Boldly designed while simultaneously upscale, the Mazda CX-50 occupies a unique position in the realm of compact SUVs.

Introduced a couple years back as a curious addition to Mazda’s lineup, offering a more rugged design and adventurous nature than Mazda’s popular CX-5 offering, the CX-50 has proven itself to be a worthy contender in the busy compact SUV segment.

Between its sharp looks, upscale interior features, tremendous handling and overall driving experience, this relative newcomer has emerged as a leading contender to meet the needs of SUV buyers.

New for 2025 in the CX-50’s third year is the arrival of a hybrid powertrain offering, as well as upgrades to standard tech features on all trim levels. It does a balancing act between pushing boundaries and maintaining Mazda’s reputation as one of the more upscale non-luxury brands.

Read on for a full breakdown of the 2025 Mazda CX-50, where it shines, and where improvements can be made as Mazda takes on heavyweight competitors like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.

In the compact crossover category, Mazda decided back in 2023 they liked it so much, they’d enter it twice.

On top of their long-running success with the CX-5 crossover, they launched the CX-50 model, which features new design language and offers a more rugged look and better off-road credentials than the CX-5 — while maintaining Mazda’s reputation as a brand for drivers who like some power and agility in their SUV.

After a successful launch, the CX-50 is back in 2024 with minimal changes, and still sits in showrooms alongside the CX-5.

I recently spent some time behind the wheel of a 2024 Mazda CX-50 (Meridian trim), which delivers impressive performance from its turbo engine and sharp design quality. Read on to hear about how well it holds up in the extremely competitive compact SUV segment.

As the reinvention of their SUV lineup continues, Mazda continues to introduce impressive new models.

The latest is the 2023 Mazda CX-50, a compact crossover that will battle with leading competitors in the segment including the Nissan Rogue, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape.

And just to clarify, the CX-50 is different from the already existing CX-5, another compact crossover currently in the Mazda lineup (which may or may not continue to coexist in coming years). The CX-50 shares a platform with the smaller CX-30, and upcoming models in the pipeline that are anticipated include the larger CX-70 and CX-90.

While the introduction of these new vehicles brings in some new designs, what doesn’t change is the quality of what’s under the hood, and that’s the excellent Mazda power plants that made this brand stand out in a bevy of SUV competitors, especially for driving enthusiasts who want to enjoy their daily drive.

I recently tested a 2023 Mazda CX-50, and I’m back with a full report on how the new offering measures up to Mazda’s lofty standards.