Gen 3 CX-5: Owners Chime In

[Snake]

I am just quoting the specs of each car. There can't be that much difference. It's the same body as before, just stretched. You have a 24 Cx-5 correct? How about you measure from the top of your head to the roof in both cars. And from your hip to the door? According to everything I have read, the front passenger area didn't change. They added all the space to the rear seats and cargo area. The new one is very slightly wider and taller (~1/2") so it can't be significantly different. I am sure the layout makes it "seem" bigger but the passenger volume in front has to be almost identical. The total interior passenger volume is 104 cubic feet on a 25 and 106.5 cubic feet on a 26.

They lowered the seats in the back of the Gen 3. A tiny bit, not a huge amount and I think they also shortened the rear seat bottoms from front to rear. All of that combined with a stretched cabin will create more room but this isn't just a little bit of extra room, this is night and day difference. Even with a tall person having set the front seat back to accommodate his/her giraffe legs, there is generous space to keep your knees away from the front seat back. I'm a girly man (size Medium) so having the front seats forward to accommodate my medium height creates even more space back there. More than my class leading (of the time) ex-Gen 5 CRV.

I don't think that I mentioned that my new Gen 3 replaced a Gen 5 CRV. Yeah, it's that good, for my needs, anyway.

 

[ruthrj]

I'm a [refined gentleman] (size Medium) so

Fixed that for you

 

[chickdr]

They lowered the seats in the back of the Gen 3. A tiny bit, not a huge amount and I think they also shortened the rear seat bottoms from front to rear. All of that combined with a stretched cabin will create more room but this isn't just a little bit of extra room, this is night and day difference. Even with a tall person having set the front seat back to accommodate his/her giraffe legs, there is generous space to keep your knees away from the front seat back. I'm a girly man (size Medium) so having the front seats forward to accommodate my medium height creates even more space back there. More than my class leading (of the time) ex-Gen 5 CRV.

I don't think that I mentioned that my new Gen 3 replaced a Gen 5 CRV. Yeah, it's that good, for my needs, anyway.

Not trying to argue, it just doesn't make sense. The rear seat, I get. They added 2.5" to the rear area, which is a lot (the specs below seem off in that regard as they only show 0.3" added legroom for the 26 while shoulder room is up 0.8"). The headroom is where I question you as the specs show the two cars are within 1/2" of each other. If these numbers are wrong, please post another site. It would be nice if Mazda would release a document comparing the 25 and 26 interior space.

From Edmunds.com

2025 Front seat:

Front head room	39.3 in.
Front leg room	41.0 in.
Front shoulder room	57.1 in.

Front hip room	55.2 in.

2026 Front seat:

Front head room	39.2 in.
Front leg room	41.7 in.
Front shoulder room	57.6 in.

Front hip room	55.2 in.

2025 Rear seat:

Rear head room	39.0 in.
Rear leg room	39.6 in.
Rear shoulder room	54.8 in.

Rear hip room	55.3 in.

2026 Rear seat:

Rear head room	39.1 in.
Rear leg room	39.9 in.
Rear shoulder room	55.6 in.

Rear hip room	55.4 in.

2025 cargo capacity:
30.8 ft3

2026 cargo capacity:
33.7 ft3