How the 2026 Mazda CX-5 and 2026 Subaru Forester compare on running costs, safety and reliability signals, using official NHTSA and EPA data plus asking prices from listings in Canada and the USA.
| 2026 Mazda CX-5 | 2026 Subaru Forester | |
|---|---|---|
| Lemon Score0–100, higher is better | 46· Elevated lemon risk* | 52· Elevated lemon risk* |
| Fuel economy (best version) | 6.2 L/100 km38 mpg combined | 6.7 L/100 km35 mpg combined |
| City / highway | 39 / 37 mpg | 35 / 34 mpg |
| Annual fuel cost (EPA)US estimate, 15,000 mi/yr | $1,750 USD | $1,900 USD |
| NHTSA overall crash rating | Not rated | Not rated |
| Safety recalls | 0 | 3 |
| Owner complaints (NHTSA) | 15 | 0 |
| Most-reported problem area | unknown or other | — |
| Avg. asking price, Canada | — | — |
| Avg. asking price, USA | — | — |
Sources: U.S. EPA (fuel economy), NHTSA (crash ratings, recalls, complaints), listings on this site (prices). Recalls and complaints cover US-market vehicles; complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.