Most of you know I get to test drive a LOT of cars and it’s so much fun!  If you want to see all the cars I’ve reviewed in the past just go to the “Search” tab on this blog and search “Car Review”.

This past week we were very thankful to drive a Mazda CX-5!  Let me tell you this car was smooth as BUTTAH on the freeway and off.  If you live in DFW then you know that most of us drive everywhere.  So, the question is…do you really need all those bells and whistles?  Let’s chat about what you do and don’t want… and what you really need.  For more information on ALL kinds of cars check out Cars.com.  You can search any car, for any price range, and you can even narrow your search by area too!  I highly recommend the Mazda CX-5 if you are looking for a stylish mid-sized SUV.

First of all crank of your radio to the nearest Christmas station and let’s talk!

1. Plenty of trunk room

This is a MUST for me y’all.  I’m always hauling around photography gear or sports equipment, etc.  Having plenty of trunk space is a no brainer for me.  I do have good trunk space in my sedan now, but when I purchase a future car I really want to go for a mid-sized SUV.  Also, having fold down seats is another thing I love.  I don’t have that in my current car and I REALLY wish I did!

2.  A Backup Camera

I think I heard this feature was going to become mandatory in all future cars and I totally agree with that.

Case and point:  A couple of weeks ago I’m about to leave for the movie theater to meet with friends to see Bad Moms and I side swiped my husband’s car.  OOPS.  In my defense he doesn’t normally park in the driveway and was airing out a tent from a cub-scout camp out…but yeah I should have paid more attention.  It also would have been nice to have a backup camera and I’m sure this whole fiasco could have been avoided.   The cameras also light up at night and beep if you get too close to something.  Definitely a MUST in my next car. 

3.  Room for the kiddos

In our family have just one child.  We go on lots of road trips and he needs space to spread out and bring all his toys and gadgets.  If you have more than one child then all I have to say is “bless your heart”.

Growing up my Mom drove one of those huge vans that had two captain seats in the middle.  Heaven forbid my sister or I touch each other, let alone breathe in the other person’s direction.  The arguments we had about personal space in the car are epic.  LOL!

I love having a separate cup holder down the center that gives a little bit of a divider between people. 

4.  A great “Command Center”

These days everything is at your fingertips….even in your car.  Everything can be handled from the steering wheel or the middle console.  From the volume, or navigation system (which I do NOT have now, and let me say having in dash navigation would have saved me a lot of driving anxiety), to heated or cooled seats.  Everything is pretty much at an arm’s length.  The Mazda CX-5 definitely had a fabulous command center for this Mama!

5. Good looking AND functional

The Mazda CX-5 is so purrrrrrrdy.  I know looks are not everything people, but nobody wants to be rolling around town like Uncle Buck dropping their kids off at school.

NOPE.

Yes, she’s a pretty car and has all the bells and whistles.  We sure did have a fun time driving the Mazda CX-5 and it’s definitely in the running for a future SUV.   Smooth and sleek with just enough edge to make this Mom feel too legit to quit.  I really enjoyed the XM radio too, especially for the devoted Christmas stations….let’s just say there were a few carpool karaoke sessions 😉

Don’t forget to check out Cars.com to figure out exactly what YOU want.  You can even sell the car you currently have on their website too!