Compare the2024 Subaru ForesterVS 2024 Mazda CX-5

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Forester have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. 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 Forester 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 Subaru Forester has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps 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.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The CX-5 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Forester 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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

	Forester	CX-5
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	23%	23%
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	23 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	31%	37%
Leg Forces (l/r)	105/93 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 Subaru Forester is safer than the Mazda CX-5:

	Forester	CX-5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	66	81
Abdominal Force	122 lbs.	126 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	56 G’s	65 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	121	449

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

Warranty

There are over 16 percent more Subaru dealers than there are Mazda dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Forester’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Forester third among compact suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The CX-5 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is rated below average.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Forester is faster than the Mazda CX-5 4 cyl.:

	Forester	CX-5
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	16.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	86.2 MPH	78.3 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Forester
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/33 hwy
		Wilderness 2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/28 hwy
CX-5
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	26 city/31 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Forester uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CX-5 with the 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Forester has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-5 (16.6 vs. 15.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

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

Transmission

The Forester 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.

Brakes and Stopping

The Forester stops much shorter than the CX-5:

	Forester	CX-5
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	136 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	144 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Forester’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.

The Forester Wilderness has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the CX-5; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The Forester Touring handles at .83 G’s, while the CX-5 Turbo Signature pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Forester Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the CX-5 (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Forester’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the CX-5’s (35.4 feet vs. 36 feet).

Chassis

The Subaru Forester may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 350 pounds less than the Mazda CX-5.

The front grille of the Forester 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.

Passenger Space

The Forester has 8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-5 (111.6 vs. 103.6).

The Forester has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 2.3 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-5.

The front step up height for the Forester is 2.1 inches lower than the CX-5 (15.5” vs. 17.6”). The Forester’s rear step up height is .9 inches lower than the CX-5’s (17.25” vs. 18.2”).

Cargo Capacity

The Forester has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-5 with its rear seat folded (74.2 vs. 59.3 cubic feet).

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

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Mazda CX-5 is limited to 2000 pounds. The Forester offers up to a 3000 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Forester uses the Vehicle Dynamics Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The CX-5 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Forester is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the CX-5. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Forester 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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s exterior PIN entry system. The CX-5 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Forester’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.

When the Forester Touring is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The CX-5’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Forester’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The CX-5 offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Forester and the CX-5 offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Forester 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.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Forester is less expensive to operate than the CX-5 because typical repairs cost less on the Forester than the CX-5, including $73 less for a muffler and $124 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Forester as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.