Road Test Review – 2025 Mazda CX-5 Carbon Edition

The Mazda CX-5 might feel like it’s being pushed out of the spotlight with the CX-50 and the bigger CX-90 filling the niches that it was once asked to fill by itself. However, the CX-5 is still a strong seller for Mazda and the CUV even has a strong following of customers who have stuck with the model despite broader changes in Mazda’s lineup.

Mazda has decided to reward this loyalty with the 2025 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Carbon Edition. Carbon models are typically known for injecting more style into a Mazda model but with the CX-5 potentially facing the axe when the current generation’s time on the market comes to a close, is there still enough for customers to come back to it, or are they better off in the CX-50 or CX-90?

CX-5 has a highwire act on its hands

The 2025 Mazda CX-5 has always represented the brand’s key pillars, luxury, sportiness, and affordability with the CX-5 expected to appeal to all three of these things at once. That’s alot of ground to cover for a CUV but Carbon Edition models like our tester do a good job straddling that fine line while still looking good. Unlike other style-focused trims, the CX-5 Carbon Edition does not use excess chrome accents or other stylistic bits of tomfoolery and instead has a simple sporty look with the black accents giving the CX-5 a more sinister vibe especially when viewed from certain angles. 

The body lines also play a key role in enhancing the style of the CUV and they do their part in injecting more sportiness into the design with the Polymetal Grey paint also doing its part to add more depth to the CX-5’s personality. These changes roughly sum up what the Carbon Edition brings to the table and it’s refreshing to see Mazda still take the subtle route in regards to upgrades. 

Luxurious interior provides a major stumble

Slip inside the interior of the CX-5 and you’ll find a cabin that continues to deliver the best in luxury and comfort to buyers. The leather seats in our tester were very comfortable and supportive with Carbon Editions like our example getting Red accented seats. The red is contrasted by splashes of black leather trim and other high-quality materials. This comfort extends into the second-row but here, the CX-5’s act begins to come undone at the seams with taller passengers having tight headroom to contend with.

The rear doorways are also narrower than some rivals and that will certainly give buyers with larger builds issues when they get in and out of the CUV. However, the biggest chink in the CX-5’s armor and the one that’s enough to give it a major stumble on the proverbial high wire is the infotainment system. The stereo itself produces a good sound, but Mazda still has a very analog way of dealing with system functions with the screen being controlled by a large control wheel. Thankfully, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard but they also show off the odd quirks the system has. When you’re phone is connected through either of these options, the screen becomes a full touch unit, but only when the CX-5 is parked. When on the move, the system forces you to use the finicky control knob only (an odd state of affairs.)

Cargo room is also commendable when you fold the second-row seats down but while the space available is on par with rivals, there are some which surpass it with the Honda CR-V offering much more cargo space than the Mazda. The CX-5 also suffers from some internal competition in this regard too with the CX-50 having a better cargo area for people to work with.

CX-5 Carbon goes through the paces but likes to take its time

Performance for Carbon models like our tester comes from a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 187 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque with all-wheel drive coming standard. The engine is not boring in any way and the power on hand is more than enough for most people, but buyers coming in from a rival with a turbocharged engine will be in for an adjustment with the wheezy 2.5 liter lacking the low-end punch that we have come to expect from boosted engines in its segment.  

A six-speed automatic is the lone transmission on hand and while it does a good job of going through the gears, it’s missing a few gears when compared to the competition. The engine stop/start feature is also clunky and we chose to have the feature turned off for the duration of its stay with us. Handling on the other hand was balanced and while the Carbon Edition will not set the world on fire with its cornering behavior, the responses that are baked into the suspension will be more than enough for most people.

Value Quotient

 

Pricing for the Carbon Edition starts at $32,800 for the 2.5-liter model with our tester’s light sprinkling of options causing the price to go up slightly to just over $34,000. A turbo variant is also available but buyers will have to pay a noticeable premium over the 2.5 version with this flavor of Carbon starting at over $38,000 when taxes and fees are applied.

The pricing is on par with others in its segment and the amount of sporty style baked into its lines also makes the CX-5 a pretty compelling CUV at first glance. However, look past the shiny veneer and the CX-5’s attempts at appealing to all niches opens it up to internal cannibalization. The CX-50 is slightly larger and more expensive but its wagon shape and its sharper focus on the essentials allow it to have a leg up over the CX-5. This tendency has also helped fuel rumors about the CX-5’s future with Mazda potentially shelving the CX-5 to help take some pressure off the CX-50 and to expand its sales reach. 

For its part, Mazda has neither confirmed nor denied these rumors, but separate reports suggest a next-generation model is coming but with a hybrid powertrain to help the next-generation CX-5 fall in line with the brand’s recent push into hybrid vehicles.