![\"2023](\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2023-mazda-mazda-cx-50_100834110_l.jpg\" "\\"2023")
<\/p>\n2023 Mazda CX-50<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"2023](\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2023-mazda-mazda-cx-50_100834108_l.jpg\" "\\"2023")
<\/p>\n2023 Mazda CX-50<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Changing angles<\/strong><\/p>\n The CX-50 is a curious sight to behold in person. It looks attractive from some angles but awkward at others. The widened version of Mazda\u2019s grille feeding directly into the headlight clusters makes the front more cohesive and it looks great in profile, but those prominent fenders make the diagonal views less convincing.<\/p>\n The CX-50 shares a platform with the CX-5 and the smaller CX-30, but it\u2019s been stretched out to make the CX-50 longer and wider than the CX-5 by a fair margin. The CX-50\u2019s 110.8-inch wheelbase is 6.4 inches longer than the CX-30\u2019s and 4.6 inches longer than the CX-5\u2019s. At 185.8 inches long and 75.6 inches wide, it\u2019s also 5.7 inches longer and 3.0 inches wider than the incumbent CX-5.<\/p>\n Even with the added ground clearance, the CX-50 stands shorter than the CX-5 by a hair, and that makes the body look a bit more compressed. It gives the CX-50 more of a wagon-esque look, like the Subaru Outback, rather than a traditional SUV design with an upright stance.<\/p>\n 2023 Mazda CX-50<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 2023 Mazda CX-50<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n How it drives<\/strong><\/p>\n The CX-50\u2019s powertrain offerings are lifted directly from the CX-30 and CX-5. A 187-hp, 2.5-liter inline-4 is standard, with a 2.5-liter turbo-4 optional. The turbocharged engine makes 256-hp and 320 lb-ft of torque on 93 octane fuel (which you can\u2019t even buy in some states, including California), but those figures drop to 227-hp and 310 lb-ft with the 87 octane most buyers will use. A 6-speed automatic remains the only transmission and all-wheel drive comes standard, like on every Mazda SUV.<\/p>\n My test vehicle, a 2.5T Premium Plus, came with the more powerful of the CX-50\u2019s two engines. Mazda\u2019s insistence on sticking with its 6-speed transmission is starting to wear thin as transmissions with 7- or 8-speeds have become more refined. The CX-50 also feels slower off the line than its CX-30 counterpart (and even more so than the Mazda3). While maximum torque comes on early at 2,000 rpm, there\u2019s still noticeable lag even in the more aggressive Sport mode. Once it gets going, the engine is well tuned for passing maneuvers and the transmission does a good job of downshifting only one time, but for city driving I\u2019d like more immediate responsiveness from the powertrain.<\/p>\n The CX-50\u2019s dynamics are much better. It seems to combine the best attributes of the CX-30 and CX-5. Lengthening the wheelbase has smoothed out the ride, and yet the CX-50 also retains the agility that is a hallmark of both of those SUVs. It\u2019s an excellent highway cruiser, with great road manners and a solid steering feel on center that makes it easy to keep the CX-50 tracking dead straight with minimal effort.<\/p>\n Our drive route also featured a jaunt on a twisty canyon road and the CX-50 performed admirably. For a vehicle without any kind of adaptive damping or air suspension, it still manages to be both comfortable and composed in corners. Its handling prowess makes it one of the most enjoyable vehicles in this class to drive on a mountain road\u2014an important attribute for a crossover with overlanding aspirations. Even if you\u2019re headed to a trail, most of your time is spent on pavement, and the CX-50 excels at getting you to the start of an adventure.<\/p>\n 2023 Mazda CX-50<\/p>\n<\/div>\n We also had a chance to test out two of the CX-50\u2019s new drive modes: Off-road and Towing. Off-road sends more torque to the rear wheels and smooths out steering wheel inputs. It worked well on a gravel road and made the front of the car feel more stable though that does come at the cost of feedback. It also makes it harder to get the CX-50 to slide around, so if that\u2019s your idea of fun, leave it in Normal mode. Ground clearance on the CX-50 increases from the CX-5\u2019s 7.6 inches to 8.3 with the base engine or 8.6 inches with the turbocharged engine. But this isn\u2019t a purpose-built off-roader. It\u2019s still more comfortable on a gravel or dirt road than a hardcore trail.<\/p>\n With the more powerful engine, towing capacity increases from 2,000 to 3,500 pounds. When I towed a box trailer loaded with cement to reach the CX-50\u2019s maximum capacity in Towing mode, the CX-50 stayed about a gear lower in most scenarios to provide more power. This mode also shifts power away from the rear for greater stability and switches up the steering in a similar way to the Off-road mode, both of which make it easier to center the CX-50 and trailer in its lane. CX-50s with the base engine don\u2019t get a Tow mode because 2,000 pounds doesn\u2019t affect the crossover\u2019s dynamics as much, according to Mazda. But it\u2019d be nice to have to get the more aggressive transmission mapping for the naturally aspirated engine, since it struggles with low-end torque delivery.<\/p>\n The company\u2019s focus on the driving experience is laudable. You can tell that a lot of work has gone into dialing in the steering and throttle response, but that\u2019s just part of the equation. Cabin noise is a problem as both wind noise and road\/tire noise are prominent. If Mazda\u2019s stated goal of becoming a more premium brand is to come to fruition, it needs more powerful engines and the cabins have to be quieter.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2023 Mazda CX-50<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Touchscreen returns, sort of<\/strong><\/p>\n The CX-50\u2019s interior will feel familiar. It keeps the same basic themes and look as other Mazdas with minimalistic dark styling and an infotainment screen pushed back high on the dash; it measures 8.8-inches on the base model and 10.3-inches on all others.<\/p>\n There is some exciting news, though it comes with two rather large caveats: the touchscreen has returned. Mazda\u2019s last large change to its infotainment system in 2019 eliminated touchscreens from its vehicles, leaving only a circular knob behind the gearshift to interact with the infotainment system. But the CX-50 now features a touchscreen as well, though it only works with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. To use any of the native functions, you\u2019re still stuck with the knob. On top of that, the screen sits far away from the driver. I stretched my arm out toward the screen and ended up about 5 inches short of reaching it. It\u2019s so far that I ended up using the knob anyway to control Android Auto.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mazda declined to say if this would be a change that comes to the rest of the lineup, but it\u2019s a fair assumption that it will. Hopefully, it\u2019s combined with moving the screen closer so it\u2019s not only reachable by Inspector Gadget.<\/p>\n 2023 Mazda CX-50<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 2023 Mazda CX-50<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 2023 Mazda CX-50<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Despite the differences in exterior dimensions, most of the CX-50\u2019 passenger room dimensions are within an inch of those of the CX-5. The back seat is large enough to fit a pair of adults for roadtrips. A panoramic moonroof, a first for Mazda, is also available and it helps to open up the feel of the cabin.<\/p>\n The CX-50 has a bit more cargo room than the CX-5 with the rear seats up (31.4 versus 29.1 cubic feet ), but slightly less with them folded down (56.3 versus 58.1 cubic feet). But the cargo area\u00a0 is both longer\/wider than the CX-5 as well and Mazda says configuring this space in this fashion makes it more useful, since it allows owners to load in cargo lengthwise.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2023 Mazda CX-50<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Pricing and conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n At launch, which is happening now, Mazda offers the CX-50 in nine trim levels, with a starting price of $28,205, including a $1,225 destination charge. That\u2019s $820 more than the CX-5, which comes with the same 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and standard AWD as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n My test vehicle was a high-end 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus that ran the price all the way up to $42,775. ne more trim is on its way, the Meridian, which will offer all-terrain tires, crossbars on the roof, and even more rugged styling. Mazda declined to quote a starting price or timing for the Meridian, but its equipment list would suggest that it will become the most expensive trim level (if equipped with the turbocharged engine, which could come standard.<\/p>\n![\"2023](\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2023-mazda-mazda-cx-50_100834115_l.jpg\" "\\"2023")
<\/p>\n![\"2023](\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2023-mazda-mazda-cx-50_100834100_l.jpg\" "\\"2023")
<\/p>\n![\"2023](\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2023-mazda-mazda-cx-50_100834135_l.jpg\" "\\"2023")
<\/p>\n![\"2023](\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2023-mazda-mazda-cx-50_100834126_l.jpg\" "\\"2023")
<\/p>\n![\"2023](\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2023-mazda-mazda-cx-50_100834128_l.jpg\" "\\"2023")
<\/p>\n![\"2023](\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2023-mazda-mazda-cx-50_100834130_l.jpg\" "\\"2023")
<\/p>\n![\"2023](\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2023-mazda-mazda-cx-50_100834117_l.jpg\" "\\"2023")
<\/p>\n![\"2023](\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2023-mazda-mazda-cx-50_100834116_l.jpg\" "\\"2023")
<\/p>\n