Compare the2023 Honda CR-V HybridVS 2023 Mazda CX-5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid 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.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the CR-V Hybrid 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 Hybrid’s warranty.

The CR-V Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 17 more horsepower (204 vs. 187) and 61 lbs.-ft. more torque (247 vs. 186) than the CX-5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda CR-V Hybrid is faster than the Mazda CX-5 4 cyl.:

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

Regenerative brakes improve the CR-V Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the CR-V Hybrid’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. The CX-5 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda CR-V Hybrid 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 CR-V Hybrid 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.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda CR-V Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Mazda CX-5 (5 to 7). This means the CR-V Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CX-5 every 15,000 miles.

The CR-V Hybrid 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 Hybrid’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the CX-5:

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

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

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid Sport Touring AWD handles at .79 G’s, while the CX-5 pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the CR-V Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CX-5 (8.2 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the CR-V Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The CR-V Hybrid’s minimum ground clearance is .3 inch higher than on the CX-5 Carbon/Premium/Turbo (8.2 vs. 7.9 inches).

The front grille of the CR-V Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid easier. The CR-V Hybrid’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 Hybrid. The CX-5 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the CR-V Hybrid’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The CR-V Hybrid 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 Hybrid Sport Touring’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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid and the CX-5 offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the CR-V Hybrid 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 Hybrid is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The CR-V was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 21 years. The CX-5 has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.

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 70% during the 2022 model year.