Mazda‘s first stab at a small 4×4 is a worthy one, as the CX-5 stands up well to established rivals such as the VW Tiguan with superb practicality and best-in-class emissions and economy -119g/km and 61.4mpg – from the cleanest version.
Tested here is the top-end version, complete with an automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive. As four-wheel drive automatics of this size go, the figures aren’t bad – 144g/km and 51.4mpg put many a rival to shame, even those without the heavier drivetrain and associated higher running costs of an automatic transmission.
Even so, unless you really need the transmission and drive to every wheel, there’s little in favour of this version given how clean and economical the lower-powered front-wheel drive model is. Furthermore, the additional 25hp doesn’t really make itself known, so there’s even less of an incentive for fleets to plump for the top-end version, especially with the higher P11D cost.
