Street Lines: 2026 Mazda CX-5 Premium Plus
The 2026 Mazda CX-5 is a highly recommended compact SUV, featuring a redesigned exterior, spacious interior, and powerful 2.5-liter engine, with prices starting at $39K. The post Street Lines: 2026 Mazda CX-5 Premium Plus appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.
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Mazda has consistently received favorable reviews in Street Lines throughout the years, and the 2026 CX-5 maintains the streak. This year’s version features a redesign and more room especially in the rear and cargo capacity overall to help it confidently compete in the competitive compact-SUV sector. Presented in five different trims—2.5 S, Select, Preferred, Premium, and Premium Plus—I reviewed the latter and enjoyed every minute of it.
Delivered in one of my favorite paint shades in the auto industry—Mazda’s signature Soul Red Crystal Metallic—the CX-5’s sculpted body lines follow the carmaker’s embracing of Japan’s Kodo design philosophy which means “Soul of Motion.” Curvaceous and fluid, yet muscular, the exterior’s frame is accented in black, complete with a lip spoiler, sleek LED lighting, and 19-inch alloy wheels.
Under the hood, the CX-5 is powered by a 2.5-liter SKYACTIV-G four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and standard i-ACTIV all-wheel drive for optimal mobility. While the turbo option is not available this year, the input is still adequate, producing 187 horsepower and 186 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,000 rpm. As usual, the steering feels responsive paired with a well-tuned suspension to take on various terrains. I loved bobbing and weaving through ATL’s city streets, while the highway drives were smoothed out.
Entering the cabin, the Premium Plus trim shows a lot of love for every passenger, thanks to the heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats all coming standard with leather trimming. The dash is welcomely minimal and clean, the center-console control knob I was not a fan of is gone, and the vibrant 15.6-inch center display was vibrant, the 12-speaker Bose sound system was booming, and most of the tech is based on Google’s platform. The ambient lighting, power panoramic moonroof, a 360-view monitor, and paddle shifters stepped things up as well in the luxury department.
Fuel economy lands at 26 mpg combined, which is respectable for an all-wheel-drive SUV, but hear whispers of a hybrid coming soon. Stay tuned for that.
Overall, the 2026 CX-5 brings on an impressive 2026, complete with sharp styling, comfort, and value starting at $39K. My reviewed model with the Premium Plus upgrades and Soul Red still only inched up to a very reasonable $595 more. And with that, this is a highly recommended option in the compact SUV arena.
For more information, visit Mazdausa.com.
The post Street Lines: 2026 Mazda CX-5 Premium Plus appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.
