2023 Mazda CX-50

The Mazda CX-5 is our reference compact crossover for style, quality, and sophistication at family car pricing. Now, the Japanese brand has added a new quality to its format with the adventure-seeking Mazda CX-50. The CX-50 inserts ruggedness into the equation by adding off-road chops to a standard all-wheel-drive system and a longer wheelbase for enhanced practicality. The new CX-50 is available with two of Mazda's proven Skyactiv-G engines - a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder unit making 187 horsepower or a more powerful turbocharged version making 256 hp in ideal conditions. In both instances, power is sent to a clever all-wheel-drive system via a six-speed automatic transmission.

Mazda is making a bold move by adding a new line to its deliberately well-pruned model lineup. It looks like a smart one. It's a market generally ruled by Subaru, and the CX-50 is clearly set to go up against the Outback, but TRD trims from the Toyota RAV4 lineup are also in its sights. Mazda has its own philosophy for building an adventure vehicle, so we took ourselves up to Santa Barbara to give the new CX-50 in Turbo Premium Plus guise a workout on some of Northern California's roads and dirt tracks.

The Mazda CX-50's price starts off quite reasonably, although top trims are significantly pricier. With the 2.5-liter base engine, the MSRP begins at $26,800 for the S derivative. This is followed by the S Select ($28,200), S Preferred ($29,500), S Preferred Plus ($31,940), S Premium ($34,400), and S Premium Plus ($36,400). The base 2.5 Turbo shares its starting price with the top-spec of the non-turbo derivates at $36,400, Turbo Premium ($39,550), and Premium Plus ($41,550). A late addition to the range is the Turbo Meridian Edition, but pricing has not yet been indicated for it.

The Mazda CX-50's MSRP excludes the destination charge of $1,225.

Mazda has taken a very definite approach to the CX-50's dynamics. According to the automaker, the car should perform the same whether you're cruising on backroads, working through a tight dirt track, or towing a heavily-laden trailer. Hence, the CX-50 has four drive modes. There's Normal, Sport, Off-Road, and if you connect a hitch, Towing mode appears. Starting in Normal mode, as Mazda understands the vast majority of its journeys will be on tarmac, the CX-50 drives like the CX-5. The ride is firm but smooth, it's quick when called upon, and everything from the throttle control and braking is precise and responsive without having any sharp edges. That sounds like faint praise until you've driven a modern Mazda and realize what a brilliant achievement that is. The same translates into the dynamics, which are fun while remaining predictable. The Mazda CX-50's size also isn't so large that it feels unwieldy. One of the neat tricks Mazda's all-wheel-drive system pulls off is managing weight transfer electronically while still feeling natural. The CX-50 might be adjusting torque to shift a little of its weight balance to the front wheels when it knows you're going to corner, but you won't feel it, and if you're pushing the car, you still need to be able to drive.

Sport mode isn't a violent change in the CX-50's attitude, but the gears hold for longer under acceleration and downshift earlier when decelerating. On-center steering becomes more responsive, and the CX-50 becomes eager to tackle a twisting road. As advertised, the Off-Road mode doesn't make itself apparent until turning into a corner on a dusty track, and it just turns. Put it back in Normal mode and take the same corners at the same speed, and you're suddenly making the corrections you were expecting. It's not a miracle worker, but it brings a genuine consistency to cruising a dirt road. On steep inclines, the AWD system shifts torque around to where the weight has shifted to and keeps the grip consistent.

Towing mode is a new one for Mazda, and again, the keyword here is consistency. The AWD starts paying attention to the fact that heavy load on the back lightens the load on the front wheels and adjusts accordingly while on the move. The result is that you find a 3,000-pound trailer doesn't need the usual constant small inputs into steering to keep the vehicle in a straight line. Simply turning off Towing mode with a trailer hitched up quickly confirmed this.

Mazda keeps its model range tight, which allows the automaker to spend time on its cars to get everything right. The CX-50 expands the lineup, but Mazda has, again, got things right. It's a beautifully measured car that weaves style, comfort, fun, assured driving dynamics, and a sense of adventure into a family-friendly package. The automatic comparison is to the Subaru Outback, a vehicle that has a solid reputation for rugged reliability. Mazda's CX-50 won't gain that reputation quickly, but we know Mazda has the chops to compete and brings a clever and consistent approach to its all-wheel-drive system. The CX-50 is a brilliant package that won't disappoint, whether you use it for urban adventures or slightly rockier roads.

With a large range of choices, there should be something for everyone looking at a family hauler-come-adventure vehicle. The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine should be enough for most, mainly if your soft-roading is fair weather and particularly mild - only hitting reasonably traveled and kept dirt tracks to camping, hiking, and biking spots, for example. The more adventurous families will want the Off-Road mode and Hill Control functions, but these are standard from the entry-level model, so the base model should get you most places you want to go when things get soft under the wheels. From there, it's a matter of weighing up the desirability and cost of more premium features.

For the particularly adventurous - those that consider it a lifestyle and those that put in the miles - the 2.5 Turbo models will be the most desirable. It will be essential for those towing a trailer regularly, but going up the trim levels from there is a matter of price and desired features. We get a little uncomfortable about the cost of the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus, but if it's all about family hauling and putting in the miles, there are much worse ways to spend your money than Mazda's idea of style and comfort.

For years now, Toyota has had no trouble selling thousands of RAV4s in the USA each month. The most capable RAV4 is the TRD Off-Road but it starts at a rather expensive $36,465, but a base FWD RAV4 is just over $26,000. The TRD's 2.5-liter engine makes 203 hp, making it more powerful than the base CX-50 but less powerful than the CX-50 2.5 Turbo. Each SUV is similarly capable off-road, both with 8.6 inches of ground clearance and with comparable approach/departure angles. Likewise, they can each tow up to 3,500 lbs. But whereas the Toyota's reliability is legendary and it has a bigger trunk, the Mazda wins you over with its classy styling, both inside and out. Right now, Mazda has no alternative to the hybrid and plug-in hybrid RAV4s that are far more efficient, though. At around the $36,000 mark, the Mazda CX-50 2.5 Turbo is our choice.

Starting at $25,900, the CX-5 is a little cheaper than the newer CX-50. With less ground clearance and no real off-road aspirations, the CX-5 remains a fine choice for many buyers who want the practicality of an SUV but won't ever drive across harsher terrain. The two vehicles offer similar packaging and the same engines, so performance is comparable. However, the turbocharged CX-50 can tow up to 3,500 lbs, 1,500 lbs more than the turbocharged CX-5. Despite its greater capability, it's the CX-50 that's marginally more efficient, managing 1 mpg more across the combined cycles for both engine choices. At $38,650, the range-topping CX-5 is close to $3,000 cheaper than the equivalent CX-50. If you will never go off-road and don't have any serious towing needs, the CX-5 will do just fine. But the CX-50's spread of talents is wider.