2018 Mazda CX-5 vs. 2018 Subaru Forester

Looking to upgrade to a compact SUV?

There are a lot of great SUV options out there. We are going to take a closer look at two of your options: the 2018 Mazda CX-5 and the 2018 Subaru Forester. Below, we will compare various aspects of these vehicles, so you can determine which of these SUVs is for you. We will take a look at the size comparison, the interior features, the performance, and the pricing of these two vehicles. Learn more below.

Size Comparison

If we take a look at the overall size of these vehicles, the 2018 Subaru Forester is slightly bigger. The Mazda CX-5 is 179.1 inches long, 72.5 inches wide, and 65.3 inches tall. The 2018 Subaru Forester is 181.5 inches long, 70.7 inches wide, and 68.2 inches tall.

However, as for passenger capacity these vehicles are very similar. They both seat five people, and the Mazda CX-5 has a passenger volume of 103.6 cubic feet, while the Forester has a passenger volume of 103.3 cubic feet.

If we take a look at the cargo space, we can see that the 2018 Mazda CX-5 has a cargo volume of 30.9 behind the second-row and a volume of 59.6 if the second row is folded down. The Subaru Forester has a cargo volume of 31.5 behind the second-row and 68.5 if the second row is folded down.

When it comes to size, the Subaru Forester is slightly bigger than the Mazda CX-5. However, the Mazda still gives you great passenger capacity that is slightly bigger than that of the Forester. The Forester gives you more cargo space, though.

Interior Differences

The interior of a vehicle is very important because that is where you will be spending your time. Let's take a look at the interior of these two vehicles, and what interior features you can expect to receive with each vehicle.

When you look at technology features, the Mazda CX-5 has some great features for you. You can get a four-speaker sound system, two USB ports, Bluetooth, HD Radio, a 7-inch infotainment system, a rearview camera, and more standard on the 2018 Mazda CX-5.

As far as safety features go, the Mazda CX-5 also gives you some great safety standard. These standard safety features include blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and low-speed automatic braking.

The 2018 Subaru Forester gives you standard technology features such as Bluetooth, a rearview camera, a 6.2-inch Starlink touchscreen infotainment system, and one USB port.

The Forester also has some safety features, but none of these safety features come standard. You have to upgrade to get the safety features which will cost you more. Some of their available safety features include lane departure warning, rear cross traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, and pre-collision braking.

As far as interior features go, the 2018 Mazda CX-5 appears to have the advantage here. The Mazda offers more standard technology with a larger touchscreen, more USB ports, and more. Also, the Mazda CX-5 gives you some safety features standard like blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and more. The Subaru Forester makes you upgrade to get safety features like this.

Performance

Next, let's take a look at the performance of these two vehicles. We will look at your engine options in each vehicle and take a look at the power and performance of each.

The 2018 Mazda CX-5 just has one engine. This engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with a six-speed automatic transmission. This engine puts out 187-horsepower. It also gives you good gas mileage.

In the 2018 Subaru Forester, you have two different engine options. The base engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that gives you 170-horsepower. The base engine comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission. You can also upgrade to the other engine option, which is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that gives you 250-horsepower.

As for fuel efficiency, in the Mazda CX-5, you can expect to get an EPA-estimated 25 city miles per gallon and 31 highway miles per gallon. The base engine of the Subaru Forester gives you 26 city miles per gallon and 32 highway miles per gallon, but that is if you upgrade to the automatic transmission. The second Subaru engine doesn't have quite as high gas mileage with 23 city miles per gallon and 27 highway miles per gallon.

Here you can see, the Subaru Forester offers you the more powerful engine option. However, the Mazda CX-5 does offer you good fuel efficiency with its base engine.

Pricing

The cost of the vehicle is another important aspect. Check out a cost comparison of these two compact SUVs. The 2018 Mazda CX-5 starts at a price of around $24,000. The top-level trim on the Mazda CX-5 is the Grand Touring, which will cost you around $30,000.

The starting price of the 2018 Subaru Forester is around $23,000. However, if you are looking for the highest trim level the 2.0XT Touring, you are going to spend somewhere around $36,000.

When looking at the price of these two vehicles, you can see the Subaru Forester starts off slightly cheaper, but it is not that significant of a difference considering the Mazda CX-5 offers you more standard technology and safety features. Then, when we look at the top-level trim options, the Subaru Forester is significantly more expensive than the top-level Mazda trim. As far as what you get for your money, it seems like the Mazda CX-5 is the better option here.

Which is Right for You?

Both of these SUVs offer you some good features and options. Our comparison above was a really close one. The Subaru Forester and the Mazda CX-5 offer you practically the same space for passengers, but the Forester offers you more cargo space. The Mazda CX-5 does offer you significantly more interior technology and safety features standard. When it comes to performance the Forester offers you the more powerful engine, but the Mazda CX-5 offers you great fuel efficiency. Finally, when you take a look at price, these two vehicles start out at nearly the same price, but the high-end Forester is significantly more expensive than the high-end Mazda CX-5.

Which vehicle is best for you? Only you can decide that, but we think the 2018 Mazda CX-5 offers you more features and capability for your money.