2026 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Premium: Stamford Buyers Guide

2026 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Premium at Riley Mazda in Stamford, CT

Quick Answer: 2026 CX-5 2.5 S Premium

The Premium is where the redesigned CX-5 makes its quiet run at the entry-luxury SUVs. For $36,900 MSRP plus $1,495 destination, the $2,650 step up from the Preferred adds a Bose 12-speaker surround sound system, a power panoramic moonroof, and genuine leather-trimmed seats, on top of everything below it in the range. Same 187-hp engine, standard i-Activ AWD, and full safety suite as every other trim. Cross-shop it against compact luxury SUVs that start $10,000 higher and the Premium's case sharpens — which is precisely how buyers at Riley Mazda in Stamford tend to arrive at it.

The trim that explains Mazda's whole pitch

Mazda has spent a decade nudging itself upmarket without moving its prices to match, and the Premium is that strategy in one build sheet. The leather seats are the real thing, not the leatherette below. The panoramic moonroof transforms a black-headliner compact SUV into something airier on the gray weeks of a Connecticut winter. And the Bose 12-speaker system is the product of a 30-year partnership Mazda and Bose have used, in the company's words, to conceal road noise as much as to produce sound, which on the concrete sections of I-95 between Stamford and the city is a benefit you hear as silence.

A Greenwich or New Canaan shopper walking out of a German-brand showroom will notice what the Premium doesn't charge for: all-wheel drive is standard, the safety suite is standard, and there is no options-sheet labyrinth between the trim price and the car you actually want. The KODO-design body and the pared-back cabin do the rest of the premium-feel work without the premium-badge markup.

What it shares, and the one thing it doesn't get

Mechanically the Premium is every other 2026 CX-5: 187-hp Skyactiv-G 2.5, six-speed automatic, proactive AWD, 24/30 EPA on regular fuel, and the expanded standard i-Activsense roster from Rear Automatic Emergency Braking to radar cruise with speed limit assist. It keeps the Preferred's 19-inch wheels, memory driver's seat, and power liftgate, and the Select's wireless CarPlay. What it doesn't get is the 15.6-inch display, the hands-free liftgate, or Cruising & Traffic Support — those three are the whole $2,090 case for the Premium Plus.

A premium car, sold the family-store way

The buying experience is the same one that earned the store its 4.8-star average across 2,000-plus Google reviews. A recent CX-5 purchaser: "From my initial inquiry through to finalizing the sale, the entire team—and especially my salesman, Hunter Smith—demonstrated outstanding professionalism and integrity." — Clemon W., who also reports that when Mazda announced a new rebate days after he placed his deposit, the store proactively applied it to his price. That is Omotenashi in practice, and it's been the house style since James Riley opened the doors in 1959. The showroom at 75 Myrtle Avenue keeps the trims on the floor together, so the leather-versus-leatherette question takes about ninety seconds to settle.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the 2026 CX-5 Premium?

$36,900 MSRP plus $1,495 destination, before Connecticut's 6.35% vehicle sales tax and fees. Every trim stays under the state's $50,000 luxury-rate threshold. Current programs are on Riley Mazda's specials page; the pricing guide explains how the offers stack.

What does the Premium add over the Preferred?

Three things: the Bose 12-speaker surround system, the power panoramic moonroof, and leather-trimmed seats. Everything else carries up from the trims below.

Does the CX-5 Premium have the 15.6-inch screen?

No — it uses the standard 12.9-inch display. The 15.6-inch screen, the largest ever offered in a Mazda, is exclusive to the Premium Plus at $38,990.

Is the CX-5 Premium a real alternative to a luxury compact SUV?

On cabin materials, sound system, and standard safety, it competes directly; on price it undercuts most entry-luxury AWD SUVs by five figures once they're comparably equipped. What it doesn't offer is a turbo engine — acceleration is the same 187 hp as every CX-5.

Where can I hear the Bose system before buying?

In the showroom at Riley Mazda — bring your own playlist and run it against the standard audio in a lower trim on the same floor. It's the fastest A/B test in car shopping.

The bottom line

The Premium is the trim for buyers who wanted the nicest version of the practical choice rather than the cheapest version of the prestigious one. At $36,900 it's the range's premium-feel sweet spot: leather, glass, and sound, with nothing mechanical held back and nothing German owed on the payment.

More 2026 Mazda CX-5 guides

MSRP excludes the $1,495 destination charge ($1,540 in Alaska) plus taxes, title, registration, and dealer-installed options; the dealer sets the actual selling price. Fuel-economy figures are EPA estimates. Equipment and availability can shift with configuration and production timing; confirm current specs with Riley Mazda. Customer quotes are excerpts from public Google reviews of Riley Mazda.