Is the Turbo CX-5 noticeably faster?

It basically does.

As a former NA V8 driver.
Yea, I can see what you're saying. The 2.5T is linear and makes strong torque from low rpm up until 5000rpm or so.

The 2.5 NA is not actually much different. It's just more linear, (not having a turbo to spool) and seems to have sharper throttle response, although I am not sure if that is due to my FWD & lighter 6 vs the CX-5, maybe also my 91 octane tune, some mild exhaust work, etc.

For a turbocharged engine, it is incredibly linear and feels quite a lot like a torquey v8 in the low-end, sure, but no matter how well you tune a turbo engine, it will never "feel" or sound like an NA engine in terms of throttle response, and the absolute linearity in power delivery you would experience when there is no turbo to spool.
 
The 2.5 NA is quite a bit different. It makes 170 less lb ft of torque and I would not compare it to driving an NA V8. That's the whole reason for the comparison—driving around with 350 lb ft on tap at the RPMs we drive at on the street.

The stock throttle response of the Turbo is mostly due to the tuning in Normal mode and the higher stall torque converter which will slip a bit more at low RPM. And some is from the nature of the turbo, though it is minimized in Mazda's design with the integrated manifold, small turbo, and variable intake plenum.
 
There was a whole thread devoted to this topic, might want to take a look

Winter is here and my CX-5 Turbo is now a 2.0L!

Yep that was many many years ago. It shouldn't apply to a brand new 2025, since the TSB was applicable to 2019-2020 CX-5 Turbos only. 2021s got a revised PCM that should include the correction.

@involutions, post #663 from the thread above has more detailed info if you want to bring the car to your dealer to check for this software update.
 
There was a whole thread devoted to this topic, might want to take a look
I will check it out but my point is, the turbo cannot be turned off as it is mechanically part of the engine's air path. The only way I see this happening is if the ECU just opens the bypass and leaves it open. But you'd hear it. But that's not a very efficient way to run a turbo engine, it will be even weaker than the NA engine.
 
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there was bad PCM logic and a new soft version was released after the tsb. All new ones CX5s have the new logic and more.

Mazda releases new versions regularly and thats why staying up to date is sometimes beneficial. Sadly the dealers dont do that unless they pick a tsb to match user report.
 

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