2026 Mazda CX-5 Starts At $31,485, $90 More Than The Slightly Larger CX-50

Mazda's SUV lineup is really confusing, and that intensifies with the redesigned 2026 CX-5. Mazda announced pricing for the new CX-5 today, which starts at $31,485 for the base 2.5 S trim (including $1,495 destination), an increase of $940 over the 2025 car — and confusingly $90 more than the larger 2026 Mazda CX-50. The CX-5's top trim level is the 2.5 S Premium Plus, which starts at a still reasonable $40,485.

The outgoing CX-5 was criticized for having a smaller rear seat and cargo area than many of its competitors, so Mazda stretched the wheelbase on the new CX-5 by almost four inches to a length of 110 inches to make more interior room. Overall length has also grown by 4.5 inches to 184.6 inches. The larger CX-50 has a nearly identical 110.8-inch wheelbase and 185.8-inch overall length, so the two models will be more similarly sized than ever. We will get firsthand experience behind the wheel of the 2026 Mazda CX-5 at the launch event next month, and the review will publish shortly after.

What do you get for your $31,485? The base CX-5 2.5 S has the only powertrain offered at launch, a carryover 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that sends 187 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels as standard. Mazda's suite of active safety and driver's assistance features comes standard and includes adaptive cruise control with speed limit detection and traffic sign recognition, as well as rear cross traffic alert and braking, blind spot detection, lane-keep assist, front and rear parking sensors, and Driver Attention Alert.

Tech-wise, the base CX-5 2.5 S gets a 10.25-inch digital tachometer, an eight-speaker stereo, and a 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment display with standard wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wireless phone mirroring is standard on all other trims). Both front seats are manually adjustable, with eight adjustments for the driver and six adjustments for the passenger, while rear seats get a center arm rest and reclining back rests. Dual-zone automatic climate control is standard, but rear-seat air vents are only standard on trims above the base 2.5 S. Other trim levels include more luxurious features such as ventilated front seats, ambient lighting, a 12-speaker Bose stereo, a hands-free power tailgate, a 360-camera system, a larger 15.6-inch infotainment screen, and paddle shifters.

Mazda

Though the new CX-5 drops the turbocharged powertrain for the 2026 model year, driving enthusiasts will be happy to learn that the all-wheel-drive system now has a brake-based limited-slip differential to aid in on-and-off-road situations. These changes should all come together to make the 2026 CX-5 more competitive in the crowded and competitive compact crossover market.