The Mazda CX-5 has always been a well-loved car with our family audience and it is easy to see why. This five-seater SUV is a great all-rounder that does everything well, and although the 2022 Mazda CX-5 Touring tested here is getting towards the end of its life before it is due a major update it doesn't feel it and still sits very favourably alongside its competitors. Let's see why in our BabyDrive testing…
The exterior still looks modern and fresh and the interior cabin is a modern, minimal and memorable place to be.
When it comes to installing child seats in the back of the Mazda CX-5 there are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats and top tether anchorages on the back of all three, that are easily accessible through the boot.
My favourite thoughtful feature of the Mazda CX-5 is the retractable roller blind because it has flaps on the back it that fill the gap between it and the seat backs, which allows you to easily pass the top tether straps through to the boot. The blind also attaches to the inside of the boot and goes up with the tailgate when it opens, keeping it well out of the way so it doesn't get damaged. I wish all cargo blinds were like this!
Now back to the child seats! The 2022 Mazda CX-5 is a versatile five-seater SUV and you can fit three Infasecure child seats across the back row! Now you do need to pick your child seats carefully and check they fit first but we could fit the Infasecure Attain More, Achieve More and Aspire More across the rear seats.
It is a much more spacious and comfortable everyday solution with two Infasecure child seats in the back; we had the Infasecure Attain More and Aspire More really comfortably.
Legroom in the Mazda CX-5 is something I am asked about A LOT! So with our three Infasecure child seats installed, we could fit a 180cm passenger in front of a rear-facing Attain More and a 176cm driver in front of a rear-facing Infasecure Attain More child seat. To learn more about the child seats used in this review, just click on the link here.
Storage is good throughout the 2022 Mazda CX-5. In the back, a fold-down armrest in the central seatback includes a good lidded storage area with USB sockets as well as two cup holders. There are also practical-sized map pockets and door bins that will each hold a refillable water bottle. There are also air vents in the back of the central console box so the rear passengers can be kept comfortable too while driving.
In the front things are equally good, with two cup holders in the central console for your takeaway coffee and a good size central console box.
It's great to see there is still a lined glasses case in the ceiling, something that has been gotten rid of in most modern cars and replaced by all the safety gear but leaving you nowhere to store your sunnies!
The glovebox has a generous storage space and the door bins in the front will hold a refillable water bottle as well as room for an iPad.
Boot space in the 2022 Mazda CX-5 is good for a medium SUV. It fits fourteen shopping bags, when empty, which is comparable to the Hyundai Tucson which also holds fourteen shopping bags, the Toyota RAV4 which holds fifteen and the Kia Sportage which holds sixteen shopping bags.
The boot area is nice and flat and carpeted so it's good for an emergency nappy change, or remove the cargo blind and you can carry a small or medium-size family dog.
The media system in the 2022 Mazda CX-5 is a little out of date now but still super easy to use and navigate. You can use the touchscreen while stationary but while driving it can only be controlled with the rotary dial down in the central console.
It does have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making it easier to use your phone's navigation, messaging and listening apps while driving although it isn't as easy to use with the Mazda's rotary controller as you get with a regular touchscreen.
The reversing camera is good enough but the image is not quite as sharp as more modern systems and you do get a slight intrusion of the CX-5's bodywork around the top of the view.
You can easily turn the parking sensors off with a button by the driver's knee.
The 2022 Mazda CX-5 is a great mid-sized five-seater SUV to drive and although it is a little bit ‘revvy' when accelerating up hills it's just a get-in-and-go car that does everything well. It doesn't feel like too much has changed in this 2022 CX-5 model since I first reviewed one in 2018 but it's still a great option for families looking for a practical and stylish five-seater SUV.
The Mazda CX-5 scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2017. It has six airbags as standard dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags as standard.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the 2022 Mazda CX-5?
From empty, fourteen shopping bags fit in the CX-5's boot, which is comparable to the Hyundai Tucson which also holds fourteen shopping bags, the Toyota RAV4 which holds fifteen and the Kia Sportage which holds sixteen shopping bags.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as the kids  lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
The twin stroller fits nicely in the boot of the 2022 Mazda CX-5 with two shopping bags.
A tandem pram fits nicely in the boot of the Mazda CX-5 with six shopping bags beside it.
The single pram fits in the boot of the Mazda CX-5 with six shopping bags beside it.
The compact stroller fits in the boot easily with ten shopping bags beside it.
Or if you remove the roller blind you could transport a small or medium-sized dog.
The boot of the Mazda CX-5 is nice and even, flat and carpeted. Good for transporting dogs and perfect for an emergency nappy change!
The retractable roller blind in the Mazda CX-5 is fantastic, it attaches to the boot door and goes up with it when you open the tailgate so it doesn't hang down into the boot space when loading and unloading. Also, it has two flaps that fill the space between the bar and the seatbacks, which move so you can easily post top tether straps through to the boot.
How good is the storage in the 2022 Mazda CX-5?
Storage inside the CX-5 is practical for families and good throughout.
There are two cup holders in the central console that will hold a reusable and disposable coffee cup.
The central console box behind them is a good size.
In front of the gear lever is a phone charging tray.
There is a lined glasses case in the ceiling.
The glove box is practical, holding an iPad with a wallet and the manual.
Door bins in the front are also a practical size holding a refillable water bottle and an iPad.
In the back, the storage is also practical for families with good size map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold and conceal an iPad.
In the central seat back, there is a fold-down armrest with two cup holders that will hold reusable or disposable coffee cup and a storage tray with USB sockets so it is good for rear phone storage and charging.
The rear door bins of the Mazda CX-5 will old a refillable water bottle.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2022 Mazda CX-5? How good is the media system in the Mazda CX-5?
The Mazda CX-5 is not a particularly noisy car. The parking sensors in the Mazda CX-5 are similar to those in the CX-3 and MX-30Â and are very BabyDrive friendly! Situated by the driver's right knee is a button so you can turn the parking sensors off, which is great when driving babies to sleep.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
Also situated in this panel of buttons is the auto engine cut-out switch, it’s called i-Stop in Mazdas, and I find it is great to be able to turn that off as well so it doesn't disturb sleeping babies when you're at a red traffic light.
I find this function really disturbing for sleeping babies, you have just got your baby to sleep in the car and you stop at lights and the engine turns off sometimes they will stay asleep but when the engine shudders to a start again it shakes baby awake and all your efforts are ruined!! Even coming to a stop at lights with the engine running can be enough to wake a sleeping child so turning the engine off and on again will definitely do it! I have driven routes I know have roundabouts rather than lights just to avoid coming to a stop for any length of time!!
The indicator volume in the CX-5 is not loud enough to affect my daughter while she was sleeping.
The 2022 Mazda CX-5 media screen is small compared to a lot of modern cars and the system is a little dated but it is still a favourite of mine, being simple and easy to use and navigate.
It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so I can easily access my phone's communication, navigation and audio apps, everything I need through that.
It is a touch screen when you are stationary but when you are driving you can only use the rotary dial and buttons down in the central console, not the touch screen. This makes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto a bit trickier than regular touchscreens but you do get used to it.
The reversing camera image is small and a little pixilated too but the car feels small with good visibility so it is still easy to park and manoeuvre the Mazda CX-5.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2022 Mazda CX-5?
There are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats of the CX-5, they are not within plastic guides but still nice and easy to connect to.
There are top tether anchorage points on the backs of all three rear seats, they are within plastic guides and clearly labelled and I found them easy to access through the boot.
The rear seats are flat and minimal, giving a good base for child seats.
Also, in the 2022 Mazda CX-5 I could fit three Infasecure child seats in the back of the Mazda CX-5. You do need to be careful to check the seats will fit but I could fit two Infasecure Attain Mores rear-facing and an Aspire More forward-facing in the middle.
With rear-facing child seats in the back, legroom is a consideration. We could fit a 180cm passenger in front of the Attain More and a 176cm driver in front of the Infasecure Attain More rear-facing.
We found two child seats are much more comfortable in the back and as such, the Mazda CX-5 would make a practical and enjoyable SUV for a family of four. It's not that comfortable for an adult to fit between two child seats (I am 162cm) as it's quite a squeeze but you could do it for a short journey.
With only one child seat installed, there is enough room for feeding Bub in the back.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2022 Mazda CX-5 as a family car?
The front seats of the 2022 Mazda CX-5 have been upgraded but are not as comfortable as I had hoped they'd be. They feel like they are over full with stuffing! Also, I could not wear a ponytail because the headrests are not adjustable and people with long legs find there's not enough support under their thighs, so they feel perched.
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
In the back, the seats are full of stuffing too but I found them more comfortable.
The steering wheel is nice to hold and is fully adjustable in/out and up/down.
There are four air-con vents across the front dashboard; two in the centre below the media screen and one at each end of the dash.
There are aircon vents in the back of the central console box in the Mazda CX-5 so you can keep rear passengers comfortable while driving along.
Visibility is good in the Mazda CX-5, making parking and manoeuvring easy too.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread when we get big cars or Utes as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Mazda CX-5 was nice and easy to reverse park.
There are handles above the rear doors which are useful for hanging a baby toy from to keep Bub entertained on journeys.
We found the 2022 Mazda CX-5 a fun and easy little SUV to drive around town and out on the open roads with our family. For all our usual school and daycare drop offs and pick ups, shopping and commutes it made a practical and enjoyable family car.
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
How safe is the 2022 Mazda CX-5 for my family?
The Mazda CX-5 was given a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2017, scoring 95% for adult occupant protection and scoring 80% for Child Occupant Protection.
In child occupant protection crash testing, ANCAP said:
In the frontal offset test, protection of the 10 year child dummy was good for the chest and the head. However, dummy readings of neck tension indicated poor protection of this part of the body. Protection of the chest of the 6 year child dummy was marginal but that of the head and neck was good. In the side impact test, both dummies were well protected.
The Mazda CX-5 has six airbags as standard:
Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags are standard.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound.
I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub's asleep!
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