One of my favorite vehicle classes these days is the compact SUV because it delivers the perfect combination of high functionality and modest size. This makes it easy to fit into your garage and find parking spots, plus you still get lots of room inside for your passengers and everything else you need to bring with you.
The Mazda CX-5 is one of the most popular compact SUVs out there, with great features and impressive performance. Once you start looking for a 2025 Mazda CX-5 for sale, you’ll quickly discover that you have a huge number of trim levels available, and that can make it tricky to choose the right one. Today, I’m going to take you through these eight different trims and give you a quick overview of each of them, making it easier to figure out which one is right for you.
The 2025 CX-5 S
The starting point for the Mazda CX-5, the S trim gives you the standard features that other trims we’ll look at all build upon. It comes with a SKYACTIV 2.5L 4-cylinder engine that provides 187 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque, which is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. Every CX-5 comes with Mazda’s i-ACTIV all-wheel drive (AWD) system that provides you with excellent handling and traction in all kinds of conditions. You get an estimated 26 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway with this engine.
The S comes with LED headlights, 17-inch wheels, and a standard rear liftgate. Inside, you’ll find nice convenience features like a push-button start, remote keyless entry, and standard air conditioning. Both front seats have six-way manual controls, with cloth seating and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear selector. A 10.25-inch color infotainment display is standard, as is a four-speaker sound system and a 4.6-inch Multi-Information Display. The CX-5 S also comes with the i-Activsense suite of driver assistance features, including Forward Smart Brake Support with automatic emergency braking, Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go. All of this comes together nicely to create a great starting trim.
The 2025 CX-5 S Select
If you like what the S trim offers but you want a handful of upgrades, then check out the S Select. This trim comes with similar exterior features, although it has rear privacy glass that you won’t find on the base outfit. Inside, you’ll find numerous enhancements, including Mazda’s advanced keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, and rear air conditioning vents to keep your passengers more comfortable. You get a six-way power driver’s seat in the S Select, with leatherette-trimmed seats and heated front seats, plus a six-speaker sound system and a pair of USB charging ports for the back seats.
The 2025 CX-5 S Preferred
The S Preferred continues to build on the previous trims with more refined features for you and your passengers to enjoy. You get a power rear liftgate with programmable height adjustment that makes loading and unloading the CX-5 easy and convenient. Inside, the S Preferred has an auto-dimming rearview mirror to help keep the lights of other vehicles from blinding you, plus a power sliding-glass moonroof that provides a gorgeous view of the sky overhead. You get an eight-way power driver’s seat and six-way power front-passenger seat in this trim, with leather-lined seating to take luxury and comfort to the next level.
The 2025 CX-5 S Carbon Edition
If you’re interested in something with distinct looks compared to other CX-5 trims, then see the S Carbon Edition. This trim comes with 19-inch wheels with Black Metallic Finish, plus an exclusive Polymetal Gray Metallic exterior color that looks fantastic—assuming you want a gray exterior, of course. Inside, you’ll find many of the same features as the S Preferred, though the Carbon Edition comes with red stitching on the leather details, plus a black interior and door panel accents. You also get enhanced tech with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, and a 10-speaker Bose Centerpoint sound system.
The 2025 CX-5 S Premium Plus
The S Premium Plus is the pinnacle trim if you’re interested in the standard 187-hp engine for the Mazda CX-5. It comes with LED daytime running lights and combination taillights, automatic power-folding side mirrors, and 19-inch wheels, though it doesn’t have the exclusive exterior details of the Carbon Edition. This trim has paddle shifters on the steering wheel to give you extra control over your SUV, plus ventilated front seats and heated rear seats for added comfort in winter and summer. You get a seven-inch LCD driver display and a windshield-projected Active Driving Display to keep important info in your sightline while you drive.
The 2025 CX-5 Carbon Turbo
Two things to notice with this trim level: We’ve dropped the “S” from the name, and all subsequent trims now say “Turbo.” That’s because the Carbon Turbo trim is the first of several to host a turbocharged engine that delivers 256 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque, greatly enhancing performance compared to the previous trims we looked at. It still comes with i-ACTIV AWD and a six-speed automatic transmission, plus you get the LED exterior lighting, Gloss Black exterior details, and 19-inch wheels. Inside, you’ll find a gorgeous interior with Terracotta leather-trimmed seating, faux suede inserts, heated and ventilated front seats, and all of the tech features found in the S Premium Plus.
The 2025 CX-5 Turbo Premium
The Turbo Premium is the way to go if you’re looking for a number of upgrades beyond the Carbon Turbo yet aren’t interested in the pinnacle trim. You get a Traffic Jam Assist feature, which can make daily driving easier and less stressful, especially if you spend time in heavy traffic each day. Inside, you’ll find great tech features like we’ve already seen, along with some of the details from the Carbon Edition, such as red seat stitching; this one has black leather-trimmed seats with red stitching, plus heated rear seats that you won’t find in the previous trim.
The 2025 CX-5 Turbo Signature
Finally, we have the Turbo Signature, which is the absolute pinnacle trim for the 2025 Mazda CX-5, representing the height of what you can get with this compact SUV. This outfit comes with Forward and Reverse Smart Brake Support, a Driver Attention Alert, and a Mazda Navigation System with Off-Road Navigation to help get you where you need to go. Inside, you’ll find the peak of Mazda luxury with a frameless auto-dimming rearview mirror, unique stitching on the leather-wrapped steering wheel, and Caturra Brown Nappa leather-trimmed seats. Genuine layered wood accents elevate the interior even further, as you also enjoy all of the advanced tech features we’ve seen in previous trims.
Choose a Mazda CX-5 That You’ll Love
You can see there’s no shortage of options here from Mazda, which is great, although it can also be a bit overwhelming; just take things one step at a time. Start by deciding which of the two engines you want since that will give you either five or three trims to choose from. Since you get AWD and terrific driver assistance features on every trim, you don’t have to worry about those details.
Once you’ve narrowed things down by engine, you can consider which features (inside and out) are most important to you and use that to guide your decision further. Each move up to a higher trim increases the price (as you’d expect), but these steps are quite gradual, so picking up the features you want isn’t too punishing. This lets you bring it all together and get a compact SUV that you’ll enjoy driving for many years to come.
