After much review of the CX5 and owning many , all things considered , reliability , styling , everything since 2013 -- I believe the 2025 being the last evolution of the Second Generation is the Crowning Masterpiece of this model. Based on the 2026 reveal it appears Mazda is offering A longer body , wheelbase and width and headed down a totally different path from the previous years .
Why,,bigger ..because it keeps coming up as a weak spot by the opposition in my opinion. Theres not much to tear down with the CX5 - but trust they do --They criticize.....Underpowered , to Small , Infotainment system and a few other minor quirks of personal preference or not are bad -- . ITs the last year of the Turbo , which I did not own , but those who do love it would never let it go ....- and then in 2025 some very minor tweaks to comfort and infotainment size screen and painted body color wheel wells . All considered --Its by far the best looking , most reliable as the transmission and engine were remapped to near perfection( post (11/24 builds ) ( I have a 25 ). The 5 still has its Naturally aspirated DOHC 4 with a 6 speed traditional step 6 speed transmission--RARE TODAY .Old School supreme reliability ,
So it all came together in an AWD package that represents over A decade of constant improvement in small stages - and this is it - I dont like the looks of the new GEN-3 / 2026 with MAZDA written out instead of the logo , certainly bigger not for me, most buttons gone,and removal of hvac *****, replaced with a huge touch screen - in fact smaller was why I liked it- I think couples and singles with dog(s) loved the size because it wasnt made for a family - Made for the sporty younger drivers ! It seems Mazda intentionally killed the goose that laid the golden egg . Its about the same size as the 60 now and not far from the rest in looks and size ??? I lookedm at A few dealers that have new Turbos and Premium PLus's left --but not many --and they arent budging on price ..and shouldnt -- In fact I may get a Turbo and put it in storage --driving it 10 miles about 1x a week -- Then parking it - for sale 10 years from now - certain to be an auction jackpot - I - even though a critic of the turbo , believe it was fun and owners rarely regretted buying it.

 

For the past 10 years my family and I have owned and driven eight CX-5's; it's a sensational vehicle.It's also Mazda's number one selling model and there is no shortage of 2025 CX-5 models at the Nor Cal- SF Bay Area dozen or so Mazda dealerships.
For the 2026 model I agree that Mazda likely has made a mistake by adding nearly 5" to the length of the CX-5.

 

Honestly the extra length in the '26 is great for rear legroom. The biggest gripes I have is with the lack of buttons and the fact that they killed the turbo. It also looks too much like a Toyota/Lexus in some areas...

 

Agree with the extra length, I don't think that is a deal breaker. I have a '25 Turbo Premium and I personally love the switches, ***** and Command Controller. The interior of the 26 is a "me too" redesign, jumping on the no button, everything in the screen bandwagon, a total joke. Also, killing the turbo is extremely disappointing, though from a business perspective I get it. My lease goes until Nov 27, by which time we should have the details of the hybrid. If it has enough power and a stepped automatic, then I might be tempted. If, on the other hand, it has a CVT like the 50, then it will be a hard pass and I will happily drive my 25 off into the sunset! I might do that anyway because I love this car and like the OP, I think its the pinnacle of 2nd gen CX-5!

 

My wife and I are retired and don’t drive much, simply because we don’t go to work everyday. Her 2019 Mazda6 Signature has 12K miles… and as you know those are extinct. I have been waiting for the right time to get a Mazda with the 2.5L turbo engine. The transition to body color wheel well edges and the end of this second generation caused me to purchase a CX-5 Signature last week. I have been driving a 2012 Toyota V6 RAV4 with 67K miles, so I have been content to wait. Well, the dark blue CX-5 is in the driveway (wife gets the garage), and my ol' RAV4 has been sold to my sister. I think the RAV4 had more rear seat/cargo room, but the driving experience with this new Mazda is fantastic. I will surely be driving defensively, since soon the new CX-5 turbos will be no more. And I prefer *****/switches/buttons over a touch screen.