Compare the2024 Mazda CX-5VS 2024 Buick Envista

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mazda CX-5 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Buick Envista doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CX-5 Turbo Signature has standard Smart Brake Support-Rear that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Envista doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The CX-5 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Envista doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The CX-5 Turbo Signature has a standard 360° Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Envista only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CX-5 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Buick charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Envista.

The CX-5 Turbo Signature’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Envista doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the CX-5 and the Envista have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Mazda CX-5 weighs 668 to 826 pounds more than the Buick Envista. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CX-5 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 98 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Envista has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The CX-5’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Envista’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the CX-5’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Envista’s camshafts. If the Envista’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Buick vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda 5 places higher in reliability than Buick.

Engine

The CX-5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 50 more horsepower (187 vs. 137) and 23 lbs.-ft. more torque (185 vs. 162) than the Envista’s 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder. The CX-5’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 119 more horsepower (256 vs. 137) and 158 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 162) than the Envista’s 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mazda CX-5 is faster than the Buick Envista:

	CX-5 4 cyl.	CX-5 turbo 4 cyl.	Envista
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	6.4 sec	9.4 sec
Quarter Mile	16.3 sec	14.9 sec	17.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	80.4 MPH	93.6 MPH	80.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CX-5 (except Turbo)’s fuel efficiency. The Envista doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The CX-5 has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Envista (15.3 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

For more complete vehicle control the CX-5 has a manually controlled automatic, with the available convenience of an automatic transmission and the complete gear control of a manual transmission without the inconvenience of a clutch. A manually controlled automatic allows the driver to eliminate unwanted shifts and maximize engine braking by down shifting while cornering. The Envista doesn’t offer a transmission that allows complete gear control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the CX-5 Turbo’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Envista:

	CX-5 Turbo	Envista
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	11.3 inches

The CX-5 stops shorter than the Envista:

	CX-5	Envista
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Mazda CX-5 has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Buick Envista has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CX-5 is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Envista.

The CX-5 handles at .81 G’s, while the Envista Sport Touring pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The CX-5 Carbon Turbo executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Envista Sport Touring (27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CX-5’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Envista’s (36 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The CX-5’s turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the Envista 19” Wheels’ (36 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

Passenger Space

The CX-5 has 6.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Envista (103.6 vs. 97.5).

The CX-5 has .3 inches more front headroom, 2.9 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.7 inches more rear headroom, .9 inches more rear legroom, 9.5 inches more rear hip room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Envista.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the CX-5’s rear seats recline. The Envista’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Envista with its rear seat up (30 vs. 20.7 cubic feet). The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Envista with its rear seat folded (59.3 vs. 42 cubic feet).

Towing

The CX-5 has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Envista has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the CX-5 Preferred/Carbon/Premium/Turbo, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Envista doesn’t offer memory seats.

The CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Envista doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CX-5’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Envista’s power windows’ switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

The CX-5’s standard Advanced Keyless Entry and Start allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Pushbutton Start standard on the Envista only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle.

The CX-5’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Envista’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the CX-5 has a standard rear wiper. The Envista doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The CX-5 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Envista. The CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Envista.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Envista doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The CX-5 Select/Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo’s 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. The Envista doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the CX-5 and the Envista offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the CX-5 Select/Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Envista doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The CX-5’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Envista’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

Recommendations

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

The Mazda CX-5 outsold the Buick Envista by almost 12 to one during 2023.