How to Ship a Mazda CX-5
The CX-5 is a compact crossover that ships as easily as a sedan, and the only thing about it that ever complicates a quote is a roof accessory. At around 180 inches long and 66 inches tall, it fits the upper deck of any standard hauler, and at roughly 3,600 pounds it is unremarkable to a carrier working to a total. Everything else on this page is about doing the ordinary things properly.
The Numbers, and Why They Are Easy
A current CX-5 runs about 180 inches long, 72 inches wide and 66 inches tall, with a curb weight around 3,550 to 3,900 pounds depending on trim and drivetrain.
Height well under 7 feet means the upper deck is available, which is where compact crossovers travel and where the rate is best. A weight in the mid three thousands sits comfortably inside what a carrier can absorb on a load already close to its 80,000 pound limit.
The practical effect is that a CX-5 prices as a compact crossover: a little above a compact sedan, clearly below a midsize or full size SUV, and well below a pickup. If you have been quoted a large SUV rate, it is worth asking why.
The turbocharged trims weigh slightly more than the naturally aspirated ones, which changes nothing meaningful for transport.
Roof Accessories Are the One Complication
The CX-5 is a popular vehicle with people who put things on the roof, and that is the one modification that reliably affects a shipment.
Bare crossbars add an inch or two and are normally accepted without comment. A roof box, a cargo basket, a roof top tent or a roof mounted bike carrier adds a foot or more, and past roughly 7 feet of total height the vehicle moves off the upper deck to a lower deck position. That costs more, and it has to be known in advance because the driver is planning a slot before arriving.
A hitch mounted bike rack or cargo carrier adds two to three feet of length at exactly the point where a hauler has none to spare, and it fouls the tie down positions. Take it off and put it in the cargo area.
Remove anything else that protrudes, and fold the mirrors. If a roof box cannot be removed, measure the total height from the ground to its highest point and give that figure when you book.
Availability Is Good
The CX-5 has been Mazda’s best selling model for years, and that has a direct effect on how quickly a shipment gets assigned.
Carriers move compact crossovers constantly, dealers transfer them between stores, and there is a steady flow of used examples moving on private sales. A driver building a mixed load almost always has an upper deck slot that suits a vehicle this size, so assignment usually takes days rather than weeks.
If your dates are flexible by a few days, say so. A standard sized crossover with a flexible window is among the easiest things a dispatcher has to place, and flexibility is worth real money on a busy lane.
Buying One From Another State
A large share of CX-5 shipments are remote purchases, because the model holds its value and good used examples are worth traveling for.
Get daylight photographs of every panel from the seller before you pay, including the wheels, the lower bumpers and the rocker panels. Those pictures are your only baseline when the car arrives, and without them a damage argument at delivery cannot be won.
Agree who hands over the keys and get a contact number for both ends before the vehicle is assigned. A seller who has already been paid is not always motivated to wait for a driver.
Confirm the car runs and drives. An inoperable vehicle needs a winch equipped carrier and costs more, and discovering that when the driver arrives is the expensive way.
Open or Enclosed
Open transport is right for essentially every CX-5 and it is what the overwhelming majority use, including new vehicles delivered to dealers.
Enclosed costs 20 to 30 percent more and is hard to justify on a mainstream crossover. The exceptions are a wrap, fresh paintwork after body repair, or a winter move through the salt belt on a vehicle you have just bought and want to arrive clean rather than coated in brine.
Preparing It
Wash it first, because existing marks are invisible on a dirty car and the condition report on the bill of lading is what decides any later claim.
Photograph every panel in daylight, including the wheels, the lower bumpers and the rocker panels, which are what loading marks. Check tire pressures while you are there.
Leave about a quarter tank of fuel: enough to load, unload and reach a gas station, not enough to add pointless weight. Empty the cabin and the cargo area completely, since personal items are not covered by cargo insurance, they add weight, and they move around for the whole trip.
Disable any motion sensitive alarm, remove a toll transponder so you are not billed for the truck’s route, and hand over a key. If the vehicle has a power tailgate, make sure it is closed and latched rather than relying on the sensor.
At delivery, inspect before you sign. Compare against your photographs, check the lower bumpers, wheels and rocker panels first because those are what loading damages, and note anything unexpected on the bill of lading while the driver is still present. Damage recorded at delivery is a claim; damage found next week after a clean signature is an argument. Our comparison of truck and car shipping explains how vehicle size drives the price.
Common Questions
Is a CX-5 expensive to ship? No. It is a compact crossover that fits the upper deck, so it prices a little above a compact sedan and well below a large SUV or pickup.
How long does it take? One to two weeks coast to coast once collected, and less on shorter lanes. Assignment is usually quick.
Do I have to remove the roof rack? Bare crossbars usually stay. A box, basket or roof tent adds height and can move the vehicle to a lower deck, so declare it.
Does all wheel drive change anything? Only marginally, through a small weight increase. It makes no practical difference to transport.
Should I pay for enclosed? Rarely worth it on a mainstream crossover. Consider it for a wrap, fresh paint or a winter move through road salt.
Get a Quote
Call Ship A Car, Inc. at (866) 821-4555 with both zip codes, your date range and the total height if anything is fitted to the roof, or price the move with the instant calculator.
