Rent Mazda CX-5 2022 in Dubai

The Mazda CX-5 2022 we rent here is the one with the bigger engine and all four wheels driven, and that changes who it's for. Most compact SUVs at this rental level run a modest two-litre and front-wheel drive. This one carries the 2.5-litre SKYACTIV-G making 187 horsepower through a six-speed automatic and an all-wheel-drive system, and we deliver it across Dubai in one to two hours. The argument is straightforward: if you want a CX-5 with real overtaking muscle and surefooted grip on the highway, this is the version to book. If you only ever potter around the city, the cheaper front-drive cars do the job for less.

The drivetrain, and why it's worth the step up

The 2.5-litre is the difference you feel every day. With 187 horsepower it reaches 100 km/h in around 9.2 seconds, and more to the point it pulls hard in the mid-range, so a quick overtake on Sheikh Zayed Road needs no run-up. The all-wheel-drive system isn't there for dunes, but it settles the car in a crosswind on the E11 and gives it confident traction pulling out of a wet roundabout in the odd winter downpour. Mazda's steering is honest and the body stays flat through a fast slip road, so the whole thing feels more planted than a soft crossover has any right to.

Spec at a glance

Fuel and range on a Dubai week

The bigger engine drinks a little more, which is the trade for the muscle. Expect around 8 to 9 litres per 100 km in Dubai city driving with the AC working, a touch above the front-drive cars. The 58-litre tank still stretches to roughly 784 km of mixed driving, so a week of commuting and weekend runs slots between fills without drama, and a couple of airport trips to DXB or DWC won't have you stopping mid-journey. Go past the 250 km included each day and it's 1 AED per extra kilometre. Salik tolls and any RTA fines during the rental are billed to you.

Heat and cabin cooling

Summer here is unforgiving, and this CX-5 bakes in the sun like any car. The cabin runs on the compact side for the class, so the air conditioning has less to fight and pulls the temperature down quickly. Set it low, give the front vents a couple of minutes, and it's bearable, comfortable inside about five. Rear vents at the back of the centre console keep passengers and kids cool on a longer drive. It's a properly finished cabin too, quieter and better trimmed than the rental price suggests, which makes the hot-weather wait that bit easier.

Parking, clearance and where the grip helps

At 4575 mm long it parks like the compact SUV it is, easy through Marina towers and tight multi-storey bays, with good forward visibility for a snug spot. The 193 mm of ground clearance clears community speed bumps and steep mall ramps without scraping. The all-wheel drive is a road-and-traction aid, not a dune tool, so it's happy on graded tracks but the real desert and Hatta's rough trails still want a proper off-roader with low range. Where the grip earns its keep is on the highway and in the rare wet, not in soft sand.

Who should rent it, and who shouldn't

Book this 2.5-litre AWD CX-5 if you want the strongest-driving version, do a lot of highway miles, and like the reassurance of all-wheel grip when the road turns greasy. For a couple or a family of four who value how a car drives, it's the pick of the CX-5 range to rent. Skip it for the cheaper front-drive two-litre if your week is all city errands, because you'll pay a little more in fuel for muscle you won't use. And if you need to seat five adults with full luggage or want a third row, size up to a seven-seater. For dunes, take a real 4x4.