Compare the2023 Honda CR-VVS 2023 Mazda CX-5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Mazda CX-5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the CR-V are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Honda CR-V 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.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The CX-5’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the CR-V’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The CX-5 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CR-V its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CX-5 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2023.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the CR-V for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Mazda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the CX-5.

There are almost 2 times as many Honda dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CR-V’s warranty.

The CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 3 more horsepower (190 vs. 187) than the CX-5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V gets better mileage than the CX-5:

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the CR-V’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The CX-5 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The CR-V 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.

The CR-V has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the CR-V’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the CX-5:

The CR-V stops shorter than the CX-5:

For better traction, the CR-V has larger tires than the CX-5 (235/60R18 vs. 225/65R17).

The CR-V’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CX-5’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CR-V has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the CX-5.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the CR-V is .5 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the CX-5.

The CR-V EX-L AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the CX-5 pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The CR-V EX-L AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the CX-5 (28 seconds @ .59 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

The Honda CR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 pounds less than the Mazda CX-5.

The front grille of the CR-V uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The CX-5 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The CR-V 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.

The CR-V has .3 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear legroom and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-5.

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the CX-5 with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 30.8 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-5 with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 59.3 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the CR-V easier. The CR-V’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 26 inches, while the CX-5’s liftover is 29.4 inches.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the CR-V. The CX-5 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The CR-V uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The CX-5 uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The CR-V EX-L’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The CX-5 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

On a hot day the CR-V’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance with the keyless remote or at the outside door handle. The driver of the CX-5 can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The CR-V’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 CR-V’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Mazda only offers heated mirrors on the CX-5 Premium/Turbo.

The CR-V has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the CX-5 Select/Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo.

Both the CR-V and the CX-5 offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the CR-V has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The CX-5 doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The CR-V is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda CR-V and the Mazda CX-5, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The CR-V was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “5Best Trucks/10Best” for 2023 and 3 more times in the last 22 years. The CX-5 hasn’t been picked since 2021.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The CX-5 has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the Mazda CX-5 by 57% during 2022.