The Mazda CX-5 has long been one of our favorite compact SUVs, and a certified pre-owned model could be a smart and affordable means of putting one in your garage or driveway. Thanks to its agile handling and upmarket cabin, the CX-5 looks and feels like a cut above many of its mainstream rivals. That’s saying a lot, particularly when considering this chirpy Mazda SUV competes against hugely popular models such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Nissan Rogue.
Mazda Certified Pre-Owned
To become eligible, a certified pre-owned (CPO) Mazda CX-5 must be less than 6 years old and show less than 80,000 miles on the odometer. A certified technician conducts a 160-point quality inspection, and the vehicle must have a clean vehicle history report. After all, the last thing you want when buying a used vehicle is unseen problems and expensive repairs.
Extended Warranty
A CPO Mazda CX-5 comes with at least 12 months or 12,000 miles of warranty coverage. Even better, if the 3-year/36,000-mile new vehicle warranty is still applicable, this extended coverage doesn’t kick in until the original warranty expires.
When it comes to powertrain components, such as the engine and transmission, these will be covered for 7 years or 100,000 miles from the vehicle’s original sale date. Emergency roadside assistance is included for the same length of time (or mileage). These warranties can be transferable to future buyers, which aids in resale value. There’s also no deductible to be paid for any covered repairs.
Premium Cabin, Mainstream Price
If you covered the Mazda badge on the steering wheel, you could easily think the CX-5’s interior belongs to a luxury-branded SUV. Boasting quality materials and an attractive design, the CX-5 exudes a degree of refinement missing in many rival small SUVs.
Sharp Reflexes
We know sporty handling is probably not at the top of must-have lists for the majority of SUV shoppers. Yet once you’ve experienced the sharp reflexes provided at the helm of the CX-5, it’s hard to go back to the less engaging driving manners of many competing SUVs.
Available All-Wheel Drive
All-wheel drive (AWD) has since been made standard on the CX-5, but it was optional during the 2019 model year. In its two highest trims — Grand Touring Reserve and Signature — AWD was fitted as standard.
Optional Turbocharged Engines
The CX-5’s standard 187-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder is fine for daily driving needs and returns okay fuel economy figures for a compact SUV. In front-wheel-drive configuration, the EPA ratings for the CX-5 are 25 mpg in city driving and 31 mpg on the highway. An available 227-horsepower 4-cylinder engine upgrade gives the CX-5 a lot more punch without plummeting this fun-loving SUV’s fuel mileage.
Standard Safety Features
The 2019 Mazda CX-5 lineup includes standard active safety items such as a rearview camera, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and low-speed automatic emergency braking.
Keep in mind that a number of safety features are optional, or come as standard on higher trims. Upgrading from the base CX-5 Sport to the Touring trim adds full-speed automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, rain-sensing wipers, and adaptive cruise control.
Excellent Safety Scores
All those active safety features paid off. The 2019 Mazda CX-5 earned a coveted Top Safety Pick+ rating by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It received a score of “Good,” the highest possible mark, in every crash test, and “Acceptable” for the effectiveness of its base headlights and ease of use of its LATCH child safety seat anchors. The CX-5 also earned a 5-Star safety rating by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration.
More Mazda CX-5
You can read our full review of the 2019 Mazda CX-5, but also keep in mind vehicles up to 6 years old are eligible for certified coverage. If a certified pre-owned CX-5 sounds like the perfect fit for your budget and driving needs, then check out CPO Mazda CX-5 models offered for sale near you.
