2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs 2025 Mazda CX-5

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport was designed to project a sportier image within the Range Rover family. Its tall stance was complemented by a shorter wheelbase and a chopped top, giving it an athletic appearance. Large front air intakes and faux vents on the hood and fenders added to its sporty look, though from certain angles, it appeared a bit too tall and narrow. The lineup included SE, Dynamic SE, Autobiography, and SV Edition Two trims, with the Dynamic SE offering a Stealth appearance package. The SV Edition 2, the highest-performance model, featured unique elements like 23-inch carbon-fiber wheels and a carbon-fiber hood. Inside, the SV Edition 2 boasted red leather upholstery and sport seats with illuminated inserts, maintaining a minimalist aesthetic with a focus on luxury materials.

The 2025 Mazda CX-5 was often considered one of the most attractive vehicles in the small SUV class, with its graceful curves and timeless design. Despite not being redesigned since 2017, it continued to stand out without relying on gimmicks. The interior was noted for its high-quality materials and a layout that balanced traditional analog controls with modern digital elements. While it lacked a large infotainment touchscreen, the physical buttons and knobs were appreciated for their usability. The CX-5's interior was compared to last-generation Acura or Lexus models, offering a more refined feel than similarly priced competitors.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered a range of powertrain options, all paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive. The base SE model featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine with 355 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The Dynamic SE offered a higher output of 395 hp and 406 lb-ft, along with a plug-in hybrid powertrain rated at 454 hp and 487 lb-ft. The Autobiography trim could be equipped with a plug-in hybrid producing 543 hp and 590 lb-ft or a BMW-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 with 523 hp and 553 lb-ft. The SV Edition Two pushed the V8's output to 626 hp, making it the most powerful Range Rover model. It could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and had a top speed of 180 mph. The Range Rover Sport excelled in both on-road performance and off-road capability, with features like sport-tuned air suspension, four-wheel steering, and brake-based torque vectoring.

The 2025 Mazda CX-5 offered two engine choices: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque, and a turbocharged version with 256 hp and 320 lb-ft. Both engines were paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. The base engine provided adequate power, while the turbocharged model offered quicker acceleration, reaching 60 mph in about 6 seconds. The CX-5 was praised for its sporty driving dynamics, with a suspension that minimized body roll and provided a confident feel on winding roads. The ride quality was slightly firm, but the cabin remained quiet and comfortable, filtering out wind and road noise effectively.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport was positioned between the Range Rover Velar and the full-size Range Rover, offering a midsize two-row, five-seater configuration. Front-seat occupants enjoyed similar headroom to other midsize luxury SUVs, though legroom was slightly less than in some competitors. The rear seats provided adequate headroom, and reclining rear seats were standard. Cargo space measured 31.9 cubic feet behind the second row and 53 cubic feet with the seats folded. The Range Rover Sport's towing capacity was impressive, with turbo-six and V8 models capable of towing up to 7,716 pounds.

The 2025 Mazda CX-5's interior was noted for its design and refinement, though it offered less practicality and space compared to some rivals. Rear headroom was sufficient for adults, but competitors like the Toyota RAV4 and Kia Sportage provided more. The CX-5 excelled in rear legroom compared to the RAV4 but fell short of the Honda CR-V and Kia Sportage. Cargo space was 30.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 58.1 cubic feet with the seats folded. The CX-5 featured moderately sized cupholders, door pockets, and a deep center armrest bin, with a power liftgate standard on most trims.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport featured a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment, with standard wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration. The minimalist design had some functional drawbacks, as many controls required touchscreen interaction. The Pivi Pro infotainment system was responsive, with natural-language voice recognition. The SV Edition 2 included "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers for a unique audio experience, though it felt somewhat gimmicky.

The 2025 Mazda CX-5 came with a 10.25-inch infotainment display controlled via a center console dial. The system was praised for its ease of use, with logical menus and the ability to control Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via the touchscreen or dial. Wireless phone integration was available on higher trims, along with a wireless charging pad. The CX-5's analog gauges felt slightly outdated, but a head-up display was standard on midrange trims and above. The audio system ranged from a four-speaker setup to a 10-speaker Bose premium system, with remote vehicle monitoring and a Wi-Fi hotspot available.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport included standard driver-assist features such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver attention monitor. A 360-degree camera system and digital rearview mirror aided parking, though parking sensors were overly sensitive. Safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of publication.

The 2025 Mazda CX-5 received five stars in NHTSA crash tests, except for rollover protection, which earned four stars. The 2024 model received the IIHS' highest score of "Good" and a Top Safety Pick rating. Standard safety features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control. Higher trims added features like adaptive headlights, a head-up display, a surround-view camera system, and traffic jam assist. The safety systems operated smoothly without false alarms or glitches.