The COVID-19 pandemic has sent the world into a recession, and if you’re shopping for a new car, now’s not a bad time to consider buying a used one. Used cars are typically as good as new cars, though obviously, used cars are much cheaper. Here’s a look at why the 2015 Mazda CX-5 is a great used SUV for people living in the city. 

What’s necessary for city driving

Consumer Reports recently created a list that highlights the best used cars for city driving. In order to create that list, Consumer Reports defined the things that it was looking for in a city car. Consumer Reports said that, for insurance reasons, the best city cars are used ones, since they’re cheaper to insure than brand-new ones are.

City cars also have size constraints to deal with. Some cars, especially full-size trucks, are so big that they’re just a hassle to drive when they’re in the city. That’s why Consumer Reports only looked for cars that had a small turning radius and were also relatively small in terms of their total length. That said, Consumer Reports didn’t only look at small cars as it wanted cars that were spacious too.

So, Consumer Reports limited its search to cars that were between 176 to 180 inches long. The other aspects considered had to do with the car’s reliability, comfort levels, and fuel economy. Since many city dwellers will probably get stuck in traffic, CR decided to only look at a car’s city fuel economy.

Why the 2015 Mazda CX-5 is great for city driving

On Consumer Reports’ list, there were seven cars that Consumer Reports said were great at city driving. There were only two SUVs on that list, one being the Honda CR-V, and the other being the Mazda CX-5. The CX-5 earned this spot thanks to its small size but roomy interior. It’s not the biggest SUV, but it handles like a sedan, which makes it great for the city. 

On top of this, Mazda upgraded the CX-5 in 2014. The CX-5 could come with a more powerful 2.5-liter engine, and that engine wouldn’t hurt the car’s fuel economy. Plus, those upgrades allowed the CX-5 to ace a crash test from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

That said, the 2015 CX-5 is still an SUV, and as such, it’ll be a bit less fuel-efficient than the sedans on the list. For example, Consumer Reports said that the Honda Civic gets about 21 MPG in the city, while the CX-5 gets about 19 MPG in the city.  

The 2015 Mazda CX-5 is very cheap too

The main reason to buy a used car over a brand-new one is the price, and the 2015 Mazda CX-5 is definitely an affordable SUV. Other than the Toyota Prius and the CR-V, both of which start at around $13,000, the other used cars on Consumer Reports’ list start at around $10,000. Obviously, the prices of used cars will vary, but the 2015 model year is old enough that many cars will have a big discount when compared to their brand-new versions.

The 2015 CX-5 starts at almost exactly $10,000, and that’s significantly cheaper than the 2015 CR-V’s starting price, which is about $12,300. Consumer Reports also liked the CR-V, but the $2,300 starting price difference between these two SUVs can’t be ignored. 

The savings from having a cheaper insurance policy on your car can’t be ignored either. That said, everyone’s insurance policy is different, so your mileage may vary there.