, and good handling. Plus this crossover was developed during Mazda's "Zoom Zoom" years.
Meteor Gray Mica is considered a "non-color" by some, but the exterior design helps it to reflect the sun in a way that really lets it shine. I may be biased though, since my first manual transmission car was a Mazda3 in this color.
Poking my head inside, I see a lot of black on black on black. It looks simple and classy and I have no issues with the monochrome interior. I note the lack of infotainment screen and I welcome the simplicity of a basic cd/radio combo. Don't worry—it still has Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calling and easy access to the music on your phone.
Sitting down in the driver's seat, I note that the cloth seats are about as comfortable as you'd expect at this price point—they're comfortable enough to sit in for short periods of time, but they're certainly not going to give you any delusions of luxury. Pushing down on the clutch, the pedal feels much lighter than I expected for such a big vehicle. I push the start button, attempt to disengage the electronic parking brake—because I can never remember if I'm supposed to push or pull—push the gearshift down toward the ground, maneuver it to the left and up toward the front of the car, look at the radio out of habit—trying to find a non-existent backup cam—twist my neck around, and back out of the spot—noting that despite the clutch being light, it is still very springy.
Getting out onto the road—very slowly—I get out of first gear as soon as possible, and things start to open up in second. It almost feels as though Mazda has lengthened second gear, allowing it to open up a bit more than I remember in the 2013 CX-5. Rowing through the gears, the shift-knob feels a bit cheap—but solid—and the gearbox has very little slop to it. The gearing shows off its long legs as I'm merging onto the highway, and I get up to speed easily—just in time to slow back down to a crawl as I hit heavy construction traffic. I guess it's time for me to get used to the clutch. Light and springy is definitely a positive in this traffic.
Off the highway and back onto the side roads, the ride is smooth enough not to send shockwaves through my back, but I can definitely still feel the bumps. Again—about what you'd expect out of a CUV at this price point.
Handling is where Mazda tends to shine, and this crossover is no exception. The steering is tight and responsive, and—while the car can handle a rather small turning radius—the high center of gravity makes itself known through the excessive amount of body lean. This isn't a track car, so that's not going to come up often, but if you come into a turn just a bit too hot or you have to make a sudden emergency maneuver—definitely expect some heavy sway.
In America, there's a bit of an obsession with crossovers, but there aren't too many that allow you to do your own shifty dance. There are even fewer that are worth pursuing. This one is worth looking at—even if it doesn't come with all-wheel drive. Or a turbo. Or any available options. But if you need the space, or maybe you just like the ride height, and you don't want a completely numb driving experience—this is a very good option. You're not going to win any races in this one, but you're going to have great handling, great steering feel, and a solid gearbox. Throw some winter tires on it when the cold weather hits and chances are you won't really need the all-wheel drive anyway. I hate to break it to you, but your all-wheel drive system doesn't make you invincible in the snow anyway—especially on all-season tires.
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