Mazda cx-5

With the new CX-5, Mazda has finally released a complete vehicle designed around their Skyactiv philosophy. The result is a small SUV with almost a Miata’s worth of racetrack talent and the best mileage numbers in the market – but is anybody really asking for a “performance alternative” to the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V?

The CUV segment is among the hottest in the market right now, fueled by scarcely believable sales numbers from the Ford Escape and Honda CR-V. Unfortunately for Mazda, the company has never had a homegrown vehicle to offer those buyers. The Tribute was a quickie rebadge of the Escape that didn’t fool anyone; the CX-7 was a sleek spaceship of a crossover that was always just a little bit too big, too fuel-thirsty, and too expensive to really make any friends.

Although a CR-V clone would pack the showrooms and make some short-term money for Mazda, nobody really expected them to build one. Instead, we have the CX-5, which aims to combine traditional Mazda virtues like light weight, simplicity, and driver-focused design with the new Skyactiv suite of technologies. The result is perhaps the most interesting $21,000 car on the market.

What is Skyactiv? As implemented in the CX-5, it’s a complete departure from previous Mazda platforms. The unibody is all-new, designed to maximize space while cutting weight severely. Indeed, the CX-5 is between 220 and 500 lbs. lighter than the equivalent CX-7, depending on trim level, while providing very similar interior space. A completely re-imagined gasoline engine uses special long-tube headers and unique piston design to safely raise compression to 13:1, yielding 155 horsepower and 150 lb-ft. of torque. The manual and automatic transmissions – yes, two kinds are on offer for the North American market – both feature six forward gears and are claimed to be significantly lighter than their predecessors.

Buyers who do expect those qualities won’t have to look any further than the Mazda CX-5, and they won’t suffer much of a practicality penalty for doing so.

2013 Mazda CX-5 base price range, $20,685 to $28,295