After God blessed me with my second child, I needed a larger and more family-friendly car. I tried several Korean and Japanese models, but most were either over my budget or didn’t meet my expectations in terms of features. I eventually narrowed it down to three options: the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, and Mazda CX-5. The Sportage felt too sporty and the design didn’t appeal to me. I was really excited about the Tucson, but when I visited the dealership, they left me waiting for nearly an hour without any attention — so I ruled it out. Finally, I test drove the CX-5, liked it, and went ahead and booked it.
In terms of space, I’m 182 cm tall and felt comfortable, and the rear seat space was good for my wife and kids. Performance-wise, it’s a bit sluggish at the start, but once it picks up speed — even when fully loaded — it feels confident on the highway. Other owners told me the gearbox adapts to your driving style over time, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it improves.
Handling and stability are excellent — that’s something Mazda is known for. The car feels solid on the road, and the suspension gives you a good sense of the road without being uncomfortable, so overall ride comfort is great.
As for fuel consumption, after 3,000 km the reading is 7.5 L/100 km, which is pretty accurate based on my own calculations. On highways it’s between 6–7 L/100 km, and at speeds above 120 km/h it goes up to 8. In heavy city traffic it can reach 9–10, but overall, I’m satisfied. I usually drive a bit aggressively with strong acceleration, and even then, the fuel economy is reasonable. If you drive more gently, you’ll likely get even better numbers.
The one thing I didn’t like is how soft the brakes are at the beginning — I’m used to American cars with firmer braking, so it took a bit of adjustment. All in all, I believe Japanese and Korean cars are great choices for anyone looking for reliability and peace of mind. After 3,000 km with the CX-5, I really feel I made the right choice.
