I am looking to get a used 2018 CX5 and am choosing between the touring (preferred package) or grand touring.

I was curious if anyone could provide real feedback on the comfort of the leatherette with micro suede vs the full leather. I’ve read a lot of negative reviews about the comfort of the seats on longer drives and I’m worried about buying a commuter car (2+ hours daily) and finding the car to be uncomfortable. I love everything about the CX5, but I am a bit apprehensive because this seems to be a common complaint.

Any feedback is appreciated, thanks!

 

The seats are the same in all models except for the material you sit on. Some of course have power controls as well. You really need to take a long test drive (or see if they will let you have it for a day) to see for yourself. Another idea is to try and rent one. Enterprise had a 2018 CX-5 GT when I rented a car a few years ago which was my first experience in a CX5. I personally find the seats in my '21 GTR ok (they are identical to what I had in my 19 GT), but agree they are a weak point in an otherwise great car. I would suggest you also try the CX9 as it has better seats.

 

In early August, I bought a 2018 CX-5 for my wife. She loved it so much she suggested we take it on vacation to the left coast instead of fly. We logged 5958 miles over 12 states. I did 99.95% of the driving. I am 6'2" and prefer my full size Chevy truck. I also have historical lower back issues. That all being said, I found the seats completely fine with no issues. They were comfortable and performed well. In fact, if we are only road tripping (no off road, no towing, etc), I will always take her CX-5 instead of my truck. I was very surprised by this little SUV.

 

The downside with seats is: everybody's butt shape is different. What works fine for one person might well be an examination of micro-aches for another.

I've got a 2016 CX-5 GT, and the five-year-old seats are pretty comfortable for me. I tend to work best with firmer seats ... so long as they're shaped right. Better still would be the Recaro ErgoMed, and I'll swap one in soon enough (due to old injuries that makes even the slightest deformation or tilt painful). But the factory seats work well. My own are the perforated leather type.

All I can suggest is to spend a good amount of time sitting and driving in one, before you decide. Can't imagine that the surface upholstery would alter the fitment or firmness enough to impact comfort.

 

100% agreed. In my case, the side bolsters put a lot of pressure from the sides and I feel as if I am sitting on a very narrow seat. This is my main complaint about an otherwise great car. It's my wife's daily driver and she has no complaints at all so I am not attempting any modification to the seat at all

As pointed out by other forum members, finding a rental or asking the dealer for at least one day with the car will give you an indication if the seats work for you or not. FWIF, Mazda seems to have considered all the feedback on the seats since they apparently did a re-design for the 2022 CX-5.