I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I don’t care about what razor thin slice of the market Mazda is trying to capture with 3 different vehicles taking up more or less the same kind of vehicle in the CX30, CX50, and CX 5. Mazda has the best driving dynamics and luxury interiors for its given price point. I’ve owned a RAV 4, CRV, and I’m on my 4th Mazda. The brand, in general, is so woefully underrated. It’s sad. Do me a favor if you took the time to read this far, get one. The brand deserves way more credit as a manufacturer than it gets.
I love the CX-50. I never drove one, but I've built tens of thousands. Yes. I work at MTM in Alabama where it is built. Of course I want a better job within my education but it is satisfying to see these on the road.
You folks in Alabama make a damn good car! Happy with my CX-50 and chose it over the Ford Bronco Sport for a variety of reasons, one reason is the Mazda is made in the USA and the Bronco Sport is made in Mexico.
It doesn't lmao. It's shaky af, nowhere near the smooth drive of German cars. It's more quiet than the cheap alternatives, but certainly still not as quiet as most German cars.
The cargo area is much more useful than a RAV4 though. The extended depth is much nicer to have than extra height when you have larger objects like a stroller.
Agree I love it, my wife loves it. It feels premium and once you get used to it your eyes are still on the road and not scrolling apps. Never understood the hate of the knob.
I have a mazda 3 and Cx-5, the knob is the bane of my existence. Worst part about the car by far. I know 5 others with mazdas and nobody likes it, they tolerate it but have all asked “how di i enable the touch screen?”
@@hondajohn6948you dont get touchscreen in the mazda infotainment system outside of apple carplay or android auto. And for the driver to reach the screen you will have to stretch as the screen is recessed in the dash.
Alex, love your videos. One thing that all auto reviewers fail to recognize is that once you live with a car as us mortals do, you begin to appreciate Mazdas dial. They’re one of the few companies that do infotainment dials right and sadly no reviewer ever has their cars long enough to see what us owners actually go through (I’m a former owner, and my wife had one too) . Once you learn it, it’s hands down easier than having to look down at a screen and press a capacitive button on a touchscreen. Not only easier but it’s safer too. Put yourself in our shoes for once. Imagine living with any of these cars for years as we all do and it’ll start to give you a slightly different perspective.
It's not that great. They limit the number of items in things like playlists and contacts. I have two Mazdas. My Miata's unit is dog slow. I can be a mile down the road and it's still booting. The CX-5 is better but still not instant on like you'd get in a Kia or a VW. On the CX-5 with android auto you have to go through several steps to full screen a window. Do I hate it? No, but do I love it? Also No
I never understood the complaints about the dial. It is quite good,and most times I would use Siri for navigation/music. It is certainly less distracting than using a touch screen like on my wife's Sierra. I appreciate that sometimes you just want to click on a button and be done with it, but the dial is pretty easy to use.
@@tomdoe1234 Perfectly legitimate for me to compare it because you did not provide any model year to give your slam comment any appropriate context. The model above is a brand new one, as is my 23 MX-5 RF. Our boot time experience is far more relevant since buyers want to know how it is on new models, not your ancient '21 model.
No way, I love the direction Mazda is going as a premium main stream brand like Volvo. In fact, Jason Cammisa of Hagerty, called the CX-50s steering the best steering in a main stream vehicle, even better than a Porsche 911 GT3. Only real enthusiast drivers will appreciate steering like that every other driver will call it too heavy. And I hope Mazda wants to still attract enthusiasts
I am having a hard time believing that 1. The rear suspension is not good to a degree you should be worried about it. 2. That most driver could even tell the difference between suspensions, especially with same tires and wheels.
My father in law asked for a vehicle recommendation to replace his Ford Escape. I said to look at Mazda and see what strikes him. He ended up getting a new midrange CX5, and was very thankful for my suggestion. Personally I think the exterior is nicer than the CX50 (I'm not sold on that cladding), but the interiors on both are probably the best at that price. His also has the smaller wheels with higher-profile tires, which I think is a good choice considering the roads in their town.
Works for me. I had accord coupes for years. Tried a CRV and hated it, so I traded for rav4. I loved the looks of the Rav but it was numb and boring to drive. Enter the cx50. I love its looks, and the interior. That paired with being fun af to drive and I’m thrilled. Finally someone got it right. And I love the dial and screen set up. It’s classy and non intrusive. I am here to drive, not stare at a screen.
I feel like this will probably wind up being a sleeper pick, but the loss of an under $30k base trim will probably be a deal breaker for many customers (even though yes I know it comes with a lot of nice stuff). Somehow I get the sense that some of these will sit on the lot for a while then become better bargains next year.
To be fair, the “base trim” for the 2023 CX-50 only existed on paper as it was never produced. The “base trim” had been the $34K Preferred Plus for a long time until they started making the $31K Select a few months ago.
You can get the CX-5 under 30. My wife was looking for a new car and there were two of them under 30K. We ended up buying the top non turbo trim for 38K sticker and got 1,500 off sticker. We looked at CR-V first and the Honda dealers wanted 4-5K over sticker and wouldn't budge down much at all. The best we could get off similar trim CR-V was around 44K. For 36.5 vs 44K it was a no brainer to go with the Mazda. Very happy with the choice so far the CX-5 drives beautifully. We did test drive a CX-50 back to back and they drive the same so I'm sure that would be a great choice too.
Quiet is very important to me. So I really appreciate that you include that measurement and you mention the decibel level. Would be nice if you put the decibel level in the 'noise' box!
I have a Turbo Meridian. My biggest complaint is the fuel economy and ride quality over rough surfaces. I’m getting like 16-18 MPG with 50/50 city and highway driving, though admittedly I’m constantly in traffic and drive quite hard. (Can you blame me tho? It’s so fun to drive!!) Driving over bumps also makes the entire car shake. Otherwise, I love my car. Have no issue with the infotainment system. Love love love the steering feel and torquey engine. The terracotta interior is gorgeous. And the exterior is beautiful as well. I have had so many compliments on the look of my car lol
Def hate having to touch any screen when perfectly good knobs are right there. I'll keep my screen smudge free tyvm and the Mazda switch gear feels great anyways.
Its width is bizarre. It bulges at the wheel wells in a way I haven’t gotten used to. It’s a shame because I think the grill is a great evolution of the CX-5’s style. It’s the best looking grill in Mazda’s lineup
''Its width is bizarre'' : but above all = useless , all the interior dimensions ( hiproom shoulder room, etc ) ,are smaller than the cx-5 which is 3'' less wide.
the knobs are controls are the best... initially I thought its a pain without touchscreen.. but the buttons and knobs turned out to be the best after 2-3 weeks of driving
I have had my CX50 Turbo for 2 months now. I absolutely love this car. There is nothing in this price point that comes anywhere close to the amount of car you get with the cx50
I agree, I think Mazda have some great options in their lineup but a hybrid would be great especially in this segment. Although they are a small company. I know the CX-90 PHEV is available but that’s a whole step up in size and price.
I’d add that for me personally, I think I’d much rather go with an RDX SH-AWD base + tech. It’s a bit more at $46k but they give you a lot of stuff in the RDX even starting with the base. And I love the way sh-awd drives (technically i-vtm4 in my Honda). If I could do without navigation and real leather, the $43k base RDX is very tempting.
My wife has a 2021 CX-30. She loves it. I drive a 2020 RDX SH-AWD Tech. The audio system interface is the only real complaint with the RDX. I occasionally find it infuriating yet, even though I don’t drive the CX-30 that often, Mazda’s rotary knob is much easier to use. However, the RDX is REALLY fun to drive and makes a far superior road trip car.
@@mj8495 thinking back, I had a CX-50 as a service loaner once. I had thigh support issues also. The seat, as well as the seat in the CX-30, has limited range of adjustments available as compared to my RDX Tech.
I have to disagree with you on that because the model RDX you’re talking about doesn’t have rain sensing wipers like on the CX 50, doesn’t have a head up display like my CX 50 has, no power folding mirrors like my CX 50. Now, I don’t have the turbo CX50 so the RDX is going to be up on power compared to my CX 50!
I don't understand this whining about the infotainment. It's not like Mazda has the first to come up with such a system. Most of the premium brands have such a system. Even some very expensive cars like Aston Martin's do not have touch screen because they use a similar controller based system. Why? Because they are driver focused cars and such a system is 100% better during driving than any touch screen based interface can ever be. Everything I, and probably majority of people, do during driving, is easier with the central controller. All the common tasks like changing music albums or playlists, scrolling through phone contacts, switching between Waze, music and messaging apps, is better done with the controller than with touch screen. I can go at 150km/h on a highway and still comfortably scroll through my albums list without being much distracted. With touch it's literally impossible as I would have to lean forward, and look away from the road (because the screen is put more on the side to be reachable) and either tap many times on the screen or try to drag the menu to scroll. Whining about not having a touch screen is such a plebeian complaint made by phone junkies. All the driving oriented premium cars have a similar system to Mazda. So it begs the question if those reviewers even drive cars.
I LIKE that they're keeping popular designs---- if something is GOOD-- DON"T Fix it!!!! I'm sick of these stupid companies thinking everything has to be NEW and better every year or sooner. I use LINUX on computer and you can't even get a distro installed and configures except what it hasn't ALREADY upgraded and changed before you finish doing that.. it's STUPID. NEWER IS NOT necessarily BETTER either.. as many think.
Poor use of space and poor fuel efficiency is the major frustration for me on the cx-50. I also wish manufacturers would stop putting too big of wheels on tip trims. At least some amount of rubber is necessary for an acceptable ride. And that lack of rear independent suspension.. when he’s saying “if you’re on a less than perfect road like this” I’m thinking… that road looks 100x better than anything within 90 miles of me. I hope they continue to tweak some things for this model.
My main concern is whether that rear suspension kills the fun as much as the current 3 vs the previous Mazda 3 did. If so, then it’s a bad development from the CX5.
I cross shop the CX-50 against the Outback, CRV, RAV4, and CX-5. The CX-5 has better put together interior, IRS, and overall better price. I didn’t care for the panoramic moon roof nor the front passenger air vent in the CX-50. Everything in the front seemed to be off center a bit and not the driver focus that I hope for. At the end I bought the CX-5 instead. I know it’s an older design but it’s still hold up well against the competitions (except for volume). The fit and finish on the Cx-5 is much better than the CRV I sampled at a much lower price. It’s no wonder that it still sells in large volume. Mazda needs to rethink their product strategy. Their recent North American products have not been as good as it used to. Sure the CX-90 is really nice but it has not been the home run product that the brand had hope. I wish Mazda well since this is the second Mazda I purchased. I am no brand loyalist but I am looking forward for their future vehicles.
You said you also tested the Outback. What are your thoughts about it v. the CX-5? I’m looking at both right now so would be good to hear your opinion. Thanks!
@@LookingGlass24 although the Outback has a bit more cargo space, it does not have as many features for my money. I really wanted the Bose stereo and power lift gate. I had to jump to a premium trim to get them. I am also not a big fan of the Outback’s driving dynamics and touch screen. Everyone’s buying priorities are different. Hope that helps..
I came to love the rotor control for the infotainment system from Mazda. Once you get use to it the systems in very intuitive and Mazda did a perfect job of locating the rotor. I find that I have learned the system so well that I can do most things with only a very brief look at the screen and in some cases without looking at the screen at all. The Mazda rotary system reminds me of the system in an Audi I had but better than Audi's. Sometimes if I want to use a specific app, I use Apple CarPlay which works as a touch screen. The one beef I have with Mazda is that their radios do not offer SiriusXM. I am seriously looking at purchasing a CX-50 Turbo Premium. The turbo is more fun for the money than the law allows.
I rewarded myself with a CX-50 Turbo premium in zircon sand/terracotta. This Mazda checks all the right boxes if you need utility but are a driving enthusiast. Always look forward to my next drive.
I've watched about a dozen CX-50 reviews and I love how you point out the rear suspension so much because it's been driving me nuts! Why don't they at least offer it in higher trims.. Tho torsion beam is simpler and lighter which also helps saves on gas, but I'm really consider getting the CX-5 even though I love the look of the CX-50
Great review for the time. The infotainment can be adjusted to full touch screen by going deep into the settings. The suspension has been tuned. Hybrid is coming out in 2025 all likely changing your scores and resulting in a very positive direction for the CX-50.
I always thought the 6 speed auto in my 2013 CX5 shifted pretty fast. Ive been driving it in the pocono mountains for 12 years and use the manual feature a lot to slow down and speed up while saving the brakes.
We recently bought a CX-5. Not sure I understand the point of CX-50. There really isn't much difference. Test drove both and they felt the same to me. We ended up with the CX-5 because they had one with the options and in the color we liked but if those options/color had been in the CX-50 would have got that. I didn't do any research they only had 2023 CX-5 and the CX-50s were all 2024 so I figured it was the new version.
I was completely unaware that Mazda had low pricing as one of their goals. I found them to be way too pricey when I was trying to make a deal on a new CX-30 3 years ago. Needless to say we didn’t get very far. That particular vehicle’s is very small and way overpriced.
@@naveenthemachine Also, I don't believe that Mazda ever brought out the base trim for 2023. I think that the lowest trim sold this year has been the Select, so the cheaper base trim is meaningless.
I've been leasing Mazdas since May of 2016. I started with a 2016 Mazda3 hatchback Touring 2.0. In March 2018 I went to a 2018 CX-5 AWD Touring, following in June 2020 to a CX-5 FWD Touring (Florida, no snow, so I felt AWD wasn't necessary). On November 28, 2022 I leased a 2023 CX-50 Preferred Plus AWD. Is the CX-50 better than the CX-5, IMHO yes and no. I like the greater interior length and width. I miss the better door windows on the CX-5 (better noise suppression). I feel that the lower/wider stance of the CX-50 results in less body roll than the CX-5. I don't feel much difference in the rider quality with the different rear suspension. As for the touch screen infotainment system, it works as a touch screen at lower speeds. Above that I think it is better that it doesn't work as a touch screen as it can be a distraction (like using a hand-held cell phone while driving...wait, isn't using a rotary knob the same problems?).
OMG Alex you spent a lot of time on this whole rear suspension that 99% of people will never feel. How many of us can get a rav4 (or whatever)for more than a 30min test drive which won’t include many types of roads. Previous owner of 2 cx5 (loved them) but go over a manhole cover in any type of bend in the road and the back end hopped now in my cx50 I don’t feel the same. At first my cx50 felt a lot different the steering especially but after driving it for some time now I’m used to it and I’d say whatever my 5 could do I can do in the 50. Oh and I up graded from my normal aspirated 5 to the turbo 50 as I felt the normal wasn’t as suited to the 6speed as the turbo is. I would rather not have 10 gears hu ting around all the time
You are so right, I had to get used to some things about the CX 50 because I was coming from a Lexus RX 350 but many of these things have subsided and I enjoy it even more now!
Haven't driven a CX50 yet but drove my son's CX5 halfway across the US and absolutely loved it. The cruise assist was much better than my Honda Ridgeline RTL-E on the interstate and just as quiet. I'm not sold on the turbo though. 6 speed transmission is the way to go and love how Mazda stayed with it. Much less problems and cost to fix. Infotainment is easy to get used to and it makes sense. All the dash buttons and knobs don't clutter everything and leaves the interior clean and expensive looking. Mazda has found a good niche in the market especially when most are made in Japan. They just care more about their work.
You say that you were only getting 21 mpg in this, but does Mazda have a break in period built into the ECU? I have a 21 Outback XT Touring, and when I first got it, it was only able to get roughly 20 mpg combined in normal driving. I could squeak 24 mpg out of it using some hypermiling techniques. I honestly thought something was wrong with it and I was determined to figure out how to get it to perform properly. After 8,000 miles, it jumped from roughly 24 to 29 mpg literally overnight. Once it reached 12,000 miles, it jumped from 29 mpg to low to mid 30s. I now consistently get 32-35 mpg out of it combined at 17k miles, and that is primarily short trips. Granted I learned all the quirks back when it was doing terribly, but it is capable of getting awesome fuel economy now considering the performance. Low 40s average on 55 mph roads. I know reviews have complained about the low fuel economy of the new turbo Subarus like the Outback and WRX, but it's obvious they have some sort of software break in built in. Does Mazda have something similar? You should drive a CX-50 that has like 15k miles and see what the mpg results are. You may be surprised how much better it does.
I live in the Silicon Valley and bought a brand new CX-30 several months ago. I have never owned or driven a car that I loved so much! This is a FANTASTIC vehicle! I came close to purchasing the CX-50; however, I didn't need something quite so big (for my daily driver). They are both similar and built on the same platform. If I bought another, I might pick the CX-50 -- because it's perfect for camping in the mountains and forests around us (in Northern California).
The biggest barrier to the CX50 for me is the seat in the upper trims...the S Select and S Preferred seats are very comfortable...can we Please get the turbo engine in the lower trims with the more comfortable seats?
My family rented a late-model Mazda3 on a trip, and my sister and her boyfriend didn't like the infotainment system just because it didn't have a touchscreen. They always touched the screen to manipulate the navigation screen and I had to remind them about the navigation knob. They said that they won't buy a Mazda vehicle just because of that feature. I'm glad that Mazda made the phone projection-based part of the infotainment system touch-based, while I also see how they want people to use the navigation knob for the infotainment system, especially while driving.
Toyota had a 8 speed that alot of people complained about when the rav4 was refreshed in 2019.... mazda had this 6-speed with 0 complaints. So in theory, mazda says if it ain't broke, don't fix.
Why bother with a vehicle that is 3 inches wider and 6 inches longer than a cx-5 and that allows less for everything related to the other interior dimension than a cx-5 ? ...& the nail in the coffin: a rear torsion beam instead of an irs for the '5'.
Which has better highway Road noise, soft suspension for passengers in rear seats, especially kids? How noise compares to Honda CRV Hybrid 2024 vs Mazda CX5 Signature Turbo 2024?
Reviewing a 2023 model's driving dynamics when there are changes doesn't help anyone looking at 2024s. Better to wait and do a solid '24 review. Mazda's suspension choices bother me and would prevent me from buying any of these models. I have a '16 Mazda 3, and I love the suspension in it, especially with thicker sway bars installed after purchase. With upgraded tires, it handles like a BMW. I would miss that on the new models.
The combined legrooms for all Mazda models are just misleading. There is no way CX-50 has 81.5' combined legroom. You will find it's more like 78.5' if you have a chance to seat in one of them.
So...RAV4 reviews - do they go into this much depth for the flaws evident there? or the CRV? As usual I think Toyota and Honda get a pass on their SUVs...looking past the flaws...I'll take the Mazda any day over them.
Alex, I’d love to hear about resale value of Mazdas in general and annual cost of maintenance. A Lexus NX could be nicer but costs of repair could be much greater. As we all know, the purchase price of a vehicle is just one component if it’s overall cost to the consumer. I need to see those costs + resale value-This is something that car reviews need these days of great inflation. Thanks for your consideration. 👍 And to other watchers if this channel: how would you rate the Mazda dealership’s customer service and demeanor. Are they any different from Toyota, Subaru or Honda? Do tell!
I’m getting ready to replace my European SUV and I’m not doing that again, but i want something fun to drive. Mazda would be #1 on my list if they had a slightly larger car because i’m tall and I’ve got three dogs. I dont need something the size of a CX 70.
The CX-70 should be a winner and really fill out the lineup. The CX-5 and CX-50 are just a little too small and unimpressive on paper to really elevate them to that next level. I love Mazda but they've been beyond stubborn, a little more interior space and better infotainment and they'd be very competitive.
@@naveenthemachine They are very nice I just think that the interior space and infotainment are really what hold them back from having a more mainstream appeal. For a lot of people that is a deal breaker, the back seat room is not great.
Technically true as the name will live on, but the inside story I have been hearing is it will also be a replacement for the Mazda6, so it will be a slinky coupe/crossover which isn't really a CX-5 IMHO, the CX-5 replacement functionally is the CX-50.
I keep seeing comments complaining about the rear suspension but at the same time I see nearly every reviewer comment that the cx50 is the best driving vehicle in the class. So why are people so dead set against reality vs their bias? The 2024 version has beefed up dampers to improve the ride so maybe people will respond to that.
I hope they change the CX-50 Meridian. Different suspension, smaller wheels, bigger tires, and real skid plates. I also hope they offer a better off-road version of the CX-70.
As a owner of a 2021 Mazda CX-5 I can tell you. the fact that you can't touch the screen when not in Android auto or Apple Car Play is definitely Not a big deal! the Mazda wheel is very easy to use and safer!
Deal breaker is no parking sensors option in lower trims, no lighter color seats and no 40/20/40 seats for so call outdoor rugged suv. Also loaded trim still has hard plastic on back doors.
It’s definitely more premium than Toyota & Honda. I kind of love the middle ground. It’s “premium” & has “luxurious” elements, but it isn’t quite a luxury car. I feel like Mazda is slightly behind with tech though, and they really need to go with digital gauge clusters. I wish they would introduce hybrid models as well.
It needs multilink rear suspension and a skyactive x turbo hybrid. Also they need to follow suit with hyundai doing the squared off trunk for more space. They should make their suvs more practical to sell more to build thos sporty cars they want like a mazda 6, 3 and rx7. I would love to see mazda make a shooting brake mazda 6. Nobody else is doing that in the 40-50k range.
The CX5 is getting refreshed in 2025. THEY ARE NOT GETTING RID OF THEIR BEST SELLER. Why reviewers continue spewing this foolishness I have no idea. Would Toyota ditch the Rav 4 for no reason? Just bizarre thinking...
Love Mazda and was considering the Mazda 3 hatch until I found out it had a 1970's torsion beam rear suspension. Bad move Mazda. I'll stick with my Mini Clubman, which has been completely reliable for almost 60K, averaging 28 city/highway while being great to drive and not just another box on the road.
I definitely like Mazda especially more than Nissan and think Mazda should be in its place as part of the big 3 Japanese brands or at least the big 4. Their reliability is better then both Nissan and Subaru and Mitsubishi doesn't compete. I'd argue they have become similar if not better lately then Honda. Now that they are going rwd biased they will compete far better then most and hopefully their reliability ratings improve or stays the same. If you're looking at a BMW X5 alternative then the CX-90 is a great option and when the CX-70 comes it will compete well with the X3. Nissan needs to take notice and bring back the revered inline 6 and make the pathfinder rwd again. Toyota could bring their great inline 6 too and make a similar model if people show that's what they want and who can blame them, the architecture is best for driving dynamics and can run smoother and be more reliable and easier to do maintenance. Yes you'll lose passenger room compared to a fwd biased design but if they account for that they can definitely make that difference minimal.
If anyone wants to have a Sports themed SUV, CX-50 satisfies the same. But, this is not at all Premium or Semi- premium category like it used to be 3/4 yrs ago. Bcoz just look at the Interiors and exteriors of Nissan Rogue and Mitsubishi Outlander (2021 Onwards) - they are now 5yrs ahead of Mazda CX-5 or CX-50 as well as they're more spacious and more fuel efficient. Mazda is now losing its old ground !
You mention the Buick in the beginning which I totally get but it wasn't included anywhere in your overall size comparison chart? I am guessing you are referring to the Buick Encore GX?
