We just purchased a '23 CX-5 Preferred in May and really like it so far.

I’d say the reviews knocking the CX-5 for having less interior space are justified. While the back seat is definitely a bit smaller than our Camry, it didn’t seem cramped the few times we’ve had passengers back there. The trunk space is a bit smaller than I’d like, but it’s still big enough for our beach chairs and umbrellas. Just.

We are just two middle-aged people with a cat. I’m not sure how well the smaller interior would play out if we had a child or two.

We opted for the non-turbo engine and it seems fine to me. Perhaps a I’d think differently if we’d driven the turbo a bit, but I haven’t thought “Man, this thing is sluggish” while driving, either local roads or highways.

It’s fairly quiet, even on the highway. At least compared to most of the other cars we test drove. The quiter ride is one of the things which switched our attention from the Mazda 3 to the CX-5

In the end, the CX-5 was the most appealing brand option that we could actually purchase locally without a markup or a 3-5 month wait. I’m still fond of Toyotas, but we’re quite happy to have ended up with the CX-5.