CarTold

2017 vs. 2018 Mazda CX-5: What Changed

Our records for the 2017 and 2018 Mazda CX-5 show 3 differences in the specifications and ratings tracked below.

EPA lists a 2.2-litre four-cylinder for 2018 that does not appear in the 2017 listing.

NHTSA's overall rating goes from 4 stars in 2017 to 4 and 5 stars in 2018.

The best combined rating for the 2.5-litre four-cylinder rises from 27 to 28 mpg.

One campaign (trailer hitches) covers the 2017 and not the 2018, while three campaigns (air bags, engine and fuel system) cover the 2018 and not the 2017.

Fewer campaigns do not establish better reliability. Confirm each car's coverage and repair status by VIN.

The campaigns that separate them

Imported NHTSA recall campaigns that name one of these two model years but not the other, with their component labels. Campaigns covering both years are left out of this list.

Only the 2017

  • 17V744000 trailer hitches

Only the 2018

  • 18V426000 air bags
  • 19V497000 engine
  • 21V875000 fuel system
A campaign may cover only part of a model year's production. Use the campaign number to ask an authorized dealer whether the car's VIN is included and what work remains. Our recall tool finds model-year campaigns; this guide explains the vehicle-specific check.

Side by side

2017 2018
Engines listed 2.5L 4-cyl 2.2L 4-cyl, 2.5L 4-cyl
Drive types Front-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive Front-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive
Fuel types Regular Gasoline Regular Gasoline, Diesel
Combined MPG 26–27 26–29
Recall campaigns 1 3
Complaints on file 148 117
Investigations 0 0
Complaint totals reflect different time on the road, sales and reporting. They cannot rank these years for reliability. The categories below identify symptoms to read about, not failure odds. How reporting time affects the comparison.

What owners reported, by system

2017

Other 55 (37%)
Electrical 44 (30%)
Visibility & lighting 13 (9%)

2018

Engine 90 (77%)
Drivetrain 17 (15%)
Other 7 (6%)

Full reports

Open each year's report to read the recall, investigation, manufacturer communication and EPA variant records on file:

2017 CX-5 full report 2018 CX-5 full report Every CX-5 year compared

Sources and methodology