Mazda CX-5 Sport 2.2D

The Mazda’s blend of talents is hard to beat. Not only is it practical and well built, it’s also good to drive and surprisingly fast. Better still, low CO2 emissions make it the cheapest company car, while we managed an impressive 40.9mpg. It also comes with loads of equipment.

The Mazda CX-5 is on a roll. Not only has the efficient SUV won every Auto Express road test it’s contested, it also picked up the Best Crossover crown at our New Car Awards 2012. So if either of our two new arrivals wants to stake its claim to the top spot, this is the car to beat.

Over a year after it debuted, the CX-5 still looks the part. With its steeply raked tailgate and wheel-at-each-corner stance, it appears sleeker and more compact than its upright rivals. Our range-topping Sport stands out even more with its 19-inch alloys and powerful bi-xenon headlamps.

Mazda’s designers haven’t been quite so bold inside, but while the design looks dated, the quality is top notch. Soft-touch plastics are used throughout, and the fit and finish are first rate. There’s loads of standard kit, too.

Included in the impressive equipment tally are heated leather seats – a £1,250 option on the Toyota – plus keyless entry and a reversing camera. You can also add a built-in TomTom sat-nav for £600, although it’s fiddly to operate compared to Toyota’s Touch&Go set-up.

The CX-5 also trails the RAV4 for space – although you’d hardly call it cramped, as it matches the Ford for rear head and legroom, and has 47 litres more boot space, at 503 litres. As with its rivals, the Mazda’s rear bench folds flat in one move, while the neat 40:20:40 ‘Karakuri’ split-fold adds to the versatility.

On the move, the CX-5 really stamps its authority on its rivals. The 2.2-litre diesel has 173bhp, and makes the car by far the strongest performer: at the track it covered 0-60mph in a warm hatch-rivalling 7.9 seconds. And with a muscular 420Nm on tap from just 2,000rpm, the Mazda extended its advantage during our in-gear tests. But it’s the way the car delivers its performance that’s really impressive.

There’s a slight clatter from under the bonnet at idle, but once you’re moving it revs with a petrol-like eagerness and smoothness, while the gearchange has a beautifully slick action. Direct steering, strong grip and excellent body control complete the dynamic masterclass. And while it’s not as assured as the RAV4 off-road, the CX-5’s electronically controlled four-wheel-drive system copes well with most challenges.

At £27,195, the Mazda costs £1,650 more than the Kuga, although it has more kit and will hold on to its value nearly as well, with residuals of 50.9 per cent. The 136g/km CO2 emissions add to the financial appeal, making the car the cheapest company choice. More impressively, it returned 40.9mpg on test, despite its significant performance advantage. On this showing, it’s clear the RAV4 and Kuga have their work cut out to beat the CX-5.