2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E vs 2025 Mazda CX-5

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E retained its distinctive and sharp styling, with an aggressive front fascia and a sloping profile that maintained its crossover proportions. The tri-bar tail lights, a hallmark of the Mustang nameplate, were refreshed to match the signature lighting of the seventh-generation Ford Mustang. The new Rally trim emerged as the top-of-the-line model, featuring unique styling elements such as LED fog lamps, a black roof, and Oxford White 19-inch wheels that paid homage to rally racing. The interior of the Mach-E continued to offer a minimalist design with a large touchscreen and Ford Performance front seats, which were standard on the GT and Rally trims.

The 2025 Mazda CX-5 was celebrated for its graceful curves and elegant design, which stood out in the small SUV class. Despite not having been redesigned since 2017, its styling remained impressive, often mistaken for an entry-level luxury SUV. The interior boasted nicer-than-average materials and a layout that balanced traditional analog controls with modern digital trends. While it lacked a massive infotainment touchscreen, the CX-5's use of physical buttons and knobs was appreciated for its usability. The cabin featured soft-touch materials and a few high-quality plastic elements, offering a refined feel comparable to last-generation Acura or Lexus interiors.

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E was known for its firm ride, with the GT trim featuring a MagneRide damping system that allowed for drive mode adjustments. The GT Performance Upgrade package increased torque to 700 lb-ft, maintaining 480 horsepower, resulting in a 0-60 mph time of 3.3 seconds. The Mach-E GT and Rally trims offered all-wheel drive, with ranges of 280 and 265 miles, respectively. The Mach-E's charging experience was improved, with the standard-range battery reaching 80% in 32 minutes and the extended-range in 36 minutes.

The 2025 Mazda CX-5 offered two engine choices: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 187 horsepower and a turbocharged version with 256 horsepower. The turbo model accelerated to 60 mph in about 6 seconds, making it one of the quicker options in its class. The CX-5's sporty driving dynamics were complemented by its all-wheel-drive system and suspension, providing confidence on winding roads. While the ride was slightly firmer, the cabin remained quiet, filtering out wind and road noise effectively.

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E excelled in interior space, offering 34.1 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 59.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The driver and front passenger enjoyed ample headroom and legroom, with power-adjustable seats standard across trims. ActiveX seating surfaces with Miko inserts and performance-inspired perforation were standard, providing a comfortable and stylish interior.

The 2025 Mazda CX-5's interior design and refinement were commendable, though it fell short in practicality compared to rivals. It offered 30.8 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 58.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The cabin featured moderately sized cupholders, door pockets, and a deep center armrest bin. A power liftgate was standard on all but the bottom two trims, and midlevel trims added a wireless charging pad.

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E came standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, featuring Ford's SYNC 4A infotainment software on a 15.5-inch touchscreen. The system included Intelligent Range, a cloud-based feature that provided real-time range updates. While the screen-based controls were becoming more accepted, the user experience could be improved with automatic self-dismissal of full-screen interfaces.

The 2025 Mazda CX-5 featured a 10.25-inch infotainment display controlled via a center console dial. The system was easy to operate while driving, with logical menus and the ability to control Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via the touchscreen or dial. The Premium Plus trim offered wireless phone integration and a head-up display, while the Signature model included a 10-speaker Bose audio system.

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E offered BlueCruise 1.3, a hands-free highway-driving assist software, along with a 360-degree camera and Ford CoPilot 360 suite of advanced driver-assistance technologies. It earned a Top Safety Pick Award from the IIHS and five-star ratings from the NHTSA in side crash and rollover testing.

The 2025 Mazda CX-5 received five-star ratings from the NHTSA in all evaluations except for rollover protection. It came standard with advanced safety features, including forward-collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. The Premium Plus trim added adaptive headlights and a surround-view camera system, while the Turbo Signature trim included a driver attention monitor and rear automatic braking.