The 2025 Mazda CX-5 Carbon Edition: A ‘Just Right’ Fit in a Crowded SUV Market
The 2025 Mazda CX-5 Carbon is a recipe that the automaker's finally perfected, and it's everything you'd want in a long-term partner.
If you’re Goldilocks, then the 2025 Mazda CX-5 is just right. Consistently the automaker’s top-selling car, the CX-5 is good enough at nearly everything to satisfy most SUV buyers. Stylish and premium, but still down-to-earth, reliable, and budget-friendly. Sporty but still comfortable and just the right amount of space.
And no trim may be more *right* than the Carbon Edition. The perfect combination of features, unique styling, and an appealing price tag. For $32,600, the Mazda CX-5 Carbon Trim hits the sweet spot with features and value.
It’s no race car, but the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine produces 187 horsepower, which could be better, but for its size, is just right. Let’s dig into what makes the CX-5 Carbon one of the better choices for a budget, family-friendly SUV.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
So, What Makes the Carbon Edition So Special?
First, you’ll notice the Polymetal Gray Metallic paint that is a subtle but sexy color exclusive to this edition, while blacked-out accents and black 19-inch wheels make the exterior pop. Bold red leather covers the interior with matching red stitching on any black trim, and is exclusive to the Carbon edition of the CX-5.
The side mirrors are a glossy black instead of matching the exterior color, and the front grille is also a sleek black. Compared to the Preffered trim, the Carbon comes with a large, power moonrood, heated front seats, and dual-zone climate control.
Some extra awesome features add to the value like a powered lift gate, a respectable 10-speaker Bose sound system, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, to name a few. Which is a much appreciated upgrade over the CX-50, which requires a hard connection with a USB cord to activate.
Overall, the difference between the Preferred trim and the Carbon edition is about $1,450. It doesn’t add any performance to the engine or upgrades to the suspension, braking, or transmission, it’s solely an appearance package.
1. For a Smaller SUV, The Driving Experience Was Pleasant
As you’d expect from a Mazda, the steering and handling are responsive and enjoyable. It lacks the pep of a Turbo trim and feels a bit sluggish for my preferences, but it has enough power to get you going. The seating style feels really upright, which is something I actually prefer.
As a right-leg amputee who drives with my left leg, an upright seating position helps me be comfortable crossing my leg over to drive. Unfortunately, the center console does encroach a little bit on the driver’s footwell, which makes my particular driving situation a teensy bit uncomfortable.
Other than that, the interior feels genuinely nice. Modern features combine with enough analog buttons to feel familiar and accessible. It’s a spacious cabin with tons of room in the back for passengers and cargo. You’re not sacrificing practicality for looks.
And, thanks to a standard i-ACTIV AWD system, there’s a bit of pep in its step when starting from a stop or carving canyons, too. Even with AWD standard, it still earned around 23 mpg combined, 26 on the highway, and 22 mpg in the city.
2. The Red Leather Adds a Luxurious Touch
The CX-5 is a great blend of value and personality, and it really shows with the red interior that comes with the Carbon edition. It’s no wallflower, but it’s still a comfortable, reliable, and surprisingly spacious compact SUV with room enough for your family and cargo.
It still has Mazda’s fairly antiquated operating system in the head unit when Apple CarPlay or Android Auto isn’t in use, and it isn’t a touchscreen unless either phone mirroring system is active, forcing you to use the dial/button combo and back, home, or exit button. Othewise, the driving experience of the CX-5 was smooth and quiet, as expected.
If you love your giant, Stanley water jug’s then you’ll be as pleased as I was to find that they fit in the cupholders. (but you also might bang your elbows on your beverages like I did).
It would be incredibly frustrating to use while driving, and it would take some getting used to if you’re not driving—but it would be comforting for those who are intimidated by technology.
Other than that, the mix between analog and digital gauges was, again, just right. It was a humble blend between older and more modern technology.
READ MORE: 7 Secrets that Make Mazda SUVs and Sedans Fan Favorites — and 1 Common Complaint
3. The Rear Passengers Enjoy an Elevated Experience, Too
Paired with a large power moonroof, sizable passenger windows, and small porthole-style windows, feeling car sick wouldn’t be a problem for passengers. The lower anchors were incredibly easy to find and access, as well as the top tethers, which were on the back of the seat, making it a worthy SUV for families with car seat-bound littles and beyond.
The footroom was surprising for an SUV of its size, too. Taller passengers could easily fit due to a fairly high roofline, and there are always somewhere to put your elbow. There’s a subtle but very useful center armrest that folds down that includes two cupholders, readying the CX-5 and its passengers for all kinds of roadtrips.
I can’t stress enough how nice I found the rear seats. This is not a luxury vehicle, but I honestly wanted to sit in the back and be driven around, and I think that says a lot.
The middle portion of the rear seats can fold down, too, so you can have a pass-through for long items but still comfortably seat two rear passengers. There are 2 USB-C ports in the rear seat cup holder fold down, and I LOVE it.
It’s a really good placement for charging cables while passengers are using their devices and keeps cables out of the way, unlike when the charging ports are behind the center console and have to drape across people’s legs.
4. I Was Genuinely Shocked by the Trunk Space
Looking at the CX-5 from the outside, you wouldn’t guess that it has as much cargo or passenger space as it does. While its competition may have more, it’s hard to beat the Mazda CX-5’s value for what you get. For a family of two kids, it would provide plenty of space for a stroller, diaper bag, and your weekly grocery haul.
For families with older kids, it would easily fit cargo for the weekend camping trips, annual trips to the mountains, or wherever else your traditions take you. The CX-5 carbon doesn’t come with roof rails like its competitors, so you’d have to buy them as an add-on from the dealer, but once those are installed, you can easily increase storage space with a cargo box or a basket.
Just be mindful that the roof, even with OEM crossbars, can only handle 165 pounds, which is a lot less than the likes of the Kia Sportage, Subaru Forester, Hyundai Tucson, and Honda CR-V.
READ MORE: The 2025 Mazda CX-50 Goes Premium—But Can it Outclass the Competition?
5. The Touch of Luxury is What Makes the Carbon Edition Stand Out
When looking at the prices compared to its competition, the Mazda CX-5 Carbon truly stands out. The starting price is $31,950, which, after destination, processing fees, and taxes, comes to $34,605. When looking at competing SUVs of similar trim levels, the Mazda is an incredible value.
The Kia Sportage is the least expensive of the Mazda’s competitors at $30,565, and it has a synthetic leather interior, but it isn’t red.
And granted, the Hyundai Tucson SEL starts at $31,025, but it doesn’t come standard with AWD—it has to be added on for around $1,500. Next closest is the Nissan Rogue SV, which starts at $31,930, but like the Hyundai, AWD has to be an add-on for extra.
The Subaru Forester Sport comes standard with AWD for $33,210, and it comes with fancy bronze wheels and interior accenting. However, the seats are made of cloth, making them harder to keep clean. For certain buyers, it can make it feel less premium, too.
The Toyota RAV4 XLE Premium comes the closest with SofTex seats, a large power moonroof, and trim-exclusive wheels. But, like most of the CX-5’s competition, the added capability of AWD comes at a cost of around $1,600.
The Theme of ‘Just Right’ Fits Perfectly for the CX-5 Carbon Edition
Ultimately, the 2025 Mazda CX-5 Carbon Edition is just right. It’s a well-priced, premium compact SUV that could make almost anyone happy.
The perfect combination of practicality, good looks, and performance, as well as its comfortable interior and smooth ride. The CX-5 Carbon Edition sits in a sweet spot of style and features without hitting the highest price point and though it may be good value, it doesn’t feel like a budget SUV at all.
It feels just right.
READ MORE: Mazda CX-5 vs. Mazda CX-30: Which Compact SUV Is Right for You?
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