I drove the 2016 Mazda CX-5 to Cincinnati to see my niece play her role in Annie Jr. It is a simple 2 hr trip there and two hour trip back. In other words, just enough time for The Captain to indulge in a bit of a midlife crisis.
You see the CX-5 is more than a functional vehicle. It offers a taste of style, luxury, and sport. One of the things that impressed me immediately was its mighty get up and go. During the 4 hours that I spent on the road driving into and out of Ohio, I noticed that I had the power to make safe lane changes and pass trucks and other sub speed limit cars on the freeway.
It was a comfortable ride, leather seats, sleek contours both in and out of the car, I felt a bit of my own youth creeping back into the driver’s seat.
The car was fuel efficient, and included a number of safety features, but the thing I loved about the car the most was the media center. Yes, that’s right, the media center was the big hit for me. They call it the Infotainment Center and it holds everything – Pandora, Sirius/XM, radio, USB port for your phone or device. But the best part about this hub of amusement was the control.
Yes, you could reach up to the fancy touch screen and operate the controls there, or you could use the toggle dial that was located on the console in between the two front seats – RIGHT WHERE YOUR HAND NORMALLY RESTS. It is a genius instrument.
For the entire trip I was able to safely toggle between stations, navigation, and back to stations with minimal effort. This afforded me two luxuries: 1. I was able to keep my eyes on the road where they belonged. and 2. I had a wide assortment of options for travel karaoke. I sang my way all the way to Cincy and back.
You wouldn’t necessarily think of the Infotainment Center being a safety option, but in this case it allows the driver to keep his (or her attention) on driving – where the attention should be.
Size wise the CX-5 was amenable to holding 5 adults comfortably on our trip to the school and back. And as a larger driver (I’m built like an aging middle linebacker) I was comfortable in the car with and without passengers.
Though it was indeed a short trip, I do have to say that my voyage in the CX-5 was a joyride. And though it was not a full out mid life crisis – I did get to indulge in the joys of an open rode and well balanced speakers. With no one to complain if I was on or off key.
Disclosure: Though I was not compensated for this post, I was loaned a vehicle through Drive Shop for the purpose of writing this review. My thoughts, words, and off key singing are my own.