2014 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

2014 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds long-term update of the 2014 Mazda CX-5 includes discussion of the CX-5's cargo hold and space efficiency on a road trip.

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legacygt

Is that a see through cargo cover? Isn't one of the reasons you use a cargo cover to keep prying eyes from seeing what you've got in the cargo area?

The "20" folding section of rear seat is nice. 40/20/40 folding seats used to only be available on a handful of vehicles. It's nice to see this feature trickling down to right-priced small CUVs. I will my CX-9 had this.

Nice way to secure the pack n play but how do you keep the frame from launching out of the "mattress" when you stop?

fordson1

Hmm...OK, so let's say you want to go away for a week instead of a weekend - ?

fsunole

legacygt, it's see through only when the hatch is opened. The see through mesh part retracts when the hatch is closed and the solid part you see above the see through mesh is what covers the cargo hold. I agree with the 40/20/40 seats. To me, that feature is infinitely better than a few extra cubes of space in the CR-V or it's fold down seat levers. The CX-5 has the levers too, but I notice when I pull on them it doesn't always go down completely flat, sometimes it needs a little extra push. However, the 40/20/40 is super useful when carrying a longer object (like a tailgate tent) because it still allows you to use the two outboard seats instead of shoving two grown people into the 60% portion of a rear seat. The CX-5 is the only compact SUV to have this feature and it was a big selling point for me.

s197gt

i'm much less concerned about packing since i got a trailer hitch and can use my friend's hitch-mounted cargo basket. couldn't even feel it was there on our last trip.

we also have used a roof-mounted cargo box on my in-law's suburban. again, had no sensation it was even up there.

for a few hundred dollars you can have a lot of piece of mind and less worry about how much to bring and a lot more space inside.

bc1960

The 40-20-40 seat also seems like it might be helpful in keeping two urchins separated if you tell them to stay on their own sides, or else. The one feature which is missing, which the Mazda3 5-door (but oddly not the sedan) and Escape have, is headrests that fold down. Sure, you can remove them, but folding them down for an unobstructed view or when folding the seat is more elegant. How much cost could it add to use the same headrests as the 3?