Compare the2026 Mazda CX-5 VS 2026 BMW X1

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mazda CX-5 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The BMW X1 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mazda CX-5 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X1 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Mazda CX-5 achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, outperforming the BMW X1, which scored only an “Acceptable” in these critical safety features.

Both the CX-5 and the X1 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all-wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4189-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Mazda CX-5 is safer than the X1:

	CX-5	X1
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	86	107
Head Peak Forces	no contact	48 G’s
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	7 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	67	173
Neck Tension	89 lbs.	134 lbs.
Neck Compression	45 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	245 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.79 in	1.14 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	5 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	759 lbs.	959 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Mazda’s powertrain warranty covers the CX-5 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X1. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X1 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 54 percent more Mazda dealers than there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CX-5’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda third in reliability, above the industry average. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 9th.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Mazda CX-5 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X1 M35i xDrive requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The CX-5 has a gallon more fuel capacity than the X1 (15.3 vs. 14.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-5’s wheelbase is 4.7 inches longer than on the X1 (110.7 inches vs. 106 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CX-5 is 1 inch wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the X1.

For better maneuverability, the CX-5’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the X1’s (36.8 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CX-5 Preferred/Premium has a greater minimum ground clearance than the X1 (8.2 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the CX-5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The CX-5 has 1.3 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 2.9 inches more rear legroom and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the X1.

The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X1 with its rear seat up (33.7 vs. 25.7 cubic feet). The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X1 with its rear seat folded (66.5 vs. 57.2 cubic feet).

The CX-5 has a higher standard payload capacity than the X1 (1058 vs. 994 lbs.).

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the CX-5 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X1 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The X1’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The CX-5 Premium Plus’ standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The CX-5’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The X1 doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the CX-5 Select/Preferred/Premium has standard extendable sun visors. The X1 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Both the CX-5 and the X1 offer available heated front seats. The CX-5 Premium also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the X1.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the CX-5 Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The X1 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Mazda CX-5 retains 57.6% of its original value after 5 years, significantly more than the 49.64% resale value of the 2026 BMW X1 after five years, which can save the Mazda’s owner up to $9355 in depreciation.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Mazda CX-5 and the BMW X1, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Mazda CX-5 outsold the BMW X1 by almost five to one during 2025.