Latest in CX-50

About CX-50

The CX-50 was Mazda's attempt to give its crossover lineup some mud on its boots. Introduced for the 2023 model year, it is built in Huntsville, Alabama, at the plant Mazda shares with Toyota, and was designed with American buyers in mind. It is lower, longer and wider than the CX-5, with rugged body cladding, a roof designed for carrying gear and a Mi-Drive system with an off-road mode for gravel roads and trailheads.

Reviewers have praised its handling, standard all-wheel drive and handsome, outdoorsy styling, while noting that its ride is firm and its rear seat and cargo space are a bit tight for its footprint. A turbocharged engine gives it genuine pace, and a hybrid version, using a system borrowed from Toyota, added fuel economy that its gasoline-only versions lacked. That collaboration shows how Mazda, a relatively small carmaker, is leaning on partnerships to fill gaps in its technology.

The CX-50 competes with the Subaru Outback and Forester, the Toyota RAV4 including its Woodland and TRD versions, the Honda CR-V TrailSport and the Ford Bronco Sport. Within Mazda it sits alongside the CX-5 rather than above it, and has recently been outselling the newer CX-5 in the United States. This page follows that rivalry, along with reviews, pricing, recalls, the Alabama factory's news and Mazda's monthly sales reports, which lately have told a story of the upstart beating the incumbent.