2020 Mazda CX-5 vs Nissan Qashqai

What's the difference?

The CX-5 Akera is an acquired taste in the sense that it costs more than the GT for what are essentially cosmetic extras. The Nappa leather is lovely, yes, and the sunroof is good (I guess, I don't like them) but it doesn't do anything any differently than the GT.

However, like the GT, it's loaded up with gear and in the case of the turbo, it's the pick of the engines. It's also still right up at the head of the pack dynamically and aesthetically. Fifty grand is a lot of money, but the Akera is a lot of car.

The Qashqai is a very solid small SUV, and one of the better ones, if not the best, when it comes to city friendliness.

As its name suggests, the N-Sport is the sportiest version of the Qashqai, but just keep in mind it’s 'sporty' in looks alone.

That said, we’d save $1000 and go for the Qashqai’s mid-range ST-L instead. It also has all of the right bits.

I really like cut of the CX-5's cloth. It is a bit colour sensitive, although I really like this 'Polymetal Grey Metallic' hue ($495) which changes a lot depending on the lighting conditions.

The second generation has a more resolved, more ears-pinned-back design which is kind of ironic because one of the ads for the previous car used big cat imagery. The sleek headlights, the beautiful proportions and general elegance is going to age just as well as the older machine. That's a good design.

The interior is very clean but still really dark. The 'wood' in the Akera doesn't really help matters, but that's what you get for going for the top of the range. The Nappa leather on the seats is quite lovely, though and the car smells nice (at least when new). As with other Mazdas, the switch count on the centre stack is minimal with some lights moving up to the ceiling console. It's very calm and composed.

The Qashqai is one of the better-looking small SUVs, and the N-Sport ups the visual ante in just the right places.

Up front, it is disappointingly equipped with halogen headlights, but at least they’re capped off by arrow-shaped LED daytime running lights (DRLs). The fog lights also use cheaper bulbs, which don’t make for great night-time visibility.

Anyway, the design itself is attractive, with Nissan’s signature 'V-Motion' grille large and in charge, featuring a mesh insert and a combination of gloss-black and chrome trim.

The N-Sport stands out from the Qashqai crowd with its body-colour front bumper, which features matte-silver inserts across the side air intakes.

Around the side, the wheelarches are also body-colour, with unique 19-inch 'Wind' alloy wheels positioned below. Their multi-spoke design certainly spices things up.

Again, the N-Sport turns to a matte-silver finish, this time for the Qashqai’s side-mirror caps, roof rails and skirts. It’s all subtle but effective.

At the rear, the N-Sport’s tailgate spoiler and arrow-shaped LED tail-lights are lifted from other members of the Qashqai family, so no surprises there.

But look lower and another body-colour bumper with matte-silver inserts comes into view. And if you’re still having a hard time picking the difference, there’s also the obligatory ‘N-Sport’ badge to really spell things out.

Inside, the N-Sport looks like any other Qashqai, save for its black cloth/leather-accented seat upholstery and black headliner.

So, there’s not much in the way of ‘innovation that excites’, especially where the 7.0-inch touchscreen is concerned. A recent update introduced a new multimedia system, which goes some way in making up for the sins of its predecessor.

That said, it’s still one of the worst out there due to its lack of functionality, low resolution and puzzling widescreen format. Thankfully, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support is now on hand, so make the most of it.

The multi-function display wedged in between the traditional tachometer and speedometer is good, though, serving up all the right information to the driver.

And then there's the interior’s seriously premium quality. While the leather-accented steering wheel and gear selector are to be expected, the soft-touch upper and passenger-side middle dashboard, and front door shoulders are not.

So too are the leather-accented armrests, door inserts, door handles and knee rests. It’s all very nice. The same can’t be said, though, for the centre stack’s gloss-black trim, which is prone to annoying fingerprints. The titanium accents used elsewhere are less troublesome.

The boot may now be 442 litres but it's well down on its obvious rivals, the Tiguan (615 litres) and RAV4 Edge (580 litres). Fold all three elements of the 40/20/40 split fold rear seat and you have a handy 1342 litres and a reasonably flat floor.

The Mazda tradition of tight rear seating continues. I just about fit comfortably behind my own driving position set for 180cm. Kids will be fine but, as ever, the rear door aperture is a bit tricky to quickly enter (like if it's raining). Three across the back is definitely a 'short trips only' proposition. 

There are four cupholders evenly distributed and bottle holders, with a pair in each row. You can also hide your valuables in a good-sized centre console in the front and you have somewhere to put your phone - under the centre stack - when you're on the move.

Measuring 4394mm long, 1806mm wide and 1595mm tall, the N-Sport is on the larger side for a small SUV, which means good things for practicality.

Cargo capacity is generous, at 430L, but can be increased to a massive 1598L with the 60/40 split-fold rear bench stowed, an action that can only be performed via manual release in the second row.

The boot itself has a wide aperture, which is makes loading bulkier items easier. What doesn’t, though, is the tall load lip. And a hump in the middle of the floor also has to be contended with when using the maximum storage space.

That said, two bag hooks, four tie-down points and a couple of side bins are on hand to more than claw back respectability.

In-cabin storage options are numerous, with the tall central bin proving rather useful, despite featuring a removable tray, a USB-A port, a 12V power outlet, an auxiliary input and a very shallow cupholder.

The latter is at odds with the two cupholders behind the gear selector, which are too tall for coffee cups. For the record, the front and rear door bins can only accommodate one regular drink bottle each. But we digress…

Other in-cabin storage options include a small cubby in between the central bin and the two cupholders, and a larger one in front of the gear selector, which also houses another 12V power outlet.

The glove box is average size, while there’s no sunglasses holder despite the absence of a panoramic sunroof that would normally eat into the space used by one.

In the second row, a pair of map pockets sit on the front seat backrests, while a cubby is found in the rear of the centre console, where air vents and/or USB ports would usually be found. Yep, rear occupants won’t be pleased.

That said, they'll be elated with the spaciousness. Behind my 184cm (6.0ft) driving position, around 6.0cm of legroom is on offer alongside plenty of toe-room. Headroom is also great, at roughly 4.0cm.

Thankfully, the transmission tunnel is relatively small, so there’s more than enough footwell space for two adults or three children, who will be disappointed by the small size of the fold-down armrest’s two cupholders.

Speaking of the kids, the outboard seats are equipped with top-tether and ISOFIX anchorage points for child seats, although the awkward aperture of the rear doors makes fitting them a touch tricky.

Priced from the $35,000, plus on-road costs, the N-Sport commands a $1000 premium over the mid-range ST-L and undercuts the flagship Ti by $3490 in the Qashqai range.

Standard equipment not already mentioned includes dusk-sensing lights, rain-sensing wipers, a space-saver spare wheel, power-folding side mirrors with heating, rear privacy glass, satellite navigation with live traffic updates, six-speaker audio (with digital radio), keyless entry and start, and heated front seats. A pretty decent list, to say the least.

Our test vehicle was finished in 'Magnetic Red' metallic paint ($595), which is one of five extra-cost colour options.

Key rivals include the Hyundai Kona Elite FWD ($30,300), Kia Seltos Sport+ FWD ($32,290) and Mazda CX-30 G20 Touring FWD ($34,990), all of which are newer models with fresher technology.

The 2.5-litre turbo engine is a familiar one, first appearing in the bigger CX-9 and then the lovely Mazda6. Pushing 170kW at 5000rpm and 420Nm at just 2000rpm to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic, it's a lot more relaxed than the other petrols in the CX-5 range and more refined than the diesel.

It also comfortably out-punches everything else in the segment.

The all-wheel drive system is obviously road-biased - along with the wheels and suspension - and is mostly front-wheel drive to help save fuel.

The N-Sport is motivated by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 106kW of power at 6000rpm and 200Nm of torque at 4400rpm. Both outputs are average for an entry-level powertrain option.

This particular unit is mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), which has six simulated ‘steps’ designed to mimic a traditional gear set.

For the sake of efficiency, drive is exclusively sent to the front wheels. Yep, no all-wheel drive to be had here.

The turbo's official combined cycle figure came out at 8.2L/100km, 0.8L/100km more than the non-turbo's ADR readout.

Once again, the turbo excelled, with a 9.2L/100km reading, close to the 9.1 I got in the GT last year in October. It's a point worth making because the 2.5-litre struggles to better 10L/100km in my hands.

An added bonus is that you can run it on standard unleaded.

The N-Sport’s fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test (ADR 81/02) is 6.9 litres per 100 kilometres, while its claimed carbon dioxide emissions are 159 grams of CO2 per kilometre. All things considered, both are decent.

In our real-world testing, we averaged 10.6L/100km over 175km of driving mostly in the city limits. A more than acceptable result.

An 'Eco' drive mode is on hand, too, reducing throttle response to improve efficiency, but we didn’t go there often.

For reference, the N-Sport’s 65L fuel tank takes 91 RON 'standard' petrol at minimum.

For a mid-size family SUV, the CX-5 is still a very nice car to drive. Mazda doesn't have to engineer in nice steering, a crisp turn-in, well-judged brakes or pour the effort and expense into a well-sorted multi-link rear end. We know from other cars in the segment that not all of these things need to be in the mix to make a car sell. 

Even on these huge 19-inch wheels and without the inclusion of dynamic or adaptive damping, the Akera manages to ride well for most of the time. You'll get the occasional jolt from one of those nasty rubber speed bumps that councils have been randomly installing at roundabouts over the past couple of months.

It's also very nice in the corners if the mood takes you and your passengers are willing. While the tyres could be better - this seems to be where Mazda suddenly decides to skimp a little - the all-wheel drive helps keep things calm and composed.

What really makes this car, though, is the engine. No, it doesn't turn it into a performance SUV, that is absolutely not the point, but a lot of smooth torque means your options open up.

Overtaking is quiet and unfussed, 420Nm and third gear working together like Torvill and Dean (there's a contemporary reference for you). What it really means, though, is that kicking around town in the CX-5 is much more relaxed.

You need a lot less throttle, the transmission doesn't have to shift around as much and you see that in the real-world fuel economy. While that's an added bonus that won't cover the extra cost of the turbo, everything else is.

The six-speed auto is pretty good and in this segment isn't a bother because you either get saddled with a CVT or a seven-speed twin-clutch. I'll take a conventional six-speed transmission over a clunky DSG or droning CVT any day.

As far as small urban runabouts go, the N-Sport more or less nails the brief.

In fact, it’s the kind of SUV that you’d much rather drive in traffic than on the open road.

The 2.0-litre engine isn’t exactly a powerhouse, requiring plenty of revs to flirt with maximum power, let alone peak torque.

It certainly helps then that the CVT is on hand. Like its contemporaries, this unit will jump up and down the rev range at a moment’s notice.

For this reason, it makes the 2.0-litre mid-range and upper reaches more accessible, making for decent acceleration when required.

At the same time, though, the CVT makes for a noisy cabin, even when accelerating without vigour. Needless to say, it’s not our favourite.

That said, this combination stacks up relatively well around town, where the pace is more leisurely. Yep, it’s not quick on a country road.

But despite the name, you weren’t expecting the N-Sport to be a sporty drive, were you?

We’re thankful it’s not, because it’s quite relaxing in the city, where commuting is often a stressful experience.

Key to this is the N-Sport’s independent suspension set-up, which consists of MacPherson-strut front and multi-link rear axles with passive dampers.

Simply put, it’s comfortable. Despite the threat of the 19-inch alloy wheels, the ride is quite good, with most road imperfections dealt with nicely.

Speed bumps and potholes aren’t an issue. Rockier surfaces can give the N-Sport the jitters, but when don’t they?

The electric power steering isn’t quite as good, but it does the job. It’s speed-sensitive, meaning the N-Sport is easy to manoeuvre at lower speeds but more stable at higher velocities.

This system isn’t the first word in feel, but it's pleasingly light, a great characteristic in the urban jungle.

Handling-wise, the N-Sport doesn't set the world on fire. As per the high-riding crossover brief, it exhibits plenty of body roll during hard cornering.

Arguably, though, this trait makes for sharper turn-in, so it’s not all bad. And the 1392kg kerb weight is never really an issue in tighter bends.

ANCAP awarded the entire Qashqai range a maximum five-star safety rating in 2017.

The N-Sport’s advanced driver-assist systems extend to autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, high-beam assist, hill-start assist, surround-view cameras and front and rear parking sensors.

Notable exclusions include pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition.

Other standard safety equipment includes six airbags (front dual, side and curtain), the usual electronic stability and traction control systems, anti-skid brakes (ABS), brake assist (BA) and electronic brakeforce distribution (EDB), among others.

Mazda provides a healthy five year/unlimited kilometre warranty that now also includes roadside assist.

Service intervals are close together, with 12 months/10,000km - 12 months is normal. 10,000km isn't. Mazda does offer capped-price servicing, with services costing between $315 and $343 meaning $660-plus annual spend. That's before extras like brake fluid and pollen filters.

As with all Nissan Australia models, the N-Sport comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is on par in the mainstream market. That said, Kia, MG, and SsangYong lead all others with a seven-year term.

The N-Sport also comes with five years of roadside assistance, while its service intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever comes first. The latter is on the shorter side.

A keenly priced six-year/60,000km capped-price servicing plan is available for $1785, or an average of $297.50 per visit.