Mazda CX-5 Diesel Gets 29 MPG Combined

Everyone who’s been clamoring for a diesel Mazda crossover in the U.S. can finally calm down some. The 2019 CX-5 lineup includes a Skyactiv-D diesel engine as an option. The EPA and US Department of Transportation have posted fuel economy figures for the diesel-powered SUV, which you can see here.

With an estimated 29 mpg combined, you may be wondering where all the amazing fuel savings went. Well, that’s a funny story. You see, while we Americans were pining away for diesel Mazdas, it turns out the amazing fuel economy figures weren’t real. A recent report from Nikkei Asian Review claims Mazda, as well as Suzuki, Subaru, and Nissan, improperly tested vehicles for fuel efficiency. Without getting too deep into the technical side, Mazda says it found some errors in its testing process, stating it didn’t try to purposely mislead the Japanese government and consumers.

But, Mazda claims the errors didn’t have any effect of fuel efficiency or pollution numbers.

Maybe chalk it up to Skyactiv engineering, but the diesel and gasoline versions of the Mazda CX-5 have identical highway fuel economy ratings. That leaves the question about why you would buy one with the diesel engine? Extra towing capacity? More low-end torque for city driving? It does have 310 lb.-ft. of torque on tap, just don’t expect to be filling up less often.