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The Mazda CX-5 on the assembly line

What Features Does the Basic 2021 Mazda CX-5 Offer?

The 2021 Mazda CX-5 is a well-rounded SUV that has plenty to offer to so many drivers. It’s spacious, comfortable, practical, and offers just a touch of luxury, with a base model price that is rather affordable. While it comes with a variety of trim levels and options — seven trim levels, if we are …

The 2021 Mazda CX-5 is a well-rounded SUV that has plenty to offer to so many drivers. It’s spacious, comfortable, practical, and offers just a touch of luxury, with a base model price that is rather affordable. While it comes with a variety of trim levels and options — seven trim levels, if we are being precise — there is quite a lot to love when it comes to the basic and most affordable base model version of the 2021 Mazda CX-5.

The 2021 Mazda CX-5 Price

Just like most cars, there is a small range in prices for the 2021 Mazda CX-5. Starting at the base model, buyers can expect to pay around $25,370, making it one of the most affordable brand new SUV options on the market, without having to opt for the more common choices like the Nissan Rogue. For higher trim levels, buyers are looking at increased sticker prices ranging upwards of $37,505 for the highest trim level titled the Signature trim. While the higher trim levels have much to offer, you can’t go wrong with the features of the base model alone.

A front view of a red 2021 Mazda CX-5 compact crossover SUV traveling on a two-lane highway through the mountains
Mazda CX-5 | Mazda North American Operations

Above and beyond

In 2021 we have pretty high expectations of what we expect modern-day cars to offer. Options like backup cameras that were once expensive add-ons and perks of higher-end cars are now standard in every new car on the road, and buyers are looking for even more driving aids than ever before. For the CX-5, Mazda didn’t skimp on their offerings of basic driving aids, meaning you don’t have to upgrade to the more expensive trim levels to get what you’re looking for — but rather, they serve as options to go above and beyond our expectations.

A red 2021 Mazda CX-5 parked on a tree-lined city street
2021 Mazda CX-5 | Mazda North American Operations

Base model driving aids

The base model driving aids for the 2021 Mazda CX-5 is the platform on which the higher trim levels are based on. So, all of the higher trim levels simply offer these options and then some, rather than replacing them, according to Edmunds. If you’re looking at the base model CX-5 this year, you can expect forward collision mitigation, blind-spot monitoring paired with rear-cross traffic alerts, lane departure mitigation, and — my personal favorite — adaptive cruise control that makes driving long road trips, daily commutes, or just standard traffic a bit safer and more tolerable.

The Mazda CX-5 on the assembly line
The Mazda CX-5 SUV went up against the Honda CR-V in Best SUV lists | Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg, Getty Images

Overall, the base model 2021 Mazda CX-5 has plenty of features to offer, making it a great deal to buy at such an affordable price. This contrasts the offers of some other SUVs in the class, which abandon these basic driving aids until you choose to upgrade to higher, more expensive trim levels. While each tier of options for the CX-5 offers more and more, making them all worth the upgrade, there is still plenty of reason to opt for the economic base model.

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