Cross shopping for a new vehicle has been made more difficult recently as everything is either “premium” or edging towards luxury. Luxury automakers have to turn up the features to 11 to even be considered luxury anymore. Perhaps the most competitive segment in the automotive industry isn’t necessarily the midsize segment; it’s actually the compact SUV segment. This is where the more affordable options lie and offer everything except for a higher towing capacity and room for seven.
Currently, the compact luxury SUVs include the Porsche Macan, the Genesis GV70, and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, to name a few. What we’re comparing this to, however, is a budget Lexus. While the RX sits in the mid-size segment, the NX is a compact, and the subcompact Lexus UX is considerably the more “budget friendly” of the three. It has a starting MSRP of around $38,000. There is one, however, that offers even more than the UX at less of a premium.
2026 Mazda CX-90 Driving Passenger Side Front 3/4Mazda
The main brand that has pioneered the near luxury value proposition is the Japanese automaker Mazda. For the past decade or so, they have gone and made their vehicles something serious to be desired. They offer more premium interior quality and a driving experience akin to a German-made sports sedan or SUV.
They are also simply designed from an exterior perspective, as well as from an engineering perspective, with the use of two main powertrains and one simple transmission. The body lines have sleek but effective styling, and their frames are so versatile that you really can’t go wrong.
How Kodo Design Makes Mazdas Look Like They’re Moving At A Standstill
2026 Mazda CX-30 rear 3/4 driving viewMazda
Like any other car brand, Mazda likes to give their styling names. Kodo means “Soul of Motion” and is the current styling language that the brand is focused on. Simply put, it states that the vehicle looks like it’s in motion even when it’s not. If you look, for example, at the Mazda CX-30, you can see an S curve on the front and rear door panels that illustrates an “in motion” motif that you can’t find on many other cars. They’ve also been able to design all of their SUVs with a long hood and close to no overhang on the backend.
Double-Laminated Glass And Minimal Body Gaps Deliver Near-Luxury Silence
Shot of 2026 Mazda CX-90 interior showing front cabinMazda
Mazda has also heavily invested in noise, vibration, and harshness reduction. They employ features like double-laminated glass, thick floor carpeting, and minimal body gaps. This sort of NVH treatment helps reduce wind and tire noise at highway speeds. This helps make the car brand have a more luxurious perception as one of the main focuses of car brands is quiet and comfortable cabins.
The Third-Gen CX-5 Is Bigger, More Premium, And $17,000+ Cheaper Than A Lexus NX
Front 3/4 action shot of 2026 Mazda CX-5 in red driving on roadMazda
The Mazda CX-5 was introduced in 2013. We are currently in the third generation that was introduced this model year, 2026, and carries an MSRP of $29,990. It is their compact crossover SUV offering and is one of their most popular SUVs with 136,333 units sold in 2025. This generation has even more of a focus on premium interior offerings, as well as a more premium experience in general.
Their other aim is to offer this kind of premium experience at half the cost, from an upfront standpoint to a maintenance standpoint. It also has a slightly larger footprint and grew about four inches from the previous generation. But what exactly does ‘premium at half the cost’ look like when you’re sitting inside it — and does the driving experience hold up?
Ambient Lighting And A Button-Free Dash Borrow Directly From Luxury Playbooks
Interior of the 2026 Mazda CX-5Mazda
Mazda was really able to pull out all the stops for the Mazda CX-90 and CX-70. They had to keep prices low on the CX-5, but were still able to offer a similarly luxurious cabin. The biggest trend in luxury right now is a “clutter-free” environment, which basically means there are no buttons. While some may not enjoy that sort of styling, it does leave room for clean horizontal lines and premium soft-touch materials. Something else the CX-5 now offers, as opposed to the previous generation, is ambient lighting. The design language for their interiors is called “Jinba Ittai”, which retains a harmonious seat position.
A Google-Powered 15.6-Inch Screen And Height-Adaptive Seating Set A New Compact SUV Standard
Close-up shot of 2026 Mazda CX-5 interior trimMazda
On the interior, instead of pesky buttons clogging up the dashboard, you are now treated to a standard 12.9-inch infotainment screen or the optional 15.6 inch version. It’s powered by Google, has a voice assistant, and wireless smartphone mirroring. Ergonomics comes into play with their new ideal seating-position feature that uses your height to help determine the best seating position in the driver’s seat. There are thankfully still buttons on the steering wheel, and if you don’t feel like fiddling through the touchscreen menus, you can at least use your voice to change the settings.
Driving Specifications
Close-up shot of 2026 Mazda CX-5 step plateMazda
There have been a few changes for the 2026 third-generation powertrain offerings. Budget SUVs, like the Lexus UX, exclusively offer hybrid powertrains. Mazda, on the other hand, is offering their same standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and will eventually, for the 2027 model year, have their own bespoke, hybrid power train. The previous turbocharged engine offered 256 horsepower with 93-octane fuel. While we don’t have the exact numbers for the new powertrain, it is estimated that it will output between 200 and 220 horsepower.
Powertrain, Power Delivery
Rear 3/4 shot of 2026 Mazda CX-5 parkedMazda
The 2026 Mazda CX-5 is powered by the same naturally aspirated 2.5-liter in-line four-cylinder engine that is transversely mounted and outputs 187 horsepower. It also produces a near equivalent 186 pound feet of torque that is tied to an all-wheel-drive drivetrain. While it doesn’t suffer from any sort of turbo lag, it does suffer from a weak 0-to-60 mph time of between eight and 8.5 seconds, according to Car and Driver. It also still employs the use of the same six-speed automatic transmission. Most of Lexus’ hybrid powertrains (like the UX) feature a CVT which can drone and not feel as responsive.
A More Plush Ride
Profile shot of 2026 Mazda CX-5 parkedMazda
Depending on who you ask, this could either be a good or a bad thing. Mazda CX-5 engineers recalibrated the damper system and widened the piston diameters to deliver a smoother, more luxurious ride. This comes at the cost of the previous generation’s more sporty ride and has completely reconfigured the way the CX-5 drives. It does, however, still retain some of its signature sporty features like the G-Vectoring Control Plus and similar steering weight. However, there are those that have stated that the ride has changed significantly.
New Tech And New Safety Features
The Mazda CX-5 has always been a reliable and safe vehicle for families. The 2026, third generation, is no different. They focused more with this generation on standard driver-assistance tech, as well as some new features like lane-change assist and rear cross-traffic braking. The previous generation had a fair number of safety features, but this generation is not only more protective, but also somewhat more luxurious.
A Safety Suite Worth Noting
Rear end of the 2026 Mazda CX-5Mazda
Mazda refers to their safety system as the i-Activsense. The Mazda CX-5 now has standard smart brake support for front and rear driving, whether it be emergency braking for highway driving or backing up in a parking lot. Blind-spot monitoring in the previous generation wasn’t nearly as responsive and would remain active for extended periods. This has been improved and will force the car back into the lane if there is an oncoming vehicle that you haven’t seen. The adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist now feature, in the gauge cluster, a Tesla-style layout where you can see the vehicles in each adjacent lane. This gives you full visibility of the road.
A Decorated, Safe Vehicle
Interior of the 2026 Mazda CX-5Mazda
IIHS has already safety tested the third generation Mazda CX-5. In fact, they awarded it their Top Safety Pick+ for the 2026 model year. The only “average” score it received was for the headlights, but that is dependent on which trim you choose. NHTSA has not given it a score as of the writing of this article. It did, however, receive a high score last year for the previous generation, according to JD Power, with 82 out of 100 overall and a quality and reliability score of 82 out of 100. So not only does this model give Lexus a literal run for its money, but it also rivals it when it comes to quality and reliability.
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