MotorWeek

Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

Join us as Mazda makes the case for revamping the CX-5 crossover... Then, we'll slow down for a school zone that runs on electricity... We'll blast some media your way about media blasting on "Your Drive!"

Ending with a lone wolf street truck, the Ford Maverick Lobo... So, come drive with us, next!

Closed Captioning provided by Maryland Public Television.

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JOHN: Even with their push into more premium territory, spearheaded by larger utilities, Mazda hasn't left out their bread and butter, this CX-5 compact.

It is a new generation for 2026, though at first glance you might not know it.

Well, buckle up for our Road Test and we'll prove it!

You have a right to be skeptical that this is indeed a new gen of the CX-5.

However, considering this compact utility's continued success, why would Mazda veer it far off course?

Indeed, the 2026 Mazda CX-5 is one of those instances where progress is very real, even if not immediately obvious.

The most critical changes are inside.

In the days of screen fatigue, this 15.6 inch touchscreen is, admittedly, almost too big; it's standard in the top-trimmed 2.5 S Premium Plus, while a smaller 12.9 inch unit is mounted in all other grades.

In either case, we really dig this new operating system.

It's crisp and fluid, very important characteristics to have if it's going to take up most of your physical controls.

Yes, Mazda's command dial is gone, but perhaps going too far, there's not even a volume knob!

The steering wheel wears fresh "Mazda" typography, a minty look aided by simple controls which still took some getting used to.

There's nothing out of the ordinary regarding the 10.25 inch digital gauge display, which is fine by us.

We're big fans of the extra space allotted by the CX-5's 4.0 inch longer wheelbase.

It mostly means more cargo space, now 33.7 cubic-feet, up from 29.1, expandable to 66.5 cubes.

The second row's 40/20/40 split allows just the center section to fold down for longer objects while retaining two adult-sized seats.

Front and rear legroom increases are minor, but the rear is spacious enough, and wide opening doors make access a cinch.

The longer wheelbase translates into longer overall, almost 5.0 inches longer.

New LED elements and Mazda badging provide a subtle visual shift.

Design language intact, the CX-5's street-savvy style is a welcome break from the onslaught of "rugged" and "rigid" utilities.

And we're happy to report it's as nice to drive as any other CX-5, starting with this carryover unit, a torque-y naturally aspirated 2.5 liter I4 which puts out 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque through standard all-wheel-drive.

The Turbo variant has sadly been lost in the glow-up, but a hybrid model arriving for 2027 should boost performance and efficiency.

Nothing exciting off the line at Mason Dixon Dragway, especially when we hit 60 in 8.5 seconds, a repeat of our results in the last-gen CX-5.

Sticking with a 6-speed auto was smart here as shifts were, while a little slow, routinely smooth and predictable.

We consistently met the quarter-mile trap in 16.5 seconds at 84 miles per hour, another repeat result.

We put on the brakes for secure stops of 112 feet from 60.

Pedal travel is long, but feedback is good with a firm, congruent feel.

No fade and no sway.

Handling has always been one of Mazda's advantages over the competition; and just like before, pushing this CX-5 to the limit did highlight some weight transfer, intervention systems and other distractions.

But on the street, where you'll at best push it to 60 percent or 70 percent, this CX-5 feels very driver attuned.

To be blunt, the drive hasn't changed much at all with this new generation, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Buyers should note the tauter steering, firmer suspension and more engaged driving; don't dismiss it for being too sporty, just know the CX-5 does have an edge.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 24 city, 30 highway, and 26 combined.

We averaged a good 29.5 miles per gallon in our highway-leaning mileage loop.

That's an average Energy Impact Score, consuming 11.4 Barrels of Oil a year and emitting 5.6 tons of CO2.

In Season 31, we remarked how the CX-5 was a fitting replacement for the Ford Escape-based Mazda Tribute.

That one never really resonated with Mazda's mission, but the CX-5 made sure the course correct with styling, efficiency, and a better drive experience.

Back then, a top-trim CX-5 would get you closer to the 30-grand mark, which is where this 2026 CX-5 starts; $31,485, to be precise, our 2.5 S Premium Plus topping the range at $40,485.

Accounting for inflation, that's about right.

And that's, perhaps, a good way to surmise this new generation 2026 Mazda CX-5.

Like the original, it's stylish enough to fit in with Mazda's premium minded mission; it's efficient, soon to be bolstered by that upcoming hybrid; and, to no surprise, it's as enjoyable to drive as ever.

JOHN: Every day, in every city and neighborhood across America, thousands of ubiquitous yellow buses serve a critical role: Transporting our nation's students to and from school.

For one Oklahoma town, a power shift towards electric is showing how these yellow heroes can serve their communities in a different and unexpected way.

The Shawnee, Oklahoma, school district runs just 16 buses on a typical day.

Not a large fleet by any measure, but one with big ambitions nonetheless.

A few years ago, a federal grant afforded them the opportunity to replace half of their diesel buses with battery-electric ones.

That's a decision they haven't regretted for a second.

As many fleets have discovered, switching to electric buses has helped the bottom line in terms of maintenance.

Those costs are an eighth of what a typical diesel bus requires for fluid changes, filters and brake repairs, but the benefits haven't stopped there.

JOHN WILES: So, it's a tremendous thing for the kids, just for, uh, less pollutants, better on their allergies, better on their asthma, uh, and other things that kids face today.

You get on the diesel bus, it's loud, they can't hear, they're already yelling at each other, so their behavior is escalated.

But with the electric buses, we've found behavior issues have gone down significantly.

JOHN: Buses that make kids behave better?

You can't argue with that!

Now, a pilot program is under way to explore using the electrical energy stored in these bus batteries to reduce strain on the electrical grid and help power the community in times of need.

JOHN W: Our building, our city was struck by a tornado, uh, April 19th of 2023, and it destroyed our transportation building.

We had several of our large freezers that were days without electricity.

So, with the concept that we might be able to take a bus, plug in and run a freezer, and save our food, that was a great thing.

It's something we hope to do in the future, but right now we're looking at vehicle-to-grid, which allows our buses to put electricity back into the grid on demand as needed.

JOHN: School buses are ideally suited for this kind of use.

They run the same routes at the same times every day, and mostly sit idle overnight and on weekends.

Not to mention, when school is out for the summer, the buses will be ready and waiting when they may be needed the most.

JOHN W: So, with them just sitting there, and there's a big demand on the load, on the grid, from air conditioners and that kind of stuff that goes on, we would be able to supply electricity back into the grid and then purchase it back later when it's at a lower, cheaper rate.

JOHN: That math works out to a net profit for the school district.

The energy from one 200 kilowatt-hour bus battery can run a large walk-in freezer for several days, or provide temporary power to emergency shelters during a natural disaster.

That's a win-win for Shawnee, and the utility provider, Oklahoma Gas and Electric, which originally suggested the electric buses to the school district.

DAVID FRICK: One big thing with this project is how great the partners have been, that have come together and collaborated.

That's not typical for every project.

And so...between...um, the utility...OG+E...um, having Shawnee Public Schools be so willing to do a project like this.

Typically, their main goal is to move students safely, uh, to and from school, and so adding a project of this scale is a big ask, um, so we're very thankful that they were willing to do that.

JOHN: This kind of cooperation and energy resiliency makes small communities, like Shawnee, stronger when times get tough.

And shows other cities the good that can come from a little EV give and take.

JOHN W: As time's gone on, the community has begun to endorse the electric buses, and I think they're excited that they are a part of what Shawnee does and where we're at.

JOHN: Not every car needs a full Road Test.

Whether, it's small updates or just a refresher course, some cars just need a QuickSpin.

GREG CARLOSS: We're getting large and in charge with this week's QuickSpin, high stepping the highways and byways in this 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport.

If you're keeping score, this is the first time a Sport trim has ever been available on this full-size sport utility, and as you might expect, it mostly comes down to lots of added black trim pieces, which are easily noticeable on our Radiant White sample.

But there's also a sharpened front fascia with a new grille and reworked bumper, unique 22 inch wheels, and dark chrome accents.

Looks can be deceiving with this QX80 Sport.

From the outside, it's really imposing with the big, upright grille.

But then driving it around town, it's actually quite maneuverable.

And then it has the style of a modern, luxury SUV, but then again, the ride is very old school, truck-based-SUV-like, which of course it is.

And that's not a bad thing.

There's actually something appealing about the way this thing commands the road.

No added sportiness under the hood, as Sport trim is rocking the same 450 horsepower twin-turbo 3.5 liter V6 as rest of the QX80 lineup.

All-wheel-drive is standard, as is a 9-speed automatic transmission.

Bringing the sportiness inside is a unique Dusk Blue theme with added matte chrome pieces as a highlight, plus, black and blue seats with a special diamond-pattern perforation.

Two 14 inch displays are integrated into the dash for driver info and infotainment, plus, a 9.0 inch screen in the center stack for monitoring and controlling climate functions as well as dialing in your preferred drive mode.

The 2026 Infiniti QX80 starts at around $86,000, with the new Sport slotting in right below top Autograph trim, going for just over $104,000.

And we'll have more QuickSpins, soon!

JOHN: You already know, we're in the business of automotive media, and so is Dan Maffett.

Only difference, his media doesn't detail cars, it strips them and their parts of paint and powder coats.

And he stopped by to give us a demo on MotorWeek's "Your Drive."

(car starting up) DAN MAFFETT: If you're getting serious about coatings in your shop, whether it's powder coating or paint, you're going to eventually need to upgrade to a tool like this.

This is a media blasting cabinet, and what this does is it takes sand media or metal oxide media, and it sprays it out at a high psi, so that you can strip parts like this and get them to look like this.

Now, it's going to prep that surface, clean it, remove all the rust from all the pits and all the grooves, so that your paint can stick.

Now, there are some things you have to do for this device to make it work optimally.

You're going to need clean and dry air in and out, so you want to have filters and driers on your lines going in, and make sure that your air going out has a place to go-- a good shop vac.

If you don't clean your lines before you use it, and you don't have a water separator, you could get stuff like this through the lines.

This was drained from our compressor just today.

That can build up very quick, and really ruin the entire batch of media down there, and it's not... it's not cost-effective to replace that every time you spray.

Now, some things to think about when you select your blasting cabinet: I like to make sure that it's serviceable, that I can upgrade it, that I can maintenance it.

This window up here, you want to make sure that you can replace that.

If you can't and you're stuck with what they put there, eventually it's going to mar, it's going to gray, and you won't be able to see through it.

Visibility is one of the most important things here, so also, in addition to the window, you want to make sure you have a nice bright LED light inside.

Um, if you don't have the visibility, it's going to be really hard to know if you clean the part.

You're going to have to keep opening it, check it, close it, and it's just going to take a lot more time than it needs to.

Now, we're talking about opening it: I like to have a top-loader.

That way, I can tuck it somewhere on the side of my shop against the wall, and not have to worry about opening the sides.

I can just flip the top open and go to work.

Now, air in, you want to be, for this particular unit, around 90 psi.

Now, depending on the size of the unit and your compressor, you just want to make sure you have enough air feed going in, to match its description.

And it's not tailored just for automotive parts.

You can do tools, you can even do some wood and natural materials, if you get with a softer media.

No matter what your style of media coating is, whether, it's powder coating or it's paint, this is the tool to get that job done right, and to make it last.

And if you have any questions or comments, hit us up right here, at MotorWeek .

GREG: This 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX-Prestige is our newest Long-Term recruit.

Now, 1,000 tested miles isn't a big enough sample size for us to give you its first efficiency update, but it is enough for some drive impressions.

A good portion of those miles came from a 6-hour round trip.

The piloting staffer appreciated the soft-sprung suspension, adept at handling road imperfections and equaling zero fatigue.

And while there was a little hesitation from its 232 horsepower 1.6 liter turbo-4-based hybrid system, it's otherwise seamless.

The turbo-4-based hybrid system in this Sportage has been used by Kia for a while now, and besides the efficiency, our favorite thing about it is that it runs through a 6-speed automatic transmission rather than a CVT, which means we're not subjected to the monotonous droning sound when accelerating.

True, the low-speed operation isn't quite as smooth as it would be with a CVT, but to us, that's not much of a trade-off.

All that, along with all-wheel-drive, provides confidence.

As do the blind spot cameras integrated into the 12.3 inch digital gauge cluster.

We do wish the views were a little bigger, but what a great safety feature.

That screen is joined by a slick and equally-sized touchscreen; beneath it, Kia's familiar row of touch controls that you have to toggle for climate and radio is still not our favorite, but we applaud the use of physical switchgear elsewhere.

Like, the steering wheel controls, which feel great along with the oval-ish rim, which one driver noted coaxes you into a 10-and-2 grip.

We're eager for our Kia Sportage Hybrid's first efficiency report; but before that, we'll have an update on our Acura ADX on the next MotorWeek Long-Term Road Test update.

JOHN: If you've come from the era of slammed trucks with sporty intentions, boy have we got a ride for you.

Well...actually...Ford does, it's their compact Maverick Lobo.

And while, we were at first a bit skeptical of Ford's next-gen street truck, it only took a bit of seat time to turn us into believers of Ford's new top gun!

ALEXANDER KELLUM: Over the last decade or so, just about every truck and crossover has added some type of off-road package, and even Ford has spread the rugged love to their Escape-based pickup with the Maverick Tremor.

This Ford Maverick Lobo however, is a tuned-up truck with a different mission.

Here at MotorWeek , we take our jobs very...seriously.

Whether, that's high-performance track driving, heavy duty towing, or packing people into minivans, we know a thing or two about... ...getting down to business.

And usually, the business of pickup trucks means tow ratings, payloads, and of course, powertrains... and then... (truck zooms by) ...there's the Lobo.

(tires screeching) GREG: Ripping around the skidpad here at Summit Point Motorsports Park, this truck feels right at home, honestly.

Yeah, it sits up a little bit higher, but there's nothing wrong with that.

And I don't mind a little bit of body roll every now and then.

I do wish the tires had a little bit more grip, but one thing's for sure: I normally don't have this much fun in a pickup truck.

(tires screeching) Making all this happen is a reworked suspension, featuring upgraded shocks that lower the ride height by half an inch up front and more than an inch in back.

And instead of re-inventing the wheel, Ford smartly used readily available pieces from the European ST shop.

All-wheel-drive is standard, and perhaps the real magic happens inside the Lobo's new torque-vectoring twin-clutch rear differential.

Shuffling the power from side to side in the rear not only puts the most power to the ground while cutting down on understeer.

It allows you to be more stable, if you want that or loose...if you want that.

(tires screeching) The fun stuff gets unlocked by the Lobo Drive mode, which also cranks up the enhanced exhaust sounds a bit while dialing back stability control.

Ford claims it's for track use only, but during our closed-course shenanigans we still noticed a fair amount of computer intervention.

As for sporting intentions when the light goes green, the Lobo gets Ford's 2.0 liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder; no added power, so it's working with the same 250 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque as other non-hybrid Mavericks.

And despite being away from the prepped surface of Mason-Dixon Dragway, we ripped to 60 in 6.8 seconds.

Launching is pretty straightforward: Power-brake, don't let the revs level off, let go of the brake.

Good grip off the line.

Nice quick, firm shifts.

Turns out it's pretty fun in a straight line too.

(tires screeching) In theory, the Lobo is working with a new 7-speed Quick Shift Transmission, but in reality, it's actually the same 8-speed programmed to eliminate second gear, so I guess you could think of it as carrying an extra gear around with you as a back-up.

And when it comes time to slow things down, the Lobo's front brakes are borrowed from the Focus ST, which proved adept at handling the demands of an autocross course as well as our favorite Maryland back roads.

Chances are you'll be spending most of your drive time in this street truck on the street, and the experience is pleasant, if a bit rough around the edges when it comes to suspension.

But it is a pickup truck, and a compact at that.

Now, you don't have to go full Lobo mode to have some fun.

Sport mode does a nice job sharpening the throttle and there's a lot of turbo noise.

And that's cool!

(engine revving) ALEXANDER KELLUM: Ford's outside of the truck box thinking has them going pure street-style with this Lobo.

That means a low, wide stance aided by some really cool ground effects.

Now, these wheels are actually considered an option, though we think the stock 19 inch turbofan-style wheels are the real upgrade.

Thankfully, there are more interesting colors available than this white.

Same 4.5 foot bed as other Mavericks, but the Lobo does include an aero body kit, unique grille, black roof, and body-color bumpers.

The wolf's den also receives some special appointments.

From the driver's seat you can spot all the unique displays on the 8.0 inch digital gauge panel.

And, of course, you can use paddle shifters, which remain exclusive to the Lobo for the time being.

Throughout the cabin you can trace this dual-tone accent stitching and you can spot some Lobo logos like those embossed on the seats.

Now, getting stuck in the back seats sort of feels well...like, getting stuck in the back seats.

But, truthfully, it's not that bad, even for someone that's over 6.0 feet tall.

And it's certainly more hospitable than those jump seats found in Rangers of old.

And in the same vein of making the most with what you got, the under-seat storage is a nifty solution.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 21 city, 30 highway, and 24 combined.

We averaged 24.5 miles per gallon in our test flight.

Considering the average transaction price for a pickup truck in America these days is well over $60,000, dropping $37,775 on this Lobo doesn't seem that bad at all.

Short of shoving a Coyote V8 into the engine bay, this is the coolest thing that could happen to the Maverick.

You can blame Ford for starting the off-road truck craze with the Raptor back in 2010.

Now, let's see if others will follow this Maverick Lobo down the street truck alley.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time as we charge forward in the latest Dodge Charger R/T, then kick the Volkswagen Tiguan up one fast, turbocharged notch.

Until next time, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

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MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper, a nationwide network of stores and shops providing major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast, and in your local community.

Learn more at AutoValue.Com and BumperToBumper.Com.

We're Tire Rack.

We test tires, then share our results.

We stock over a million tires.

We offer multiple installation options.

We do this because we believe tires matter.

This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

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