- The Mazda CX-50 offers a premium experience at an affordable price
- The 2025 Mazda CX-50 has a starting MSRP of $31,920 | Price it your way
- On sale now | See Mazda CX-50 models for sale near you
Mechanically similar to the Mazda CX-5 but with a slightly larger footprint and more rugged vibe, the Mazda CX-50 provides brand aficionados with something Mazda isn’t really known for: The ability to head off-road.
It’s not intended to traverse the harshest environments, but with standard all-wheel drive (AWD) and an off-road drive mode, you can go far from the madding crowd easily. Even if you never venture off the pavement, the CX-50 works well as a comfortable, practical daily driver. Let’s check out the inside of the CX-50.
Passenger Room and Comfort
Despite having slightly less total cargo space than the CX-5, the CX-50 is competitive with many vehicles in the compact SUV segment, and offers good room for passengers to get comfortable. Front headroom measures 39.1 inches, and the legroom extends to 41.7 inches, competitive for the class.
The seats are well-cushioned and comfortable, which is important now that Mazda makes a vehicle you can take on less-refined roads. Now, whether those seats are covered in leatherette or natural leather, you’ll be able to enjoy the ride. Rear occupants are treated to an ample 39.8 inches of legroom and 38.6 inches of headroom.
Features and Tech
Standard features start with half-leatherette seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear selector, a 10.25-inch full-color center display, dual-zone automatic climate control with pollen filter and rear-seat vents, 60/40-split rear seat with a remote fold-down handle, a rear center armrest with two cupholders, and HD Radio.
The standard infotainment system is Mazda Connect, and it comes with 8-speaker audio, Bluetooth, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and, as the name implies, a host of connected services like Wi-Fi and location and emergency services. Dual USB ports appear in the front and rear. The Preferred trim adds 3-level heated front seats with an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, including lumbar, heated mirrors, and a power liftgate with programmable height.
As you move up the trim levels, the CX-50 enters near-luxury SUV territory with an available Bose 12-speaker premium audio system, SiriusXM, a wireless phone charger, and a power-sliding panoramic moonroof. Additionally, an auto-dimming review mirror with HomeLink, leather seats, dual-position driver’s seat memory, 6-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, a head-up display, and ventilated front seats can all be had in the upper echelons.
Materials and Design
Mazda really delivers when it comes to the cabin, starting with leatherette trim standard, while the 2.5 S Premium Plus and higher trims go full leather. The cabin is filled with aesthetically pleasing, plush surfaces. Everything the driver touches feels nice.
The interior is simple and clean, but also caters to the driver’s preferences. You can control the infotainment system with a knob, but while using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, you can use touch controls like a tablet. All other controls are accessible to the driver and do not require a learning curve.
Cargo Room and Flexibility
The Mazda CX-50 yields a pretty roomy cargo hold with a respectably low load floor that makes it easier to load and unload. Standard 60/40-split folding back seats allow some customization of passenger and cargo space.
With the back seats in place, you get 31.4 cubic feet of cargo room. The cargo hold increases to 56.3 cubic feet with the back seats folded down. The roomiest SUVs in this class, like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, have nearly 40 cubic feet with the rear seat up and 70 cubic feet with it down (actually the CR-V is 76.5 cubic feet with the second row flat). But for most people most of the time, the CX-50’s cargo space should prove ample.
Build and price your 2025 Mazda CX-50 to see this week’s Fair Purchase Price, 5-Year Cost to Own, and more, or see CX-50 models for sale near you.