<http://schema.org/reviewBody>
"  Track Performance: B Road Performance: A- Ease of Use: A- Comfort and Roominess: B+ Mazda&amp;#039;s first foray into traditional crossovers, the CX-5 combines the looks and fuel economy of a smaller, sportier vehicle with the interior space of an SUV. While this car wasn&amp;#039;t always a standout in all of our tests, its excellent combination of features, coupled with its price point, make the CX-5 our value pick among crossovers. At one of the lowest base model costs, the Mazda still manages to pack in high-end extras like rain-sensing wipers (automatically included in the Touring version), directional headlights, and hybrid-esque fuel economy not available on other similarly priced models. Driving Experience Despite Mazda&amp;#039;s &amp;quot;Zoom Zoom&amp;quot; ad campaign, the CX-5 had the second poorest acceleration in Car &amp;amp;amp; Driver&amp;#039;s track testing. Braking, on the other hand, was stellar, and the CX-5 hugged the road, cornering well even during sharp turns and evasive maneuvers. When we took it out on the road, we found the transmission shifted slowly when changing speeds. The engine was louder than we would have liked while revving, as well. Apart from these complaints, the CX-5&amp;#039;s sportier handling made it fun to drive and one of the easiest vehicles to maneuver in our test). Visibility wasn&amp;#039;t great but our test Mazda had optional blind spot indicators, and side mirror-mounted turn signals to help. Perhaps the most interesting option: upgraded headlights can turn with the car to make windy roads and turns more visible. Last but not least, the CX-5 boasts impressive fuel economy \u2014 28mpg combined for our automatic all-wheel drive test vehicle, and an unheard of 26 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and 29 mpg combined for the two-wheel drive manual version. Infotainment System &amp;amp;amp; Controls Mazda&amp;#039;s infotainment system was simple. Layout is straightforward and the voice controls work well. However, we found alternating between the touch screen and steering wheel controls to be confusing. In general, the controls don&amp;#039;t seem to be built around the driver so we found ourselves leaning forward more often than not to adjust the speakers, defrost setting, fans, and so on. Still, all of the settings on the main dash were streamlined and simple to use, making them standouts in our test. Interior &amp;amp;amp; Design The interior of the Mazda is pretty spare \u2014 the CX-5 doesn&amp;#039;t use up space on interior paneling or other aesthetic details \u2014 so the vehicle offers an impressive amount of room for its small stature. The trunk is also roomier than your average crossover and seats fold down easily via levers for extra space. However, a small lip at the edge of the trunk makes it a little trickier to slide heavy packages in and out, and you&amp;#039;ll have to push the seatbelt out of the way to lay seats completely flat \u2014 a problem if you&amp;#039;re trying to load the car with your hands full. A plus: We found it very simple to install a car seat, thanks to clear and easily accessible anchor points. And we also loved the CX-5&amp;#039;s sports car-inspired seats that hug the back making turning feel comfortable and controlled. Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined): 25/31/28 Size Class: Crossover Base Price: $21,490 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/travel-products/crossover-suvs/a29112/2013-mazda-cx-5-grand-touring/>