Rhode Island vacation with the 2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature AWD
I was in Rhode Island this past week, from Wednesday, June 12th-19th, and I was fortunate enough to be able to drive the 2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature AWD while there.
The car got dropped off on a super rainy day, so I wasn't able to explore it much that day, but the next day it was bright and sunny out, and I was able to take it around town.
This is a nice-looking car, especially with the paint job ("Deep Crystal Blue," which I believe I had last year when I drove the Mazda3 Grand Touring, also in Rhode Island). There's also plenty of trunk space, which you don't always get in an SUV (or crossover, which this technically is).
Although Rhode Island is a small state, I joked with my aunt that everything is either a 5-minute drive or a 45-minute one. For example: when I went to Dunkin' Donuts down the road, it was 5-minutes; however, to visit my cousins or go to the Theatre by the Sea, which we went to on Saturday, it's 45 minutes.
This is the 6th Mazda vehicle I've reviewed, and I'm definitely a fan. With Mazda, I know I'm getting a comfortable ride, and most of the time, GPS—I'm not sure if this a premium feature or not, but their GPS is usually pretty reliable, too.
The GPS screen is touchscreen, or you can control it from the knobs near the driver's seat.
I always like to sit in the backseat, too, to experience what my passengers would, and I found some pretty cool features—there's a USB area for charging your phones or other devices, and heated seats, for those rough New England (or Michigan) winters. The heated seats buttons were a little bit hidden—I found them in the cup holder area. The steering wheel (driver's side, obviously) can also be heated, as well as the front two seats. The car overall can seat up to five people.
I was also pleased to see this car had adaptive cruise control, which is one of my favorite features in a new car; once you get on the highway and set your speed limit, the car basically drives itself. Super convenient.
This car also had a driver's seat memory feature, with two different buttons, I believe, which is convenient if you have two people who drive the car.
The car also came equipped with a moonroof, Sirius XM satellite radio—always good for vacations, for me, since I don't know the local station numbers—and a rear windshield wiper, which was good for the few days it rained during my trip.
Overall, I really enjoyed driving this car—it was a smooth ride, and it ferried myself and my aunt to everywhere we needed to be while I was visiting her in Rhode Island. I will say the miles per gallon is not the best—it's an average of 24 mpg (22 city, 27 highway)—but I'd have to look at other crossover vehicles to see how it compares to those.
The version I drove (2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature AWD) retails for $39,905, but the 2019 Mazda CX-5 (Sport version) starts at $24,350, which in my opinion is a reasonable price for the quality, although it doesn't have adaptive cruise control. The Touring model, which starts at $28,015, does have it.
Have you ever driven or owned a Mazda car? If so, how was your experience?
