Turbo treatment adds to appeal of Mazda CX-5 SUV

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- I have a confession to make: I've always liked turbochargers.

There, I said it.  So sue me!

Remember a couple of generations back when many considered turbos evil.  "I won't have one in my car," they shouted.

OK, it took engineers some time to deal with turbo heat issues and mad science things like molecular expansion.  But they mastered those demons.  And here we are today.

Seemingly every automaker has embraced the turbocharger.  And I'm glad.  A turbo adds a fistful of spice to a motor vehicle.

Take the recently tested 2023 Mazda CX-5 2.5 Turbo Signature AWD.  The CX-5 is a highly competent compact crossover sport-utility vehicle. With the turbo, it's a feisty runabout.

The CX-5's turbo generates 227 horsepower and 310 foot-pounds of torque (with 93 octane fuel, Mazda says those number jump to 256 and 320, respectively). Simply put, the turbo made the driving experience a lot of fun.

Yes, you can go jetting the compact SUV into tight spots on the highway, surprising motorists with the sudden burst from a Mazda sport-ute. I felt totally secure making these moves.  The CX-5's tires remained firmly planted to the pavement under hard accelerations.

Steering was so precise that I found myself moving in and out of traffic with the same confidence I would have behind the wheel of a finely tuned sports car.

Again, this is a compact SUV.

In city traffic, the turbo burst -- which is instant, by the way -- is a fine tool for darting out of harm's way.

Fuel mileage is fairly respectable at 22 miles per gallon in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

Besides the turbo rush, there are other charms.

The tester looked spiffy in "Soul Red Crystal Metallic" exterior paint. It was also loaded with a nearly obscene number of standard features.  The comfort/convenience/safety perks and technologies made me feel like I was behind the wheel of a pricey luxury model.

And yet the bottom line on the sticker was an acceptable $41,655.  I've seen competitors with the same equipment priced at 50-grand-plus.

One more thing: The CX-5 earned max five-star federal government crash test ratings galore, including five stars on the overall vehicle score.

Worth a test drive?  Absolutely. For maximum fun, make sure you take yours with T, for turbo.