Tip for parking SUVs such as the CX-5 when not used to the size : park backward using the rear cam. This will make it so much easier to park and then leaving will be even easier.

100% this.

I’v had my civic for 8 years and I’v done 2 oil changes every year for the whole ownership. About 90% of the oil changes were made at costco (always synthetic). Never had ANYTHING happen to my engine; never had to do any repairs. Hope this can reassure OP.

Has nothing to do to being a replacement for the cx-5. Here’s the reasons:

• CX-50 is made for crowds that like plastic cladding and off-road/rugged looks (similar to subaru’s) where as the cx-5 is more premium and classy (a different target demographic). The 2024 CX5 (which is currently being sold eventhough we’re still in 2023) has the same softwares and hardwares as the cx-50, no difference. Both get wireless apple/android car play, touchscreen, etc.
• CX-5 will be getting a new gen in 2025 and it’s the most sold vehicle of Mazda at least for North America. It’d be financially backward (to be nice) for Mazda to discontinue their main source of income model.

Use https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/savemoney.jsp to compare both vehicles (don’t forget to put the prices of both vehicles to have a fair comparison as the sportage is a bit pricier).

From quickly entering your parameters (and NOT considering the price difference of the 2 cars), you’ll probably end up saving in gas a grand total of about $5k over the span of 10 years if the gas price remains as high as $3.75/gal. If you own your car for less years or if you do less driving or less city driving/more highway driving or if you consider that gas isn’t as pricy as what I used for the calculator, then the saving goes way down obviously.

TLDR: IDK what else there is to the sportage that the cx-5 doesn’t have (equal trim comparison), but I’d much rather have mazda reliability over the little $500/year (which could be even lower due to sportage being pricier) the sportage has to offer.