Exploring Seattle in the 2018 Mazda CX-5

We recently returned from an Alaskan cruise. But before our cruise left, we spent 4 days in Seattle and grew to love the city even more than we already did. When we have visited Seattle before, we didn’t have a car to go exploring beyond the city. This time we did, and it was wonderful! The Mazda CX-5 was our vehicle to whip around Seattle and explore the suburbs.

What did we love about the Mazda CX-5?

• Seats 5 comfortably : You know sometimes you get in those vehicles that state they seat 5 or 6 people, when really what they mean is they 5 or 6 preschoolers. Not really, but you get my point. This vehicle said it seated 5 and it wasn’t an issue with our three boys being in the backseat together. Other times when we’ve had to have them sit together on the bench seat in the back, they’re squished and driving each other crazy. I’m sure if you’re a parent, you know exactly what I’m talking about. I can see some families not really wanting to join the minivan life. If this was the case, I think the Mazda CX-5 would be a great option to try. It’s not a huge SUV, but it’s not a minivan.

• The interior is very well thought out : I love a good looking interior of a car. It needs to have crisp lines and look sleek. The inside of the CX-5 is just as sleek looking as the outside. All you could ever need while driving is within arms reach.
• The Advanced Heads-Up Display : When my husband first saw this feature, he got so excited. The Advanced Heads-Up Display is one of the best things about this car. It magically displays the speed limit, your current speed, blind spot warnings and more right on your windshield. This eliminates the need to look away or down as you are driving. We have never been in a car that has that, and how helpful it was when driving to not have to look down on the dash.

• The trunk space is plenty : Some of the smaller SUV’s that we have been in have smaller trunks. The available Power Rear Liftgate opens and closes at your command with either the available Mazda Advanced Keyless Entry button, or a button located inside the driver’s cabin. Plus, a standard easy-release 40/20/40 split fold-down rear seatback accommodates seating for five, or up to 59.6 cubic feet of cargo space. If we didn’t have five people in our car, we could split the bench seat and make it into two captains seats.

We had never driven a Mazda before our trip to Seattle. We have been Toyota people for as long as I can remember. However, when we first hopped in the CX-5 and took our first spin around Seattle, we were in shock at how much we liked the car.

Have you driven a Mazda CX-5? If you’re in the market for a smaller SUV, this may be the one for you — especially if you have 2 kids.

A huge thanks to Mazda USA for allowing us to test drive the 2018 CX-9 Grand Touring. These opinions are my own.