Performance and poise blend nicely on the 2014 Mazda CX-5. This compact crossover has sports car sensibilities. It’s a handling gem, so even tightly woven S-curves get the suction-cup treatment. Interior-wise the CX-5 doesn’t short-change on passenger comfort. Rear riders will appreciate the more than 39 inches of legroom. As a cargo hauler, the CX-5 offers a whopping 64.8 cubic feet of stow space with the second row seats down. (With rear seat upright, cargo space tallies 34.1 cubic feet.) Available in Sport, Touring and Grand Touring trims, the 106.3- inch wheelbase CX-5 is available in front wheel drive and all wheel drive. (AWD versions have a 15.3-gallon fuel tank while the FWD models have a 14.8-gallon fuel tank. That means AWD and FWD models have comparable driving ranges.)

CX-5 offers a 2.0-liter, 155 horsepower/150 pounds-feet torque 4-cylinder as the base engine. The Touring and Grand Touring versions use an all-new 2.5-liter 4-cylinder. In the test driven CX-5, the 2.5-liter engine (with 184 horsepower at 5700 rpm and 185 pounds-feet of torque at 3250 rpm) responded promptly and smoothly to acceleration commands. Mazda’s CX-5 registers a material usage first. Front and rear bumper beams feature 1800 MPa ultra high strength steel, making the CX-5 the first mass-produced vehicle to do so. The front wheel drive CX-5 Grand Touring with 6-speed automatic transmission collects estimated mpg of 25 city and 32 highway and carries a MSRP of $27,620.