2025 Mazda CX-50 Consumer Reviews
Pricing
2.5 S Select - $31,720 MSRP
Edmunds suggests you pay
$30,676Know what you want and you won't be disappointed.
Braden, 09/23/2024
2025 Mazda CX-50 2.5 S Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
56 of 57 people found this review helpful
Mazda isn’t a luxury brand. Its four-cylinder engines aren’t racers. A vehicle like this—in this price range with the above-mentioned caveats—isn’t going to introduce a new paradigm in any single automotive category. The CX-50 takes everything that every other manufacturer has already done with smaller-sized crossover SUVs for two decades now, distills them down to their desired functions, separates the chaff, then weaves it all back together with only the positive aspects remaining—and it manages to sell it for under $40k. I love my CX-50. I won’t pretend to be an objective auto-guru giving you my professional, dispassionate opinion. I had my last vehicle for 14 years and have been saving and searching for a replacement for the last five. I had a big list of five-seater SUVs I spent months researching and paring down. The CX-50 was at the top. There’s many reasons for that: The cost — I bought a brand new Premium model. $35k. You can get a lower trim for less, or a Turbo for more if you want the extra power. I struggled with the Turbo desire. Even though I don’t have one, I’m not upset after the time I’ve spent with mine. The safety — Check the NTSB reports and videos yourself. It’s phenomenal. The comfort — Premium trims and below come with 17” wheels instead of larger. These wheels combined with the higher suspension make for a stable ride without removing the feel of being connected to the road. Some want none of that feel, and that’s fair. I’m not like that. I need to feel what and how I’m riding. This vehicle allows that without making it uncomfortable. The interior seats and positions make it easy to enjoy the ride. The driver and passenger seats are bucket-style, my favorite. Being a small-not-mini cSUV, the seats may seem narrower than some might like—curved on each side, the actual space to "sink" into is more limited than it first appears. If you’re a bulkier person, you may want more room. But I’m skinny (and tall, yet I’ve never felt vertically cramped), and the seats provide me ample room and cradle my frame very naturally. Despite the Premium trim not sporting the premium leather that I've been used to for years now—they're a combo of synthetic leather and fabric weaved vertically down the center—I haven't felt a moment of discomfort, even on long drives. Most (maybe all?) trims feature power lumbar support, too, and that significantly increases the number of viable seat-and-back positions for your chair. I'm excited to try the seat warmers this winter, too, which will be a first for me. I will level some criticism at the placement of the front seat cup holders, though. You do get the option of holders placed in both the front driver and passenger doors, but your primary cup holders are located right under the dashboard instrument panel—directly in front of the shifter, tucked into a nook-like space. My initial fear was that it would be possible to easily nudge the shifter when you very much don't want to, which turned out to be overblown. But if you step out of your car and reach back in to take your cup of coffee with you, prepare to lean over the console awkwardly and then cautiously weave your arm (and coffee!) backwards to avoid snagging the steering wheel. It's a minor complaint, but one I deal with typically at least twice a day. The power — It’s a four-cylinder engine. This is why I say “know what you want” in the title. You’re not gonna win drag races (unless maybe you splurge for the Turbo), so if that’s your thing then look elsewhere. But it DOES have the giddy-up I need to feel safe overtaking and entering busy intersections and freeways. Unlike many fours, Mazda’s Skyactiv engine is naturally aspirated, drawing more power from ambient airflow, and combines it with a very active cylinder shutoff strategy that compensates for the more aggressive use of fuel, maintaining a balance of power with satisfactory fuel economy (but in 2025, the combined 28mpg average is admittedly leaning more to the lower end of acceptable). The tach kicks up higher than I expected, but nowhere near the redline. The actual output surprised me; it reaches 0-60 in 8 seconds, better than the spec sheet claims. I honestly expected weaker. Bonus! I also want to give special attention to Mazda's decision to include multiple drive modes that can be toggled on-the-fly with the MiDrive switch: Normal keeps the above-mentioned balance of responsiveness and fuel economy, Off-road appropriately summons the U in the SUV moniker and allows this vehicle a very satisfying drive experience on backroads and in inclement weather, and Sport mode (which I guess invokes the S?) keeps the engine running at a higher RPM to allow for more active shifting and decreases the latency between the clutch and the shift input. Plus, you have the option of manually controlling the gears with a simple lean of the shifter to the left; suddenly you're driving a standard without the clutch! (Or more accurately, you're getting about 65% of the manual transmission experience since you don't have to downshift.) The manual control significantly increases the control I have over the vehicle—but only when I want it. The tech — Lots of driver-assist features, but a lot of them feel like more basic versions of advanced systems other higher-tier vehicles offer. They’re still useful, though I don’t really feel that I “need” them. However, the Infotainment interface is wonderful! The screen IS touch-capable, but I hate touchscreens in cars, and Mazda offers Commander control knobs within arms’ reach of the center console. Adapting to them only took a couple hours, and I have touched the screen one time since first setup. I LOVE the Commander knobs and dials so much, and I know others don’t like them despite not giving them a chance. Give them a chance! They’re game-changers! The only tech I would advise on is the radar cruise control: It’s nice to have it and works well as long as you keep an active eye on it during drives with traffic that tends to exit in both directions frequently, and on stretches of hilly terrain. The CC attempts to maintain your set speed VERY aggressively and will suddenly drop you into the lowest gear that approaches the redline too closely for my taste. The reliability — It’s a Mazda. It’s reliable. They make cars knowing many of their drivers are “spirited” in their journeys. They’re even giving Toyota a run for their reliability rating money. And with the recent rocket in sales of Mazda’s CX-series of vehicles, there will be parts and knowledge a’plenty out in the wild. The 50 is, admittedly, a newer model for Mazda, the first model releasing just three years ago, so really only time will tell how durable it is. But it's reassuring to know that the broader engineering platform of this vehicle exists in many other forms across other Mazda models with a longer tenure on the road. Are there better vehicles? Yes, obviously—in every category. But for this price point? I would argue no. I was never gonna find anything else that met (and then surprisingly surpassed) my expectations for under $40k. And I expected quite a bit. I’m getting everything I bargained for, and after four vehicles through my life, this is finally the first one I’ve actually been consistently excited to drive day in and day out.
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Decent Car
TMB, 10/15/2024
updated 01/06/2025
2025 Mazda CX-50 2.5 S Premium Plus 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
15 of 16 people found this review helpful
I’ve had my Cx50 PP Non Turbo for several months now. Coming from a toyota I can say that the build quality is 10x better with my Mazda and I really love the design inside and out on this car… I also feel very safe in it and its fun to drive (sometimes)… I rate it 3 stars because of its clunky transmission, firm ride and uncomfortable seats. The car has a very bad lag when you’re trying to accelerate, especially driving up hills. Ill be trying to accelerate, nothing will happen and then all of a sudden the car will get a big burst of power. The car bucks when you’re coming to a stop and i’ve taken it to two separate mazda dealerships and they both said its normal and that there are no issues with it… You also feel every crack on the road and the seats are uncomfortable on long drives.
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2025 Mazda CX-50 for sale near you
3 of 8047 listings
- 2.5 Turbo Premium 4dr SUVMSRP: $43,99822 mi away
- 2.5 S Premium 4dr SUVMSRP: $31,99523 mi away
- 2.5 S Premium 4dr SUVMSRP: $36,205128 mi away
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Love it...except a few little niches
james_m, 10/02/2024
2025 Mazda CX-50 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
I traded in my 2014 Subaru Forester for a CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus after test driving the Jeep Cherokee, Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4, Volkswagen Tiguan, Kia Sportage, Buick Envision and another Forester. I do wish I had test drove the CX-5 since it is a bit higher - the lower stance of the CX-50 took a little bit of getting used to. Along with the CX-50, I was also really impressed with Cherokee, Envision and CR-V, but after months of mulling over my options and flipping between the four, my mind kept going back to the Mazda - its fun to drive, stylish, comfortable, and has a surprising amount of trunk space. Unfortunately, the large trunk comes at the cost of backseat leg room. It's not a problem for me but may be for prospective buyers. The biggest thing I had to get used to was the turn dial for the infotainment, but after about two weeks I was used to it - I find it easier even in CarPlay since the screen is very far away. I love the way it drives and handles. On the occasions when I am driving someone, they are shocked at the quality and luxuriousness of the interior. It feels like it costs more than $45,000. My only two complaints are the gas mileage and Forward Collision Warning. My Subaru was getting almost 32 MPG - I was filling the tank 2-3 times per month. My CX-50 is being filled once a week. I do understand this because of the turbo engine, but it's still a bit of an adjustment. Forward Collision Warning is a nuisance for me - if I am driving on a dark road at night or approaching a decently large but gradual incline, the FCW will start beeping erratically and alert me to brake and steer away from what is in front of me... even if theres nothing there. It only happens once in awhile, but its very startling when it does. Overall I'm very happy with this car and I recommend Mazda to everyone - it's a safe and luxurious vehicle for a great price.
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My first Zoom Zoom
CynCitydude, 01/15/2025
2025 Mazda CX-50 2.5 Turbo Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I've had my CX-50 for about 3 months. So far I love the vehicle. This is my first SUV I've owned. Coming from a Kia Stinger. I wanted something sporty with some pep. I went with the Turbo preferred. I will say the turbo model rides a littler stiffer. But the 20 inch wheels look much better than the base 17s. MPG has been around 25-28 so not too bad, I'm getting about 360-380 per tank. A lot of people have griped about the infotainment system, but I've had no issues. I actually like having the controls near the gear shift as you do not have to reach. With Apple Car play the screen turns into touch screen. The heads up display is really nice option. If I had a couple complaints it would be the sun roof doesn't open up as far as you would think it would. The cup holders are directly under the hvac controls. So if you use bigger cups it may be a tight fit. I really wish car manufactures would have a spot for your phones built into the car without needing an aftermarket holder. I've only used the wireless charger a time or two. The phone gets really hot, so I've used USB-C ports. If you're looking for better MPG Mazda released a hybrid version that is basically the RAV4 hybrid powertrain in the CX-50. The CX-50s are built at a joint venture factory with Toyota in Alabama. So far so good with my Zoom Zoom.
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Be Careful Buying Mazda
Biff , 02/27/2025
2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
12 of 15 people found this review helpful
I recently purchased a 2025 Mazda CX-50 hybrid premium. At first the vehicle looked amazing. However, after a week of owning the vehicle the idle was rough at startup. It was so much that I called dealership. Pretty much a complete run around and dismissive. Then the passenger side door was running against the front fender. It is so bad paint was coming off the door. Long story short, I contacted Mazda Customer Service who pretty much told me they have no power over dealerships. I learned Mazda does NOT stand behind their products and obviously quality control is a major issue. As far as warranty work, good luck with that. Once you buy the vehicle it's yours. So unless you can be 100% sure the car is without defects don't boy. I thought because it had a Toyota engine in it that it would be good. In the end, I'll lose, at minimum, $9,000 trying to get out of this huge mistake.
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