Compare the2022 Buick EncoreVS 2021 Mazda CX-5

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Buick Encore are height-adjustable, and the rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Mazda CX-5 has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

The Buick Encore has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The CX-5 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Compared to metal, the Encore’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Mazda CX-5 has a metal gas tank.

Both the Encore and the CX-5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, collision warning systems, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Buick Encore is safer than the Mazda CX-5:

	Encore	CX-5
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Compression	12 lbs.	23 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.3 inches	.5 inches
Neck Stress	122 lbs.	205 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	249/289 lbs.	449/262 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Buick Encore is safer than the Mazda CX-5:

	Encore	CX-5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	81
Abdominal Force	120 G’s	126 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	100	208
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	65 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	382	449

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Encore’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the CX-5’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are almost 4 times as many Buick dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Encore’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Encore has a 130-amp alternator. The CX-5’s standard 100-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Encore third among small suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The CX-5 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick 7th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 22nd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 14th.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Encore gets better fuel mileage than the CX-5:

			MPG
Encore
	2WD	1.4 Turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy
	4WD	1.4 Turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy
CX-5
	2WD	2.5 Turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/28 hwy
	4WD	2.5 Turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Buick Encore uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CX-5 with the 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Encore has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

The Encore stops much shorter than the CX-5:

	Encore	CX-5
70 to 0 MPH	175 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	136 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	144 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Encore’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CX-5 Sport/Touring’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Encore has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the CX-5 Sport/Touring.

Suspension and Handling

The Encore has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The CX-5’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Encore handles at .82 G’s, while the CX-5 Signature AWD pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The Buick Encore may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 450 pounds less than the Mazda CX-5.

The Encore is 10.7 inches shorter than the CX-5, making the Encore easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Encore uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The CX-5 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The front step up height for the Encore is .8 inches lower than the CX-5 (16.8” vs. 17.6”). The Encore’s rear step up height is 1.4 inches lower than the CX-5’s (16.8” vs. 18.2”).

Servicing Ease

The Encore has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery’s water level. The CX-5 doesn’t have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery’s cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Encore and the CX-5 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Encore is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The CX-5 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Encore’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The CX-5’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Encore’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Mazda only offers heated mirrors on the CX-5 Grand Touring/Signature.

The Encore offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Encore is less expensive to operate than the CX-5 because typical repairs cost much less on the Encore than the CX-5, including $124 less for a starter, $251 less for fuel injection and $26 less for front struts.

Recommendations

The Buick Encore has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Encore	CX-5
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	TRUE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE