The True Cost of Owning a Mazda CX-5

Figures checked October 26, 2026

Start with the price you will actually pay

For a representative example, use a 2026 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S, all-wheel drive, at $29,990 starting MSRP before destination (Mazda's own pricing, as reported by USA Today and Autoblog; Kelley Blue Book lists the same trim at $31,485 with the $1,495 destination fee included). That is the base trim: the 2.5-liter engine with 187 horsepower and a 6-speed automatic, with all-wheel drive standard on every CX-5. The 2026 lineup runs from the 2.5 S near $29,990 up to the 2.5 S Premium Plus near $38,990 before destination, and the turbo models are dropped for 2026, so replace this starting point with a written quote for the exact trim you are considering. A hybrid CX-5 is coming for 2027, but this example is gas-only, so hybrid fuel and price lines are not mixed in.

Here is the bottom line first: over five years, this CX-5 costs roughly $44,966, or about $749 a month. The loan payment alone is $608 a month, with 10% down ($2,999), 8% APR (the yearly interest rate on the loan) and 60 months, this example finances $29,990 and the loan costs about $6,495 in interest over five years. The payment is about 81% of the average month's true cost, and during the loan years the cash actually going out is the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep.

Fuel: mid-pack mileage, everyday gas

The CX-5 2.5 S is rated 26 mpg combined (24 city, 30 highway) with its standard all-wheel drive. At 12,000 miles a year that is about 462 gallons annually. At the AAA national average regular price of $4.29 a gallon on October 26, 2026, that is roughly $1,980 a year, $9,900 over five years. Gas prices move, so re-run this line at your local price. The method is in the EV vs. gas guide: miles divided by mpg, times price, times years.

Depreciation: the biggest bucket, by a clear margin

Depreciation is the value a car loses over time, the gap between what you pay and what it is worth later. iSeeCars' data puts the CX-5's five-year value loss at about 42.4%, it keeps roughly 57.6% of its price. On a $29,990 purchase, plan on roughly $17,274 after five years, about $12,716 of depreciation, roughly $212 a month, the largest single cost on this page. That resale figure is a planning assumption, not a forecast. A second published figure, from a CX-5 vs. Equinox comparison, puts five-year depreciation at 37.8% instead, that would mean $11,336 of depreciation and an $18,654 resale value, bringing the five-year total to about $43,586. Run a second scenario with resale 10% lower so the decision does not depend on an optimistic used market.

Insurance: a tight cluster, not a single number

Published full-coverage averages for the CX-5 spread widely, from about $143 a month to about $222 a month, but the two averages that anchor this example agree exactly: Compare.com puts full coverage at $177 a month and MoneyGeek at $177 a month, with Insurify close behind at $180 a month. This example uses $177 a month, or $10,620 over five years. Premiums depend heavily on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer, so get a quote on the exact trim with matching deductibles (the amount you pay out of pocket before insurance pays) and limits before treating any average as yours.

CX-5 maintenance costs: light for the class

RepairPal puts the CX-5's annual repair and maintenance cost near $447 a year, and rates the model 4.5 out of 5.0 for reliability, 1st of 26 midsize SUVs in its ranking. This example allows $447 a year, or $2,235 all-in, enough for routine service, a set of tires inside five years at 60,000 miles, and a cushion for the wear items that show up as the miles add up.

The full five-year example

Every figure below comes from the site's own calculator math. The stated inputs are: 2026 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S all-wheel drive, $29,990 starting MSRP before destination, 10% down ($2,999), 8% APR, 60 months, 7% sales tax, $900 in title and dealer fees, 12,000 miles per year, 26 mpg, $4.29 per gallon regular, $177 per month insurance, $447 per year maintenance, $17,274 resale value after five years.

Depreciation: $12,716 ($29,990 minus $17,274 resale)
Insurance: $10,620 ($177 x 60 months)
Fuel: $9,900 (12,000 / 26 x $4.29 x 5 years)
Maintenance: $2,235 ($447 x 5 years)
Tax, fees and interest: $9,495 ($2,099 sales tax, $900 fees, $6,495 loan interest)
That totals roughly $44,966, or about $749 a month. Notice what that says about the $608 payment: on this vehicle the payment is not the whole story, it is about 81% of the average month's true cost, and during the loan years the cash actually going out is the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep.

Formula

The five-year total is the sum of five buckets: depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and tax, fees and interest. Depreciation is the $29,990 price minus the $17,274 resale value after five years, which is $12,716. Insurance is $177 a month times 60 months, which is $10,620. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 26 miles per gallon, times $4.29 a gallon, times 5 years, which is about $9,900. Maintenance is $447 a year times 5 years, which is $2,235. Tax, fees and interest is 7% sales tax on $29,990, which is $2,099, plus $900 in title and dealer fees, plus about $6,495 of loan interest, which is $9,495.

Added together, $12,716 plus $10,620 plus $9,900 plus $2,235 plus $9,495 comes to roughly $44,966, or about $749 a month. The amount financed is the $29,990 price plus $2,099 sales tax plus $900 in fees, minus the $2,999 down payment, which is $29,990. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $29,990 is $608 a month, and the loan costs about $6,495 in interest over five years.

Thinking past year five

Small SUVs are often keepers, and that is where the economics can improve: the loan ends at year five, and the depreciation curve (how fast the value drops) flattens. The costs that arrive in years six through ten are the wear-and-repair years: a second tire set, suspension work, and the out-of-warranty items a repair cushion exists for. The keep it 10 years guide shows how to extend this same math honestly.

Shopping the CX-5 against other small SUVs? The Car Showdown runs any two vehicles through the same five buckets side by side. Cross-shopping a RAV4 too? See what a Toyota RAV4 really costs over 5 years. Cross-shopping a CX-50 too? See what a Mazda CX-50 really costs over 5 years. And if the value it loses is your biggest worry, the why cars lose value guide explains what drives it.

Calculation transparency

Jurisdiction. United States. Sales tax, titling, registration and insurance rules are set by your state, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. The 7% sales tax and $900 in fees in this example are planning figures, not any one state's actual rates.

Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, gas at $4.29 a gallon (AAA national average, October 26, 2026), 8% APR, 60 months, 10% down. The resale value is a planning assumption, not a forecast.

Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Insurance and maintenance are planning figures, not quotes. Get a real quote for the same trim, coverage and loan before you decide.

Sources disagree on the CX-5's five-year value loss: iSeeCars puts it at 42.4 percent while a second published figure puts it at 37.8 percent, which would mean $11,336 of depreciation, so the 42.4 percent figure used here is kept as a planning assumption, not as a current reading. iSeeCars' own pages also show 42.8 percent in the comparison table for the CX-5, against 42.4 percent in the headline.

Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: Edmunds 2026 CX-5 2.5 S price, $29,990; EPA combined fuel economy, 26 mpg; Compare.com CX-5 full-coverage average, $177 a month; MoneyGeek CX-5 full-coverage average, $177 a month; RepairPal CX-5 average annual repair cost, $447, reliability 4.5 out of 5; AAA national average regular gas, $4.29 a gallon (October 26, 2026).

Primary sources: Edmunds, 2026 Mazda CX-5; fueleconomy.gov, EPA fuel economy ratings; Compare.com, Mazda CX-5 car insurance; MoneyGeek, Mazda CX-5 car insurance; RepairPal, Mazda CX-5 reliability. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.

Definitions

Depreciation. The value a car loses over time, the gap between what you pay and what it is worth later. On this page, the $29,990 price minus the $17,274 resale value after five years, which is $12,716.

Resale value. What the CX-5 is worth after five years in this example, $17,274. A planning assumption, not a forecast.

APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly interest rate on the loan. This example uses 8%.

Down payment. The cash paid up front. Here it is 10%, or $2,999.

Destination charge. The fee to ship the car to the dealer. It is $1,495 on the CX-5, and it is not in the $900 fees; the $29,990 example price is the starting MSRP before destination, and Kelley Blue Book lists the same trim at $31,485 with destination included.

Combined mpg. The EPA city and highway ratings blended into one figure. It is 26 for the 2.5 S with standard all-wheel drive, 24 in the city and 30 on the highway.

Full coverage. Insurance that covers damage to your own car as well as damage to others. Published averages spread from about $143 to $222 a month; Compare.com and MoneyGeek both put it at $177 a month, and this example uses $177 a month.

All-wheel drive. Power to all four wheels. It is standard on every 2026 CX-5, unlike rivals that charge extra for it. A hybrid CX-5 is coming for 2027, but this page's example is the gas 2.5 S.

Questions people actually ask

How much does a Mazda CX-5 depreciate in 5 years?

About $12,716 on a $29,990 purchase, using iSeeCars' 42.4% five-year value loss, leaving a resale value near $17,274. A second published figure puts five-year depreciation at 37.8% instead, which would mean $11,336 of depreciation.

What gas mileage does a Mazda CX-5 get?

The 2026 CX-5 2.5 S with standard all-wheel drive is rated 26 mpg combined (24 city, 30 highway). At 12,000 miles a year and the October 26, 2026 AAA national regular average of $4.29 a gallon, fuel runs about $1,980 a year.

How much is insurance for a Mazda CX-5?

Published full-coverage averages cluster near $177 a month, Compare.com puts it at $177 a month and MoneyGeek at $177 a month, and this example uses $177 a month, or $10,620 over five years. Your quote will depend on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer.

Is a Mazda CX-5 expensive to maintain?

No, by SUV standards. RepairPal puts it near $447 a year for repairs and maintenance, rating it 4.5 out of 5 for reliability; this example allows $447 a year, or $2,235 over five years.

Does the Mazda CX-5 come with all-wheel drive?

Yes, all-wheel drive is standard on every 2026 CX-5, unlike rivals that charge extra for it. A hybrid CX-5 is coming for 2027, but this page's example is the gas 2.5 S, so a hybrid's price and fuel lines would differ.

Related: See the Volkswagen Tiguan, a compact SUV shoppers often compare with the CX-5

Related: See the Subaru Forester and its five year cost

Related: See every model with a true cost page

Buying in Texas? Texas adds its own layer to these numbers, a 6.25% sales tax, its own fees, and some of the highest insurance in the country. See the true cost of a car in Texas.

Honest gaps and conflicts on this page: the $29,990 example price is the 2026 2.5 S starting MSRP before destination, destination is $1,495 and is not in the $900 fees, and depreciation here is computed on the $29,990 before-destination figure. Kelley Blue Book lists the same trim at $31,485 with destination included. The 7% sales tax is the site's standard example assumption, not any state's actual rate. Depreciation sources disagree (iSeeCars 42.4% loss, a second published figure 37.8%); the table uses the iSeeCars figure and the range is shown above. Insurance averages cover all model years, no 2026-specific breakout was verified, and published averages range from about $143 to about $222 a month. RepairPal's $447 a year is an all-model-years average, not a 2026-specific figure. The $4.29 regular price is an October 26, 2026 national snapshot and moves with the market. This example covers only the gas 2.5 S with all-wheel drive; higher trims and the coming hybrid cost different amounts to buy, insure and fuel.