Small SUV Comparison Test | Honda CR-V vs. Kia Sportage vs. Mazda CX-50

It already feels like it is going to be a hot, hot summer. And you know, when it's a scorcher out, there's nothing like having your favorite kind of ice cream as the perfect Anadol. So good. But what happens when your favorite flavor gets a little competition? Well, that's essentially what we have going on today with these three small SUVs. Hey, what's up? I'm Laura McKay from Edmunds. A fan favorite flavor. Say that 10 times fast. Especially among young professionals and couples, the Honda CR-V has two new competitors on the market. And in this video, we're going to see how they match up. Which vehicle is the best family vehicle for you? While also reminding you why the CR-V is usually our flavor of choice. And my buddy Ryan Zmullen is here with me to talk all things cars. Ryan, are you ready for this? Lauren, I got my ice cream. I'm ready to go. Let's do this. Do it. But first, don't wait. Go ahead right now and hit that like and subscribe button so you can catch all of our videos. And if you're in the market, head over to edmunds.com slash sell my car so you can get a cash offer today. When people ask you about your favorite flavor, the inevitable comes next. Why? So here's why we and so many others love the CR-V. And let's just be clear, this isn't just affection here. This is cold, hard facts as it's our top rated small SUV. And it's been that way for years. For what you get, it's incredibly cost efficient. It ranges anywhere between $28,000 and $38,000. Not bad at all. We've bought and owned a few CR-Vs over the years ourselves. You can go check out the videos we did on it a while back. Now I should note that this is the current and outgoing generation of the CR-V. They are coming up with a new one and it's a full redesign. We got a little peek at it. You can check out Alistair's video on that. So overall, it's practical, fuel efficient, has exceptional cargo space and so much more, which totally makes sense why it came in at number three as the best selling car in the world last year. Well said Lauren. And no doubt the CR-V makes a really strong case. But I want to take a minute and talk about the Kia Sportage over there. It's a 2023 model and it's been fully redesigned. Not only that, but this is the fifth generation of the Sportage. So it's been around a little while now. It also comes at a good price. It ranges between almost $27,000 and $38,000. So it's not too far off from the CR-V. But here's the main thing with the new Sportage. A few years ago, Kia hit an absolute home run with the Telluride. And it's been our Edmunds top rated SUV for three years in a row. Now, some of those features from the Telluride had been trickling down into other Kia models. So if the Sportage got some of that DNA, it could pose a serious threat here. All right, Ryan, I feel you. You make some good points. And Kia has been stepping it up. Definitely. Who's also stepping up. Well, actually stepping out is Mazda with this brand new CX-50. Not to be confused with the CX-5, though they're very similar. You could think of them as like first cousins. That works. First cousins. Yeah. Yeah. It is a little pricier than both the CR-V and Sportage, ranging between $28,000 and $43,000. But we have a bit of a sweet spot for Mazda's because their M.O. usually consists of some sporty performance flair in their vehicles. And that's one thing that we really like. So, Ryan, we have one that has a very established rep, another that's trying to enhance its rep a bit. Yes. And the other that's trying to build a new rep. Definitely. And the only way we're still talking ice cream, right? Of course. OK, to know which flavor we like the best is to do a deeper dive. While we love the Honda CR-V, its engine isn't our favorite of the bunch here. A turbocharged 1.5 liter and it's plenty competent, maybe even a little quick. But speed is not why you buy a CR-V. That little engine makes 190 horsepower and it's sent through a continuously variable transmission or CVT, which we don't usually like. But this one isn't bad. And the whole experience feels smooth and consistent. We've tested one just like this It gets the job done. The CR-V is EPA rated at 30 MPG combined for front wheel drive models and 29 MPG for all wheel drive versions like this one. But depending on how you drive, you can beat it pretty easily. In fact, on our evaluation loop, we registered over 35 MPG in 115 miles. Wow. The Mazda CX-50, on the other hand, is a delight. The base 2.5 liter four cylinder engine makes 187 horsepower. But our tester is the optional turbocharged version, and that baby has 256 horses. Get the turbo and you get a clear emphasis on the CX-50 sporty nature compared with the Honda and Kia. We tested the CX-50 with its turbo engine from zero to 60 in 7.2 seconds. Mighty quick for an affordable compact SUV. But more than that, the power is responsive, smooth and happy to stretch its legs, reminding us why Mazda holds a sweet spot in our hearts when it comes to driving enjoyment. Now, as for fuel economy, the CX-50 is EPA rated at 27 MPG combined for the base engine and 25 MPG combined for the turbo. Quite a ways off from the CR-V. On our test route, it got 25.8 MPG, a little better than expected. But you can definitely have a trade off for that fun experience. Now for the sportage. Oh, sportage, sportage, sportage. This little guy comes with a 2.5 liter four cylinder under the hood, making 187 horsepower right in the same ballpark as the CR-V and the CX-50's base engine. So why is it so much slower? We tested this 9.6. That is awfully slow. And it's immediately noticeable. Not exactly what you want to hear about your new completely redesigned SUV. I know, you must get pretty great fuel economy in that case, right? Not so much. Sportage is EPA rated at 28 MPG combined for front wheel drive and 25 MPG combined for all wheel drive like this one. On our route, it came back with 26.4 MPG. So it's far slower than a CX-50 and far thirstier than a CR-V. Not exactly a stellar showing in this department. Here's a quick word on off-roading. Now, neither of these cars are what you would traditionally think of as off-roaders, but there is some extra capability here. So maybe think of them as soft rotors plus. For the Kia Sportage, it comes with 8.3 inches of ground clearance in this all wheel drive model. And that's not too bad. Also, in the Sportage X-Pro model, all wheel drive is included and it comes with these surprisingly beefy BFGoodrich all-terrain tires. There's also a locking center differential to give you extra traction and capability in slippery surfaces. That's not bad. And as we move on to the Mazda CX-50, now the CX-50 is only available with all wheel drive, period. And it's got 8.6 inches of ground clearance, which is the most of all three cars here. There's even an off-road driving mode to optimize traction and the drive settings once you get off the pavement. So if you notice that there's a little extra black plastic cladding on these cars, now you know why. They do have a little bit of off-road intention, at least more than your typical family SUV. As for the CR-V, it doesn't quite have the list of credentials that these two do. On the other hand, I've taken it camping, I've driven it through snow, ice, mud, water, all kinds of stuff. And that thing's traction control is pretty impressive through most conditions. It's just that these two take it to a new level. When they said redesign, they really meant re-design because this Sportage is a lot roomier. And actually Kia has increased the length and wheelbase, which now makes this a smidge bigger than the CR-V. There's a little extra legroom in the back and some extra headroom up here in the front. The tech inside of here is also pretty sick. Not many of its rivals have things like ventilated seats. That feels pretty good. Or how about a heated steering wheel? Now that's pretty nice. This would have came in clutch when I was driving through Ohio in all the winters. All right, and check this out. There's a blind spot camera right in the speedometer that pops on the second you flip on your turn signal. It's really easy to look at right in front of you. Not complicated at all. So yes, there are some really neat things in here. But to be honest, one thing that I'm not totally feeling is the storage space up here in the front. I check out this center console here and I can stick my arm through. There's not, it's pretty shallow. Not much space inside there. And then, yeah, they give you a little cubby here maybe for a little snack of almonds. But if I wanted to put my breakfast or my purse here, I wouldn't have the room. So I'm not really a fan of this storage space. Kia also added this interesting cluster of controls located right here underneath the center touchscreen. It works the climate, navigation, and audio, a three-in-one system, and a very clever way to keep this dash looking sleek. Now the one thing that I really care about is how I'm going to plug in my phone and get my music going, because that's what I need to really make my drive amazing. All right, so I'm going to plug it in. Let's see how hard or difficult this is going to be. Okay. Now we're talking. Not bad on the sound quality. Kind of gets me in the vibes. But here's the thing with the Sportage. You can either do a USB hookup or you can use your Bluetooth. USB hookup, very easy. Plug it in. Hit confirm. You're good. Now with the Bluetooth, there are a couple of menus that you have to get through to set it up, but the good news is once you get through those, it's your car, so you're hooked up forever. And Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard for not just this vehicle, but the other two as well, so you're going to be good with your phone no matter what. Keeping it simple, sticking to the basics, that's what Mazda has done with this CX-50, and personally, I'm here for it. A lot of cars nowadays are going with that sleek, high-tech cockpit like what we just saw in the Sportage, but no, not Mazda. They are putting the driving experience front and center and leaving all that techy stuff behind. Very similar to the CX-5. So this screen for the infotainment system is about 10 inches, which even in the most basic trim for this model, you're going to get a little over 8 inches for the screen. It's a touchscreen, which I usually like, but it's far away. It's not like the Sportage where it's right here in front of you, so then you're kind of forced to use this click wheel, which is just, I'm not a fan of. It's a little clunky and it's just not easy to use. Now, of course, I'm looking for a concert in my car while I drive. I'm plugging up with my cable. The awkward thing about this is if you want to use a cord, you have to go through the center console, which is just odd that it's there and not in the dash. But let's get into this music. Let's see how it sounds. All right, so yeah, there's sound, but it actually reminds me of if you look at a picture and you start to zoom in, it gets pixelated. That's what the audio quality feels like once it gets to a certain point and gets a little louder. So not totally my favorite, not a whole concert. But look, before I move on, I do have to say this interior is pretty impressive. So I'm 5'4", and usually headroom is not really an issue for me. But if you or someone riding with you is a little bit taller, it could be a little limiting. So it's just something to consider. Last but certainly not least is the CR-V. First off, the car door openings are nice and wide. I took it for a spin over the weekend, and my puppy Sunny, who's only five months and getting comfortable getting in and out of cars, handled it like a champ. Now sitting here, I feel very comfortable. I'm able to move the seat and wheel to adjust to exactly how I like it. And since I'm short, that's always a plus. Okay, ladies, this was the kicker for me. Where to put my purse? This center console, boom, fits like a glove, doesn't move around. And I know you know how much of a struggle that can be. Which brings me to why we love the CR-Vs in the first place. It's the space. You have plenty of space to put things and also plenty of space to put people. Hey guys. Hey. But seriously, its dimensions are generally larger than its rivals. The rear seats are among the biggest you'll find in a small SUV. And even though the Sportage grew, it's still not as roomy as this. The CR-V is just a fun, spacious, functional car. The biggest downside is this control setup. It's not very intuitive, and some of the on-screen buttons are just small and difficult to locate, especially while driving. The touchscreen menu for navigation is also a bit clunky. Hopefully they fix that. All right, Apple CarPlay time. Let's see how this works. The music quality is stellar. Definitely concert level, right? As Lauren mentioned, I know because I was back here eavesdropping, storage is one of our favorite aspects of the CR-V. It's huge back here. This is truly the CR-V's defining trait. There's nearly 40 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats. And you can even lower down the floor by a rung if you need just a little bit extra. Plus, just by pulling these handles on either side, I can easily fold down the rear seats. That essentially doubles your storage capacity. On top of all that, there's all that extra storage capacity in the front that Lauren already showed you. Now, when it comes to installing child seats, the CR-V is pretty easy to use. There are latches located between the rear seat cushions, which normally we don't like so much, but these are pretty easy to access. One thing you should know, though, is that where some crossovers have three latch points in the back seats here, the CR-V only has two. The only minor shortfall in this category is the CR-V's towing capability. It has a maximum capacity of only 1,500 pounds. That's enough for a really small trailer, but other small SUVs can tow upwards of 3,500 pounds. As for the Mazda, since we've got the turbocharged engine in this car, that means the CX-50 can tow up to 3,500 pounds. Now, for context, that's enough for things like ATVs, jet skis, and maybe even a small boat. If that doesn't sound like a whole lot, remember, it's more than double what the CR-V can do. On the downside, storage capacity is just not one of the strong points for the CX-50. It's pretty deep back here, but the ceiling is low, the floor is high, and it's not configurable. There's about 31 cubic feet of space back here, which, remember, is down quite a bit from the CR-V. You do have easy to use handles back here to lower the second row and create more space, but you're just not going to get as much here as you will in some other small SUVs. Remember, storage isn't all that great in the front, either, so cargo capacity is just not a reason to choose the CX-50, which is definite negative when you're shopping for a family SUV, of all things. And speaking of families, if you're putting child seats in the second row, there are easy-to-access ISOFIX latch points. Just be careful with the covers. They will get lost. Finally, there are three top tether points, so you can position child seats basically wherever you want. So that's one positive for the family aspect of the CX-50, at least. Okay, you've just heard me rave about how much space is inside the CR-V, but Kia must have been listening because they really came after it with this new Sportage. There is even more space inside the Sportage behind the rear seats than there is in the CR-V. Okay, only by a little bit. But still, that's a pretty big deal. It also has a nice low lift-over height, and the cargo area is plenty deep and wide. Now, all you have to do is pull on these little levers on either side, and you'll drop the rear seats. Plus, remember, there is pretty impressive space in the front. Storage seems to be a pretty big win for the Sportage. When it comes to installing kid seats, there are easy-to-find latches in the second row. Now, just like the CR-V, they're located between the cushions, but in the Sportage, they stick out significantly further, so they're much easier to access. There are also three easy-to-access tether points in the back here, too. And finally, when it comes to towing, the Sportage falls right in the middle of our three-car comparison here. Its maximum capacity is 2,500 pounds. Not really enough to write home about, but probably plenty for whatever you're using it for. Take the Sportage camping. Why not? Alright, so driving in the CR-V, it's clearly a fan favorite, and it's evident why. With me driving in it now, it's smooth, and the handling, the steering is very precise, and it's just really comfortable. I feel secure in it. I don't feel like I'm tossed and turned any kind of way. It's just a good, practical car. So when it comes to acceleration, it feels quick right away, but it's not a fast car. You're not going to be zooming around town. In our zero-to-sixty testing, it finished middle of the pack, so it's not super fast, it's not super slow, it's just right in the middle. Again, getting at that practical feature that it does have. In our testing, we found that depending on the driver, you can get up to 35 mpg. Now, I drove it around for about four days around LA, and I only had to fill up gas once. To me, that's really impressive. Alright, if I had to be nitpicky and pick one thing that is a downside, I would say the fact that I wouldn't be able to do much off-roading with this, like with the other two. So, Ryan mentioned that earlier, it's a little bit of downside, but the reality is, none of them are. Let's talk driving the Mazda CX-50. Now, the first thing you notice from behind the wheel is that powerful engine, which we already mentioned is the strongest of the three, and you can feel it as soon as you step on the gas. That turbo kicks in, and we're off in a hurry. We tested the CX-50 from zero to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds, which is awfully quick for an affordable family SUV. In fact, the CX-50 is just sporty in general. You can feel it through the responsive brake pedal, and you can definitely feel it through the quick and agile steering, which reacts just about instantly. This is about as sporty as things get for this class of crossover SUV. Now, there is a downside to that. I don't know that sportiness should be the first thing you're looking for in a family SUV, and the reason for that is there are drawbacks. You know, this really responsive steering also comes off kind of heavy and difficult to maneuver around at low speeds in parking lots and situations like that. It creates a lot of work on your shoulders compared to some other competitors. On top of that, that really sporty engine is also the thirstiest of the three here when it comes to fuel economy, and this sporty suspension, which helps the CX-50 feel agile and nimble on the road, can also be pretty stiff and unforgiving if you're going over rough road surfaces. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't always drive my family SUV like I'm in time attack or race mode, and any time I do get a little bit excited, if there's other people in the car with me, it doesn't take long for somebody to yell out, take it easy, Earnhardt. So just keep in mind that with this CX-50, you're going to make some sacrifices in the name of that sporty driving feel, namely when it comes to road comfort and general ease of use. Now, personally, that's a trade-off I'm willing to make because it's just that fun to drive, but it's a question you should ask yourself, definitely. All right, so we're in the Kia Sportage, and just right off the top here, unfortunately, the engine. You can feel that it lacks power just right off the top as you're driving. I literally feel like I have to push heavy-footed on this pedal just to get enough acceleration to speed up, and that's what we're finding is really difficult and sort of a downfall of the engine in general with the Sportage. It just is anemic in power. So let me give you a scenario just to put it in real-world context. When you're trying to pass someone on the freeway to change lanes, it's quite difficult. I'm finding that I'm ending up having to use the brake and just slow down and fall back instead of using the gas to accelerate because it's just too slow. Now, that's especially true here in LA. Unless the person is really nice, it happens, but rarely. All that being said, the ride is relatively smooth. If you're just going from A to B, you're going to stay around in the city, in the neighborhood, maybe drop the kids off at school, go to grocery stores, and there are some pluses inside. Love the interior. The tech is really cool. So it is going to be a decent ride. It's just when you want that power, and if you want that power, it just lacks in that area. So that's definitely something to consider. The overall ride, if you keep it simple, isn't bad. So overall, the Sportage and the CX-50 have definite pros and cons. I think that's clear, but they're also holding their own against the CR-V. But is it enough is the question. Yeah, here's the thing. There are just so many things to like about the CR-V, and that makes it really hard to beat. I mean, you get all that space and great fuel economy at a pretty solid price too. And on top of that, there's a fully redesigned model that's coming out any day now. That's fair. But it looks like we actually do have a winner. Yes, Ryan, indeed we do. Now listen, the CX-50 came very close. It's really the luxury interior that it has and the driving experience that put it very close. But the CR-V is still king because overall, it's just a good practical family car. For sure. And that's what we promised you we would bring you. So I guess this is the end of the video, huh? I guess so. I'm out of ice cream. What about you? I'm out, actually. I'm just scraping. Cheers. We deserved it. We do. Cheers, Lauren. Thanks for watching.