Longtime readers know of my deep appreciation of the Mazda CX-5, the only one of the original CX line to continue (the CX-3 has been replaced by the CX-30, the CX-7, after a long absence, by the CX-70 and the CX-9 by the CX-90).
The CX-5 survives because it is seven inches longer than the CX-30 and six inches shorter than the CX-50, which was thought to be its replacement.
But the CX-5 is long in the tooth, now in its ninth model year, and it's time to switch my allegiance to the CX-50.
The CX-50 is everything I liked about the CX-5 in a more modern, larger package. The extra six inches in length pay off in cargo capability and the CX-50 is also three inches wider, making for more elbow room in the cabin.
On the 2.5 Turbo models like ours, the engine is---a 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder with 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. On 93 octane fuel, those numbers bump up to 256 hp and 320 lb-ft. It's all-wheel-drive. Figure on zero-to-60 times around 6.5 seconds, which is quick for the class.
That performance is combined with solid fuel efficiency---the EPA estimate is 23 city/29 highway.
There's solid cargo space---31.4 cubic feet behind the second-row seats, and 56.3 with that row folded.
And rear seat legroom is a CX-50 strong suit, at 39.8 inches.
The base price of the 2025 Mazda CX-50 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus is $43,300 without destination. And it is loaded: 20-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, a wiper de-icer, roof rails, dual heated auto-folding power side mirrors with memory, a power rear liftgate, power panoramic moonroof, rear privacy glass, automatic LED headlights with automatic highbeams and adaptive front lighting, dual exhaust pipes, leather-trimmed seats, power driver and front passenger seat, with lumbar and memory for the driver, heated front and rear seats, paddle shifters, keyless entry, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink, a 10.25-inch center screen with Alexa built-in, navigation, a Bose 12-speaker audio system, HD Radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a three-month trial to SiriusXM, four USB-C ports, wireless device charging and a comprehensive suite of active safety features.
The good news? It's an all-in-one deal. Just add $1,420 delivery, processing and handling fee and the bottom line on the window sticker reads $44,720.
That blend of performance, capability, practicality and a luxury interior is hard to find at any price. While $44,720 isn't cheap, it's actually about $3,500 below the average new car price as of this writing. Strong value.
