2026 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Premium Plus
MSRP $40,485 including destination and delivery, against MSRP $38,395 for the 2.5 S Premium one rung below. What that step buys is equipment and only equipment — a 15.6-inch center display, a hands-free power liftgate, the 360° View Monitor and the Adaptive Front-Lighting System. The engine, the transmission and standard i-ACTIV AWD® are the same on both.
What the Premium Plus Adds Over the 2.5 S Premium
Both trims run the same 187-hp SKYACTIV®-G 2.5, the same 6-speed automatic and the same standard i-ACTIV AWD®, so the move from MSRP $38,395 to MSRP $40,485 buys equipment and nothing else. This is the whole of it — five items, all of them standard on this trim and none of them offered as a package below it.
15.6 Inches, With Touch Control
The 2.5 S through the 2.5 S Premium carry a 12.9-inch center display. This trim steps up to a 15.6-inch screen with touch control — 2.7 inches more display, and the screen size is set by trim rather than by an option package.
Hands-Free Power Liftgate
A hands-free power liftgate with programmable height adjustment. It opens on approach, so there is no foot-kick sensor to learn, and the height it stops at can be set to clear a low garage ceiling.
360° View Monitor
A 360° View Monitor with underfloor, parking and mirrors-folded views, paired with Front Cross Traffic Alert and Braking — the system that watches for traffic crossing behind you as you back out of a space.
Adaptive Front-Lighting System
The Adaptive Front-Lighting System (AFS) steers the headlight beam with the front wheels, so the light follows the road through a curve instead of pointing straight ahead into it.
Personalization System & Paddle Shifters
Driver-specific seat, mirror and climate presets that come back with the driver, plus manual gear control through the 6-speed automatic using the paddle shifters.
Where This Trim Sits
Five trims, one engine, one drivetrain. The two rungs below are the only ones a 2.5 S Premium Plus shopper is usually still weighing, so they are the only ones compared here — the full ladder, the colour palette and what changed in the redesign are on the CX-5 model page.
2.5 S Preferred
2.5 S Premium
2.5 S Premium Plus
Choose the 2.5 S Premium Plus If…
You want the 15.6-inch display, the hands-free liftgate, the 360° View Monitor and the Adaptive Front-Lighting System, and you would rather have them standard than not have them at all — none of the four is offered lower down the ladder.
Choose a Trim Below It If…
The 12.9-inch display is display enough and the driver-assist equipment above is not what you are shopping for. Nothing about how a CX-5 drives changes as you come down the ladder: same engine, same transmission, same standard i-ACTIV AWD®.
Other CX-5 Trims in Detail
MSRP includes destination and delivery. Excludes tax, title, license, a $895 dealer documentary service fee and a $16.50 tag fee.
What the Step Up Does Not Change
Worth stating plainly, because it is half of the decision: the numbers below are identical on this trim and on the four beneath it. Nothing here is a reason to move up the ladder, and nothing here is a reason to stay put.
SKYACTIV®-G 2.5
- 187 horsepower at 6,000 rpm
- 186 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm
- Naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder — the outgoing CX-5’s turbocharged engine is not offered
- Regular unleaded, 87 octane
i-ACTIV AWD® & 6-Speed Automatic
- i-ACTIV AWD® standard on this trim and on all four below it
- 6-speed automatic transmission
- Paddle shifters on this trim only
- Up to 1,500 lb towing, properly equipped, on every trim
26 MPG Combined
- 24 mpg city / 30 mpg highway / 26 mpg combined
- Five passengers, two rows
- 33.7 cu ft behind the rear seat, 66.5 cu ft with it folded
- 3-yr/36,000-mile basic and 5-yr/60,000-mile powertrain warranty
The 2.5 S Premium Plus at Dean McCrary Mazda
The 2.5 S Premium Plus is the top of the five-trim CX-5 ladder at MSRP $40,485, including destination and delivery. The trim directly beneath it, the 2.5 S Premium, is MSRP $38,395, and because the CX-5 lineup shares a single 187-hp SKYACTIV®-G 2.5-liter engine, a single 6-speed automatic and standard i-ACTIV AWD® from the 2.5 S upward, that $2,090 difference is entirely equipment. Dean McCrary Mazda stocks the CX-5 lineup on the I-65 Service Road in Mobile.
Is the Step Up Worth It?
That depends on four items, because they are the four this trim adds: the 15.6-inch center display with touch control in place of the 12.9-inch screen every trim below it carries, the hands-free power liftgate with programmable height adjustment, the 360° View Monitor with Front Cross Traffic Alert and Braking, and the Adaptive Front-Lighting System. The Personalization System with paddle shifters comes with them. None of the four is available further down the ladder as an option package, so the trim is the only way to get them — and equally, if none of the four matters to you, the money buys nothing else, since towing stays at 1,500 lb, cargo stays at 33.7 cu ft and the EPA rating stays at 26 mpg combined on every trim.
Trim mix on the ground changes week to week. Ask our team which 2.5 S Premium Plus cars are in stock and which are in transit, or start with the 2.5 S Premium Plus inventory and the rest of the CX-5 lineup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the CX-5 2.5 S Premium Plus?⌄
MSRP $40,485, including destination and delivery. The trim directly below it, the 2.5 S Premium, is MSRP $38,395, so the step up is $2,090 on the same MSRP basis. MSRP excludes tax, title, license, the dealer documentary service fee and the tag fee.
What does the 2.5 S Premium Plus add over the 2.5 S Premium?⌄
Five things: the 15.6-inch center display with touch control in place of the 12.9-inch display, the hands-free power liftgate with programmable height adjustment, the 360° View Monitor with Front Cross Traffic Alert and Braking, the Adaptive Front-Lighting System (AFS), and the Personalization System with paddle shifters. The engine, the transmission and the drivetrain do not change.
Is the 2.5 S Premium Plus quicker than the trims below it?⌄
No. Every CX-5 in this lineup uses the same 187-hp SKYACTIV®-G 2.5-liter engine and the same 6-speed automatic, and the redesign dropped the turbocharged engine entirely. Horsepower is not something you buy up this ladder.
Is all-wheel drive standard on the 2.5 S Premium Plus?⌄
Yes. i-ACTIV AWD® is standard on the 2.5 S Premium Plus and on every trim beneath it, so all-wheel drive is not part of what the step up buys and there is no upcharge to add anywhere in the lineup.
Does the 2.5 S Premium Plus tow or carry more than the other trims?⌄
No. Towing is 1,500 lb properly equipped and cargo is 33.7 cu ft behind the rear seat, 66.5 cu ft with the second row folded, on every trim including this one. Fuel economy is the same 26 mpg combined, 24 city and 30 highway, for the same reason: one engine, one drivetrain.
Where does the 2.5 S Premium Plus sit in the CX-5 lineup?⌄
At the top of five trims. The ladder runs MSRP $31,485 on the 2.5 S, MSRP $33,485 on the 2.5 S Select, MSRP $35,745 on the 2.5 S Preferred, MSRP $38,395 on the 2.5 S Premium and MSRP $40,485 here. There is no Signature trim and no turbocharged trim above it.
Where can I see a 2.5 S Premium Plus near Mobile, AL?⌄
Dean McCrary Mazda is at 1739 E I-65 Service Rd S in Mobile, on the I-65 Service Road. Ask our team which 2.5 S Premium Plus cars are on the ground and which are in transit — trim mix moves week to week, and the equipment above is set by trim rather than by an option package.
