Used test: Citroën C5 Aircross vs Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5

What will they cost?

If you’re looking for the least expensive SUV of this trio, go for the C5, because you can find a year-old example like ours for £22,000. The CR-V will cost you a bit more at £24,500, with the CX-5 being the most expensive at £25,000.

However, the CX-5 justifies some of its additional cost by being easily the best-equipped car in this test, not just with the basics that the other two get – dual-zone climate control, power-folding door mirrors and so on – but also luxuries such as heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, full leather upholstery and keyless entry.

Do you pay for your own fuel? Well, guess what? The CR-V is the thirstiest, recording a real-world figure of 33.0mpg during our test – although its four-wheel drive will have played a part in that. The C5 is the most economical, averaging 37.1mpg, ahead of the CX-5’s 36.3mpg.

All three come with lots of safety systems, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance and traffic sign recognition, although the CR-V doesn’t have blindspot monitors. The C5 also comes with a dashcam that’ll record the moments before and after an accident. 

Both the CX-5 and CR-V get five-star safety ratings, but you’ll need to find a C5 with the optional safety pack in order to get the same rating, otherwise, it gets just four. On the whole, the CX-5 is still the best for front-seat adult and pedestrian protection; the C5 is the best for children in the back and its safety assistance systems – provided you have one with the safety pack fitted.

In terms of reliability, it's the CR-V that is expected to be the most dependable SUV. Honda ranked 10th out of 31 manufacturers, according to the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, followed by Mazda in 17th and Citroën in 22nd.

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