LOOKS

Mazda has always had its own style, and the 2025 CX-50 offers a design that is both attractive and practical.

With the unique Mazda design language used on its SUV lineup, particularly on the front end, the CX-50 will not be blending into the crowd like many rival compact SUVs.

Both elegant and rugged in its exterior design, the CX-50 offers a higher ground clearance of 8.6 inches to help with off-road adventures. Wheel sizes are also larger, ranging from 18 to 20 inches. One way to look at the comparison is that the CX-50 is designed more for adventurous types, whereas the CX-5 is more for those who will prefer city and suburban environments.

Highlights of the CX-50 include a panoramic moonroof, rain-sensing windshield wipers, roof rails, power rear liftgate, automatic LED headlights, dual heated power side mirrors, and dual exhaust outlets.

Moving inside the CX-50, you’ll find comfortable seating for 5 passengers, though the back seat can get a bit cramped and is best for smaller folks or children. Cargo space comes in at 31.4 cubic feet behind the rear seats, and 56.3 cubic feet with the second row folded down. These are decent numbers, but not spectacular for the segment.

The leather upholstery in the CX-50 is water-resistant and more durable than most rivals, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the truly upscale design quality of the CX-50. While Mazda isn’t a luxury brand, the intricate stitching on the seats and overall quality of what they offer might have you fooled into thinking this is a luxury ride.

My test vehicle featured a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power driver's seat with lumbar, a 40/60 split fold-down rear seat, heated front seats, and dual-zone automatic climate control.

The Premium Plus Package on my test vehicle added; 20-Inch alloy wheels, all-season tires, ventilated front seats, and black metal paint trim inserts.
The CX-50’s climate control system features physical controls up front and center that are easy to access.

HOW’S THE RIDE?

Several engine options are available on the 2025 Mazda CX-50.

The base engine, which I tested, features a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder option that delivers 187 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque. 

A turbo version of the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine is also available — with a major boost up to 256 horsepower and 320 pound-feet. A six-speed automatic transmission pairs with both of these power plants.

There’s also a hybrid version of the CX-50 debuting in 2025, which delivers a total of 219 horsepower from several electric motors.

For all versions of the 2025 CX-50, all-wheel drive comes standard.

The CX-50 features Hill Launch Assist, anti-lock brakes, Dynamic Stability Control, Traction Control System, and G-Vectoring Control Plus to improve responsiveness to driver input.

Drive modes include Normal, Sport and Off-Road, and the towing capacity on the CX-50 is 2,000 pounds with base engine, and 3,500 pounds with turbo engine.

While the performance from the base engine was adequate in my testing, I would recommend opting for a CX-50 with the turbo engine for that extra kick and driving enjoyment.

The 0-to-60 times come in the mid 6-second range for the turbo engine, and closer to 8 seconds for the base engine. Hybrid engine will clock in around 7.5 seconds.

Regardless of the engine you choose, Mazda delivers a smooth and well-handling vehicle that drivers will appreciate. Mazda makes their lineup with people who love to drive top of mind, and have packed more performance capability into the CX-50 than most rivals. Both straight and curvy roads will be capably handled by the CX-50, including some limited off-road capability.

The CX-50 is not the quietest ride, as you’ll hear some road and engine noise, but it’s not overly loud either. And the suspension setup will have you feeling some bumps and road imperfections.

Overall, the CX-50 is near the top of the list if we’re talking about compact SUVs that are genuinely fun to drive — offering a lot more personality than its rivals.

TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY 

The tech setup in the 2025 Mazda CX-50 is controlled mainly via a dial in the center console. There are also some physical climate control buttons that are well-placed and easy to use.

The dial, however, can be cumbersome to use at times, and unfortunately touchscreen controls on the 10.25-inch infotainment screen are only enabled when you wirelessly connect Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for phone mirroring.

Voice commands on the CX-50 were somewhat effective, but didn’t always work effectively in my experience — especially for navigation commands.

On the plus side, Mazda delivers solid sound system options. Base models come with an eight-speaker setup, but higher trims get a 12-speaker Bose system that is better than most systems offered in this class of vehicle.

Wireless phone charging is featured on all models except the base offering, and the CX-50 includes 4 USB inputs, Bluetooth connectivity for streaming music and calls to the vehicle, Mazda Connected Services, and more.

The optional Mazda Navigation System comes at an additional $500 cost, but is worth adding.

Safety is another area where Mazda comes through with the goods on the CX-50, rating a perfect 5 out of 5 stars on government safety tests.

Its limited self-driving capability works well via adaptive cruise feature and lane keeping systems, keeping the vehicle headed in the right direction, solidly in the lane, on both straight and curvy roads.

Other important safety features include: Automatic Emergency Braking, Blind-spot Monitoring, Rearview Camera, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, Lane Departure Warning System and Lane Keep Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Driver Attention Alert, airbags for days (Advanced Dual Front Airbags; Front Side-Impact Airbags; Front & Rear Side Air Curtains; Front Knee Airbags), Mazda Radar Cruise Control, Traffic Sign Recognition and Vehicle Exit Warning.

A 360-degree exterior camera system is an optional feature.

MPG

Official fuel mileage numbers on the 2025 Mazda CX-50 with the turbo engine are 23 city/29 highway/25 combined. The non-turbo engine clocks in at 25 city/31 highway/28 combined.

I tested the non-turbo version, and my real-world testing delivered a 25 mpg average.

These numbers trail some vehicles in the class, but if you choose the brand new hybrid version of the 2025 CX-50, it’s listed at 38 mpg, a big jump in fuel economy.

PRICE

The 2025 Mazda CX-50 that I tested was priced just a hair under $40K. The base price for the CX-50 starts about $31K, and prices can go as high as $44K.

The price range is slightly higher than some rival compact SUVs, but with standard AWD and a drive quality that surpasses those rivals, it’s understandable.

A wide variety of trims are available, including Select, Preferred, Premium and Premium Plus, several Turbo trims, plus several hybrid trim levels.

Mazda’s warranties lag behind industry leaders Kia and Hyundai, and include:

— 36 Month/36,000 Mile New Vehicle Warranty
— 60 Month/60,000 Mile Powertrain Warranty
— There is no complimentary maintenance included, but you get 3 years/36,000 miles of roadside assistance.

BOTTOM LINE

The 2025 Mazda CX-50 offers a truly fun drive, all-wheel drive to handle tough conditions, an upscale interior, plus a sleek yet rugged design, making it one of the best compact SUVs available in a crowded field of competitors.

It deserves a spot on any SUV shopper’s list of vehicles to test-drive.

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