Used 2023 MAZDA CX-50

When in doubt, add more SUVs. That’s Mazda’s thinking with the all-new 2023 CX-50, a compact crossover SUV joining the portfolio as a complement to the existing CX-5. Yes, the CX-5 — built in Japan and refreshed for 2022 — will be sold alongside the new, USA-made CX-50. Although one might assume that the Mazda CX-5 is being replaced by the CX-50, Mazda insists that’s not the case.

Built at the Mazda/Toyota joint plant in Huntsville, Alabama, the new CX-50 is close in size to the CX-5, but a bit wider and with a roomier back seat. It’s based on the same unibody platform as the CX-30, and all-wheel drive is standard on every trim level.

The base engine is a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder unit making 187 horsepower. The alternative is a turbocharged 2.5-liter with 227 horsepower (256 if you use 93-octane gasoline) and excellent torque. Both send drive to all four wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission.

While the new CX-50 has been designed to function as well as the CX-5 on pavement, Mazda has also tuned it to work with added confidence on the type of dirt roads you might take to a remote campsite. It has slightly more ground clearance than the CX-5, firmer suspension damping, and an all-wheel-drive system with a new off-road mode that keeps this Mazda moving even when a front and rear wheel are off the ground.

To underline these dirt-road abilities, the CX-50 has rugged styling with abundant black wheel cladding, and is available with 18-inch all-terrain tires and accessories such as the roof rack seen in the photos. It also comes in a great new color: Zircon Sand.

A slightly lower roof line means a little less headroom than in the CX-5, but the back seat is a bit more comfortable, thanks to its extra legroom and width. The cargo area in the CX-50 is also a tad wider and more useful.

As a North American model, the new CX-50 has many of the active safety features found in the Mazda CX-30. These include automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assistance.

Every Mazda vehicle has some appreciable degree of driver engagement, even if it’s an SUV like the new CX-50. Part of this means knowing what’s going on with the road surface, as opposed to being insulated completely.

The CX-50 pulls off the impressive trick of keeping the driver informed, yet still removing the harshness. It doesn’t become tiresome driving long stretches on rough roads.

Through tight corners, the steering feels a little slow. But the upside of that is stability at freeway speeds. Mazda has put a lot of time and research into the psychology of driver inputs and the human reaction to how a vehicle responds, with the aim of creating a smooth experience.

For example, every new CX-50 comes with G-Vectoring Control. From the driver’s seat, it’s virtually imperceptible, but it shifts weight (subtly) onto the front wheels by adjusting torque delivery. This happens in response to steering inputs. The effect is that the steering always feels consistent.

This works in tandem with selectable driving modes. Naturally, there are Normal and Sport settings. But the aim here is not to change the CX-50’s personality with each different mode, but rather to retain this consistency over a range of conditions.

All-wheel drive is standard in every 2023 CX-50 SUV, and Mazda has gone where it’s never really gone before — off-road. The CX-50 doesn’t just have lots of black body cladding for the sake of it. So there’s an Off-Road driving mode as well.

The Meridian Edition model takes this angle and runs with it, wearing all-terrain tires on its 18-inch alloy wheels. It isn’t going to challenge a Jeep Wrangler for supremacy in the wild, but it’s fine for a dirt road leading to a hiking trailhead.

Those versions of the CX-50 with the 227-horsepower turbocharged engine also have a Towing mode. Maximum pulling capacity is 3,500 pounds.

Both engines connect to a 6-speed automatic transmission. With 8-speed and 9-speed automatics being quite common, Mazda reckons that half a dozen gears still works best — as long as they’re the right ratios.

Mazda does interiors well, and the new CX-50 is no exception. It’s a 2-row 5-seater with high-quality materials, and the folding bench seat offers a bit more width and legroom than the CX-5.

The overall layout is driver-focused, with controls arranged in a symmetrical fashion. It’s also remarkable how small the steering wheel’s hub is, yet it can still contain an airbag.

Although the new CX-50 has an active and outdoorsy interior ambiance (inspired by modern outdoor gear), it’s not of the popular, water-resistant “hose it out and go” variety. Instead, it looks quite luxurious inside, especially in the new light terracotta color and with the panoramic moonroof, a first for Mazda.

The beltline is quite high, so any low-slung vehicles at either side might be tough to see. But the cabin is pleasantly quiet, even at freeway speeds.

At its entry level, the 2.5 S, this new Mazda SUV comes with an 8.8-inch infotainment display. The rest of the lineup has a 10.25-inch unit.

With its sleek silhouette, the new 2023 Mazda CX-50 has an elegant-yet-planted stance. It also looks appealingly rugged, and especially attractive in a new tan paint color called Zircon Sand.

Strengthened roof rails allow the use of an accessory roof rack. The rear doors open wider than usual, making it easy for the CX-50 owner to use the back door opening as a step to reach gear on said roof rack (if one is installed).

The Meridian Edition of the 2023 CX-50 SUV accentuates the ruggedness with its own design of 18-inch alloy wheels, all-terrain tires, hood graphics, and a few other dedicated exterior elements.

i-ACTIVE AWD
This intelligent all-wheel-drive system is able to predict when wheelspin will occur and respond almost immediately, sending power where it’s needed most.

MI-DRIVE
Also known as Intelligent Drive Select, Mi-Drive lets the CX-50 driver choose among Normal, Sport, and Off-Road drive settings. In Sport, vehicle response is improved. For example, the transmission doesn’t upshift automatically the moment you lift off the throttle, so there’s no waiting for a downshift the next time you need to accelerate.

All 2023 Mazda CX-50s come with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine — in naturally aspirated or turbocharged forms. These smooth powerplants produce good torque, and send power to all four wheels though a 6-speed automatic transmission.

The CX-50 is available in multiple trim levels. Here’s a rundown:

2.5 S: This entry-level CX-50 has an 8.8-inch full-color center console display, push-button starter, 7-inch TFT LCD instrument panel display, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Mazda Connect infotainment system, two USB ports, and an 8-speaker audio system.

2.5 S Select: Select trim adds dual-zone automatic climate control, rear passenger vents, and a leather-wrapped shifter and steering wheel. Perhaps more significant, the 2.5 S Select has a 10.25-inch center display, with HD radio and an additional pair of USB ports in the rear console. A 40/60-split/folding rear seat, black 17-inch wheels, and tinted privacy glass are also standard in this model.

2.5 S Preferred: A powered tailgate, heated mirrors and windshield wipers, heated front seats, and an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support are added.

2.5 S Preferred Plus: The highlight of this Preferred Plus model is a power-sliding panoramic moonroof with one-touch open and close.

2.5 S Premium: In addition to a 12-speaker Bose audio system (with a 3-month subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio), the Premium comes with black or terracotta interior leather, and a power-adjustable front passenger seat. Black upholstery gets contrasting camel stitching, while the terracotta has orange stitching.

2.5 S Premium Plus: This CX-50 trim level is distinguished by 20-inch alloy wheels with machine-cut black metallic accents. It also has power-folding side mirrors, heated/ventilated front seats, and a color head-up display.

2.5 Turbo: This is where the turbocharged 2.5-liter engine kicks in, mated to a paddle-shift 6-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode. The 2.5 Turbo’s all-wheel-drive (AWD) system has Sport and Off-road modes. There also is a Towing mode, exclusive to the Turbo, that increases towing capacity of the 2023 Mazda CX-50 to 3,500 pounds (2,000 pounds on the non-turbo models). Other standard features on the 2.5 Turbo include LED taillights and adaptive LED front lighting.

2.5 Turbo Premium: This trim level adds a heated steering wheel, heated/ventilated front seats, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system.

2.5 Turbo Premium Plus: Besides a frameless, self-dimming rearview mirror and heated rear seats, this opulent CX-50 brings a navigation system, wireless charging, and a head-up display (HUD) with road sign recognition.

2.5 Turbo Meridian Edition: This most rugged new CX-50 SUV is set up for outdoorsy fun. The Meridian Edition comes with all-terrain tires and a host of exterior tweaks such as model-specific side rocker panels and hood graphics. This CX-50 also offers a host of special accessories designed to help customers use their vehicles on dirt.

All 2023 Mazda CX-50 models come with an advanced safety array that includes a collision-mitigation system with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention alert, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assistance.

Among the options on offer in the 2023 Mazda CX-50 is a glass panoramic moonroof. The roof rack seen in many of our photos is a dealer-installed accessory.

Upgraded paints are also available on the new CX-50. Polymetal Gray Metallic, Wind Chill Pearl, and Ziron Sand Metallic cost $395. Machine Gray Metallic and Mazda’s beautiful Soul Red Crystal Mica are each $595.

Propelling the more affordable versions of the 2023 CX-50 SUV is a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine making 187 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque.

As their trim names indicate, the Turbo models have a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder unit developing 256 horsepower on 93-octane premium fuel, or 227 using regular unleaded. The regular stuff does no harm to the engine. Torque is either an impressive 320 lb-ft at 2,500 rpm or a still-respectable 310 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm, depending on which gasoline is in the tank.

Both engines connect to a smooth-shifting 6-speed automatic transmission sending power to all four wheels via a torque transfer clutch at the rear differential.

Look for a Mazda CX-50 Hybrid to arrive in a couple of years. It will leverage electric expertise from Toyota, the company’s joint partner at the Alabama factory.

2.5-liter inline-4
187 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
186 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/30 mpg

2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4
227 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm (256 hp w/ 93-octane fuel)
310 lb-ft of torque @ 2,000 rpm (320 lb-ft 93-octane fuel)
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 23/29 mpg

Great Safety Scores

The Mazds CX-50 continues the brand’s growing reputation for safety with the IIHS Top Safety Pick award.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

The Mazda CX-50 is covered by a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, which are average for this class.