I always found Mazda’s to be a bit “tinny”. Until 2010 they shared platforms with Ford. According to “Car and Driver” the CX5 is very underpowered, but they picked it over all other competitors. The ride, according to them, was stiff and sporty, unlike the others. They liked the view and considered the interior sparse. They considered it a very good every day small SUV. They did have some quality issues that the dealer repaired.
My daughter had a Protégé and despite her best efforts, she could not kill it.
Actually, we had this down to either the Escape SE or the Mazda. We haven’t made our final choice yet...as we have to drive the Mazda. We’ve already been in the Ford Escape and like the room it has...and some other features, such as the back seats folding FLAT to expand the cargo area and the fact that you can hide what’s in the cargo area.
We DO like the gas mileage of the Mazda and the fact that we can get manual transmission.