The Art of the Slow Drive: The Mazda CX-5 Tames the Scottish Borders

I wasn't in any hurry to get from Edinburgh to Kelso. The drive through the Scottish Borders is one of those routes that's worth taking your time over, with quiet roads, rolling countryside and villages that tempt you to stop more often than you'd planned. It also seemed the ideal opportunity to get to know the new Mazda CX-5.

The car I was driving was fuelled by sustainable fuel from Sustain, produced by recycling atmospheric CO₂. It's part of Mazda's belief that there isn't a single answer to reducing emissions and that different technologies will all have a role to play.

Jeremy Thomson, Managing Director of Mazda UK, explained it well. "Mazda's future is built on multiple solutions, not a single technology path. That's why our strategy spans efficient combustion engines, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles, all underpinned by Mazda's human-centric engineering and that unique sense of Jinba Ittai – the bond between car and driver. Our EV strategy is deliberate and sustainable, designed to grow with the market, not race ahead of it. This ensures customers have genuine choice while allowing us to build towards an electrified future without losing the driving experience that defines Mazda."

Those words made more sense once I left the city behind.

The Borders has always been one of my favourite parts of Scotland. It's an area I return to regularly because it has a completely different pace to the Central Belt. The roads are quieter, the scenery constantly changes and driving becomes something to enjoy rather than simply endure.

Instead of sticking to the main roads, I headed cross-country towards Kelso, taking the smaller roads that wind through farmland and hills. They gave me plenty of time to get a feel for the CX-5.

Mazda has never chased trends in quite the same way as some of its competitors. Rather than relying on oversized touchscreens or gimmicks, it has concentrated on building cars that people enjoy driving. The Japanese philosophy of Jinba Ittai — the connection between driver and car — still sits at the centre of everything it does, and you can feel that behind the wheel.

The CX-5 is a handsome SUV. Its proportions are well judged and the design is understated rather than attention-seeking. It looks premium without trying too hard, something Mazda has become very good at over the years.

The same applies inside. The cabin feels calm, uncluttered and well finished. There are physical controls where you want them, the technology is straightforward to use and, thankfully, not everything has disappeared behind a touchscreen. Within a few minutes everything felt familiar, leaving me to concentrate on the drive rather than learning the car.

The driving position is excellent, with good visibility all round, while the seats remained comfortable throughout the journey.

As the roads became narrower and more twisting, the CX-5 settled into its stride. Despite its size, it never felt cumbersome. The steering was nicely weighted, it held the road confidently through bends and there was none of the top-heavy feeling that some SUVs can suffer from.

Scottish roads are rarely perfect and that makes them a good test. Smooth stretches of tarmac quickly give way to patched surfaces and uneven sections, but the suspension dealt with everything comfortably without upsetting the car's composure. It was simply an easy car to spend several hours in.

The quiet cabin certainly helped. Road and wind noise were well suppressed, making it easy to appreciate the scenery unfolding outside. One minute there were open fields stretching towards the horizon, the next I was passing through villages that looked as though very little had changed for decades.

Mazda has included all the technology most drivers expect, including smartphone connectivity and the latest driver assistance systems, but none of it feels intrusive. Everything is there when you need it without constantly demanding your attention.

Practicality hasn't been overlooked either. The boot easily coped with my luggage — and I never travel particularly light — leaving plenty of room to spare.

By the time I reached Kelso, I had spent several hours with the CX-5 on exactly the sort of roads it was designed for. My destination was Schloss Roxburghe, one of Scotland's finest country house hotels, and arriving there felt like a fitting end to the drive.

Looking back, what impressed me most wasn't one standout feature or a headline piece of technology. It was how complete the CX-5 felt. It is comfortable without feeling detached, refined without becoming dull and practical without sacrificing the enjoyment of driving.

Mazda hasn't tried to reinvent the family SUV. Instead, it has concentrated on getting the fundamentals right, and after a day exploring the Scottish Borders, that approach made a great deal of sense.

For anyone planning a road trip through Scotland, it's exactly the sort of car that makes you think twice before taking the motorway.