A 1,000-Mile Mazda CX-5 Road Trip Reveals the Good, the Beautiful, and the Very Ugly

Nine miles into a 1,000-mile road trip, we already have a problem. The driver display and 15.6-inch touchscreen of our new yearlong review 2026 Mazda CX-5 test SUV go completely black. The Mary J Blige track “Don’t Mind” is ending, but I can assure you I do mind the many error messages greeting me after the tech reboots.

But you know what? I’m embarking on a road trip I haven’t experienced in a decade; I’m not ready to let a setback like this shake my mood. This should be interesting.

L.A. to Cambria (The First 200 Miles)

I’m heading north to San Francisco and beyond the scenic way, taking the legendary Pacific Coast Highway (CA-1) as much as possible. The day is mine, and I’m determined to enjoy the coastal route now that it’s open after extended closures for repairs.

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Before I get anywhere, though, I’m greeted with three consecutive beeps 30 miles in. The CX-5 indicates it has a telematics malfunction and recommends a dealer visit. I later do (twice), and we’ll see if the software updates applied after the second visit improve things.

Luckily, the powertrain has been perfectly reliable so far in our yearlong loan. That makes sense, as the 2026 CX-5 is powered by a 187-hp 2.5-liter naturally aspirated I-4 and six-speed automatic, just like the previous model.

Highlights: A quirky garden decor store in Cambria featured flamingos and an alien that looked deep in thought. Sadly, the store was closed, but I know the 2026 CX-5’s enlarged cargo area probably would have swallowed whatever I bought.

Highway 1 Through Big Sur

If you’re a driving enthusiast, Highway 1 adventures only work if you’re having a glass-half-full type day. Stuck behind a slow-moving car for miles? Appreciate the stunning coastal scenery.

Before I do that, I must get gas. One side effect of the CX-5’s familiar powertrain is subpar driving range compared to others in the segment.

Whether I’m in an EV or a gas car, I only want to stop when I’m hungry or taking photos of a pretty view. In the 2026 CX-5, combined city/highway driving range comes to 398 miles, which is just OK. The Subaru Forester is better at keeping you on the road, as is the Toyota RAV4, now a hybrid on every trim.

Putting that another way, the Subaru goes about 80 miles farther before needing a refueling while the hybrid-only Toyota can go nearly 200 more miles. Mazda is prepping a CX-5 hybrid, but we believe everyone should get good fuel economy, and this SUV manages only 24/30/26 mpg city/highway/combined.

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Highlights: Ragged Point is a popular stop for Highway 1 drivers—there’s food, coffee, and a fantastic place to appreciate the area’s natural beauty. Dramatic rocky cliffs meet with blue waters and stunning cypress trees. After three years of nearby Pacific Coast Highway repairs, it’s more accessible.

When I return to my car after a short walk, my driver profile with all my preferred settings had been deleted. A few miles up the road, the 15.6-inch touchscreen’s home button disappears, so I can’t access maps. Good thing I know I simply need to keep heading north.

Thirty miles up PCH, I stop at Big Creek bridge, a picturesque bridge whose construction dates to the Great Depression (it’s pictured at the top of this story). I try to focus more on the bridge, the hills, and the waves crashing below instead of how the screen is having trouble booting up, temporarily leaving me without A/C—since the A/C controls are on the screen.

Monterey to San Francisco, Go, Go, Go!

I’ve been so enjoying the ride I almost forget I’m meeting my husband for dinner in San Francisco and can’t be late. I lose Apple CarPlay for 44 miles but am focused more on Crystal Springs Reservoir, which borders part of Highway 280. The sun is beginning to go down and passing slower traffic is a breeze now that I’m on a multi-lane highway.

Like many compact SUVs, the 2026 CX-5 isn’t especially quick. Except for a few instances where I wanted to pass especially slow-moving traffic on Highway 1, it hasn’t been a major issue. Around town, the CX-5’s heavy steering can be a bit much, but here on the highway it makes the SUV easier to track.

Muir Woods, Going Home, and How the CX-5 Still Doesn’t Know Me

Before visiting a couple towns just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, we snake through the back roads to Muir Woods National Monument. The CX-5 is still a Mazda, and these hairpins are fun to carve.

Muir Woods requires reserving in advance and is the highlight of the trip for me.

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We later meet with family in a waterside town of Sausalito, which is a great half-day excursion for shops and dining just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The newly enlarged CX-5 is refreshingly spacious for two in the back seat, but the central drivetrain hump makes it less so for three across.

On the drive home (mile 759 to be exact), the CX-5 doesn’t recognize me, so it defaults to a guest profile. We had similar issues in our yearlong review CX-70 and CX-90 test SUVs, and I’m hopeful Mazda will eventually figure out a fix for this recurring issue.

At mile 998, we arrive home. I consider driving around the block a few dozen times to make it an even 1,000 miles but anyone who’s driven this many miles in a short time can attest to how exhausting it can be. I emerge from the SUV with no back soreness, though.

What We Learned

Compressing a road trip like this into a few words, the 2026 CX-5's tech issues may not show on every drive, but they’re frequent enough to leave a lasting impression. Over time, these bugs linger in an owner’s mind and can occasionally crowd out some of the good stuff. In this case, the new CX-5’s larger interior and still-stylish design comes to mind.

A future story will detail our thoughts on the 2026 CX-5’s tech when it’s working properly, so we’ll end this another way: If you like beautiful scenery and stopping at gift shops, drive California’s beautiful coastline once in your life. Just leave early on a weekday if you can.

Editor’s Note: After this trip was taken, we brought the SUV back to the dealer, where a couple software updates were installed. We’ll see if this addresses the many issues we’ve experienced. Mazda told us the following:

“We are aware some CX-5 owners are experiencing intermittent issues with certain in-vehicle infotainment and connectivity features. To address this, we are issuing a series of software updates designed to optimize these functions. Following the updates, owners can expect improved screen response times, more reliable internet and app connectivity, and smoother overall system performance. We encourage any owner experiencing these issues to contact their local Mazda dealer to schedule a complimentary service visit to have the latest software installed.”

More On Our Long-Term 2026 Mazda CX-5:

• Our Year With a 2026 Mazda CX-5 Is off to a Bumpy Start