Does This Make Sense? New Mazda CX-5 vs. Mazda CX-50

These two SUVs, they're kind of the same. Check this out. Same engine, same price, same size. Look at all that leg room. Even the same manufacturers. That's a Mazda specialty. So how are you going to pick between the two of them? Let's find out together. We're Edmunds and we test hundreds of cars each year on the road and at our private track so you If you want to know which car, truck, or SUV is the best, then stick with us. This is the Mazda CX-50. Prices start at just over $31,000 to almost $45,000 for a fully loaded one with a turbocharged engine. But of course, what you'll actually pay depends on dealers in your area and that's why at Edmunds, we've got the tools that tell you what you should pay. Links for all the cars in this video are down in the description or just scan the QR code. Now the one that we have here for this test, this is a mid-grade Meridian trim, the off-roady one, and it's going to cost you right around $37,000. The CX-50 nails the classic Mazda balance of a premium interior and excellent driving dynamics, along with the physical controls and ease of use that we love in a car like this. But there are a few reasons why it's not for everyone. Most of the complaints that we have about this interior revolve around this portion of it, but the rest of it, I have to say, is quite lovely. The build quality and materials are great. Now this Meridian, it's not going to have all the near luxury stuff that you're going to get in the top trim, but for something in the middle of the lineup, this is really, really excellent as long as you're okay with cloth seats. Whether you're buying gas or electric, check out bumper.com. With just a VIN or license plate number, learn about a used car's history quick. Find out how many owners a used car has had, where it was registered, and more. To learn more, check out bumper.com slash Edmunds. Now just like Honda, Mazda, they pay really close attention to how all of their buttons and switches feel, and it's that kind of attention to detail that we really appreciate. However, these front seats, they could be more comfortable. Now in typical Mazda fashion, the driving position is perfect, but they're a bit firm, especially on the bottom, and so for longer drives, they might not be that comfortable. Now, small item storage, it's just okay. You're getting a pretty big glove box, but there aren't a lot of the same sort of clever storage solutions you're going to find in vehicles like the Toyota RAV4 and the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. Just a small area here from the cup holders and the cup holders themselves, they're not very big. They don't even fit our medium-sized water bottle in the center console bin. It's not very large either. Now it's time to get into the control scheme and this screen, and I have to say that if you like buttons, the CX-50, it might be your soulmate because there's a physical control for pretty much everything. Climate here, change the drive mode here, infotainment here, even a volume knob down here, but my favorite thing is this steering wheel because it's the perfect size. It fits in your hands just right, and these physical controls, they're all things that you're going to use pretty often, and they're very clearly labeled and in the right place. Don't change this steering wheel at all Mazda. And down here by the center console, you're also getting two USB-C charging ports and a wireless charging pad. I'm less enthusiastic though about this tech interface. Now we know, every time you make a video about a Mazda, people show up in the comments saying that they actually like using this knob to interact with the screen rather than touching it, and here in the CX-50, the screen is so far back that you probably couldn't reach it anyway. It can only be used as a touchscreen when you're using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, and the knob, it is placed well. It's very easy to reach for both the driver and the passenger, no arguments there. The control scheme isn't what is the problem here. The problem is this infotainment menu structure. Doing basic things, even something as simple as changing the radio station, it just takes way too many button presses, and it's a bit complicated to use. And God forbid if you want to use the native navigation system, if you want to enter in an address, it brings up this nice wheel thing where you get to pick each number and letter one by one. Thankfully, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are along for the ride, and they are definitely the play here. They're much easier to use, simpler, and their voice commands are a lot better as well. This is an area where Mazda could really stand to improve things, and that's something that they tried to do in the CX-5, which we'll see in a little bit. Enough legroom to do that. That's great. The CX-50 has a sneaky, long cabin. I'm just under six feet tall, and this seat is set where I like to drive. As you can see, I still have plenty of legroom. Now the CX-50 does have kind of a low roofline, so headroom isn't quite as generous, but I think most adult passengers will fit back here A-OK. You do have to watch out for this pretty big hump here in the middle, though, so fitting three across, it might be a bit of a struggle. Now when it comes to amenities, you're getting air vents and USB charge ports back here, and on top trim levels, you're also getting heated outboard rear seats. All that is good. One of our favorite features about this back seat is actually the rear doors because they open to almost 90 degrees, and that doesn't just make it easier to climb in. It also makes it better if you're going to install a car seat, and there's enough legroom that even if you install a rear-facing car seat, the passenger, they won't have to sit with their knees in the dash. Just one thing to watch out for, though. These lower latch anchors, they have covers, and they're super easy to access, but these things, you don't want to lose them, so you have to find a secure place to keep them. Behind the back seat, you're going to get just over 31 cubic feet of cargo space, which expands to 56.3 cubic feet if you drop the back seats, and that's super easy because you've got handles on both sides, and you don't even have to walk around to do that. Now, this is a Meridian trim, so you're getting these hard covers over most of the cargo area that are easy to take out and wash, but in most trims of the CX-50, you're just going to get carpet back here. Now, we like how wide this cargo area in the opening is. However, just like the cabin, it's not that tall. The CX-5, it's going to offer you more vertical space, so it'll be easier to fit taller items. Now, when it comes to towing, the CX-50 is quite good. This one can tow up to 2,000 pounds, but with that turbo engine, you can tow up to 3,500 pounds, and that puts it among the leaders for compact SUVs. Now, speaking of turbo, this one, it doesn't have it. This CX-50 has the base engine, which is the same naturally aspirated 2.5 liter four-cylinder that you're going to find under the hood of the CX-5. With that engine under the hood at our test track, the CX-50 took nine seconds to get from zero to 60 miles per hour, making it one of the slower compact SUVs around, especially as hybrids are becoming more and more common. Now, of the CX-50's three engine options, we think that this is the worst one. There's a noticeable delay to the acceleration off the line, and when you're trying to merge or pass, it takes a bit too long to downshift. The six-speed automatic transmission is just a hair too slow when you really want to get into the power, and so therefore, you end up driving the CX-50 in sport mode more often than you should. Sport mode should be for when you're trying to have fun, not for everyday driving because it tanks your efficiency, but it just feels better to drive in sport. Now, that being said, the rest of the driving experience is really good. I mentioned before that I really like this steering wheel. It's also the perfect size for driving. It's thin enough to really get your hands around. In the handling, that's a Mazda specialty. This thing is just more fun from behind the wheel than many of its competitors because of how sharp it feels. On a canyon road, this will actually live up to expectations. Now, that does come at the expense of ride quality because to make an SUV agile, you've got to stiffen things up, but that being said, the cabin, it stays pretty quiet except for when you're trying to get power out of that engine, and the engine note, it's not all that attractive. All the safety features that you would expect here on the CX-50, adaptive cruise control, blind spot warnings, lane keep assist, all that good stuff. I will say on the highway, the lane centering isn't great. You'd have a tendency to ping pong between the lane lines a little bit, but it all works just like you would expect. It's always nice to get behind the wheel of a Mazda after driving a bunch of other compact SUVs recently because it really reminds you of what this company does well, and that is put the driver front and center. Now, the CX-50, it isn't perfect by any stretch, but it has a very clear point of view and personality that we really appreciate. But now it's time to check out that CX-5 and see if new Mazda and old Mazda can come together. This is the freshly redesigned Mazda CX-5. You can think of it as being one generation ahead of the CX-50 that we just saw. Now, just like that vehicle, this thing has a very reasonable starting price in the low 30s, but this fully loaded premium plus version that we have here, it's not that much more expensive. It tops out at right around 41. And we're going to find out if it's just different or if it's actually better. Whoa, now that is a lot of screen. This is the biggest change. Mazda did it, folks. You wanted a touchscreen and now you've got one and you haven't just got a touchscreen. You've got one at 15.6 inches. That is the biggest screen that you can get in any compact SUV. If you get the smaller screen, which is standard on most trim levels, you're not giving up much either. That thing is still going to be 12.9 inches. Now this also debuts a brand new infotainment system for Mazda that was much needed. It's Android based, so you're getting Google built in. That means the native maps is now Google maps. And you're also going to get access to things like the Google voice assistant and the play store. So you can download apps like Spotify, Waze and YouTube right to the car. The structure of the system has definitely improved the menus. They're simpler and it's easier to find what you want. And having Google maps as a native navigation is a big improvement. The old one, it was very pixelated. It felt old. It didn't update destinations frequently enough. Things that Google is really good at. And we also like the use of the Google voice assistant because it lets you do things like this. Find a taco spot that's highly rated near me. But that doesn't mean that things are perfect. This system feels like it's lacking processing power a bit because sometimes your inputs will lag. And I also found this basketball game in the play store that I wanted to try out. And as you can see, when you swipe it to shoot, it's a laggy mess. However, the biggest issue we have with this screen is how it ties into the overall control setup for this vehicle. All those physical buttons and knobs that we like so much in the CX-50, they're just simply gone here. And basically all of that stuff has been jammed into the screen. The climate control, at least they're persistent down here. But the problem is, if you're going to put all the controls into the screen, the screen, it really needs to work perfectly. It doesn't quite do that. There are times when you press buttons and it doesn't really register and the latency can be a little bit slow. And that makes it more frustrating to use. These steering wheel controls, they're also a problem. What it does is it detects where your finger is on this pad and then responds accordingly, but that doesn't always work perfectly. There was one time where I tried to turn up the volume over here and it muted the entire system completely. And that's also a problem because there's no volume knob backing you up. And check this out. This vehicle, it has less than 500 miles on it, but oils from my fingers, they're already starting to stain some of the buttons and you can't wipe it off. We tried. I said the steering wheel in the CX-50 was pretty much perfect with the size of it and the way the controls were laid out. Don't change it. Well, they changed basically everything about it. Now you do get a camera button on the steering wheel, which I really like. Other than that, they've basically taken a vehicle that used to be one of the easiest to use and made it much, much more difficult just to do simple things, not to step in the wrong direction. Otherwise, materials and fit and finish on this interior are pretty good. The real leather upholstery on the seats feels soft and thick. And I would say that the front seats, they're more comfortable than what we had in the CX-50. The bottom cushions are still a bit firm, but they have a good amount of adjustment. So you can find a nice, comfortable spot to get into even for a long drive. And just like in the other Mazda, your driving position, it's perfect. Small end storage though, is still a struggle. Big glove box, small cubby there. These cup holders, they're a little bit bigger, but they're still not big enough to even fit our medium sized water bottle in the center console bin. You're going to wish for more space. Look at all that leg room and now headroom. One of our biggest criticisms for the outgoing CX-5 was that its back seat was too small. And a good way to fix that is adding four and a half inches to the wheelbase, all of which seems like it's gone to add rear seat room. So this is now just as roomy as the CX-50 with the added bonus of a lot more headroom because the shape of the CX-5 curves up higher. And as you can see, I could be five, six inches taller than I am and still fit back here totally fine. When it comes to features, since this is the premium plus, you're getting those heated outboard rear seats along with the USB port and the air vents, all the stuff that you would want in a back seat. Now the CX-5 has also added those super wide swinging rear doors, just like in the CX-50 and just like in the Honda CR-V, which we love. Installing a car seat here, very, very easy. You just have the same issue as the CX-50 where you won't want to lose these lower latch anchor covers. The CX-5 though, it does have a superior cargo area with a lower load floor and a wider and taller cargo opening. It's also got more cargo space behind its rear seats. And then once you drop those down, it's got about 10 extra cubic feet of cargo space over the CX-50. And it's also got those handy pulls in the back here so you can drop the seats without having to walk around. The only thing that it can't do quite as well is tow. It's only rated at 1,500 pounds of towing capacity. That's down 500 pounds to the CX-50 and also the old CX-5. The CX-5 used to offer the same turbocharged engine that you can get in the CX-50, but after its redesign, it doesn't anymore. Now it's not a huge loss because not a ton of people bought it anyway, but it does mean that this thing is quite slow. It takes about nine seconds for it to get from zero to 60 miles an hour and that puts it near the bottom of most compact SUVs. But what Mazda has done is they've changed up the programming for this six-speed automatic transmission. And even if the zero to 60 time doesn't really improve because of that, it does feel a lot more responsive. It's quicker to downshift on the street, so you just feel more connected to the engine. Mazda has also clearly changed this suspension with comfort in mind. The springs are softer now and that has improved ride quality. This thing is a lot more calm on the highway and it deals with potholes and road imperfections much better. But it does come at the expense of some of the fun, which is part of the reason why you buy a Mazda in the first place. There's a lot more noticeable body roll here in the CX-5 than in the CX-50 and because of that, it feels like the handling and the steering lacks the sharpness that we really enjoyed so much in the other SUV. When it comes to safety features, the CX-5 is basically the same as the CX-50, except it's going to add automatic lane changes. And we noted that on the highway, the adaptive cruise control, it likes to accelerate pretty quickly and brake kind of late, which can make for a bit of a jerky experience. So watch out for that if you're driving one of these. Now it's pretty clear that the CX-5 is Mazda's attempt to make this SUV more mainstream to give it broader appeal. But I can't help feeling that in that process, some of the secret sauce that made this thing special before has been lost. Before we get into value and share our verdict, if you have any questions about either of these vehicles or an idea of which ones we should compare next, let us know in the comments below. We do read them all. And if you've been enjoying our videos and find them helpful, we would ask that you give us a like and subscribe. That's a great way to help us to make more of them. This mid-grade Meridian trim offers a good juxtaposition to the fully loaded CX-5 that we have here today. Now at its top end, with the turbocharged powertrain under the hood and a price tag in the mid 40,000s, I don't think that the CX-50 offers good value. But this one, this is about what we would recommend for this vehicle because you're still getting a pretty high quality interior. We like that Mazda doesn't just limit that to the top trim levels. And with both of these vehicles, you're also going to get standard all-wheel drive, which adds to their value proposition. Now, fuel economy. This one, only 26 mpg combined. But if you want more, there is a hybrid version of the CX-50 that's offered, which is going to get you 38 mpg. And in an era where fuel prices seem to be climbing higher and higher, that's more important than ever before. Since these two are about the same price, the value for money, there's not much difference. So in the CX-5, we would also recommend one of the mid-grade trims. This premium plus is nice, but if you jump down to the premium, you'll save a few thousand dollars, the screen will still be pretty big, and the only safety feature you'll lose is that surround view camera. One other thing to consider about the CX-5 is it's not going to offer you a hybrid powertrain for now. A hybrid version is coming next year, and it's going to be with Mazda's own developed hybrid system. The one in the CX-50, they're actually borrowing that from Toyota. So with this vehicle, you're also only getting 26 mpg combined for now. But next year, that will change, and that might be the one to wait for. Now it's time to look at the ratings and declare our winner. And this ended up being a very close competition with only 0.3 points, separating the two vehicles. But ultimately, the win goes to the CX-50. Even though the CX-5's new screen gave it a big leg up in technology, and its larger cabin allows it to tie its sibling on comfort, its new control scheme held it back. The CX-50, it comes out on top because it is the better SUV to drive, and it held a huge advantage on X-Factor, thanks to its rugged styling and the fact that you get into it, and it feels different than any other compact SUV. As a quick reminder, if you're looking for ratings and rankings of the competitors for these two vehicles, or any other new car that's on sale, head over to Edmunds, they're all on our site, and we update them regularly. Both the CX-50 and the CX-5, they're hugely important vehicles for Mazda. Simply put, they need to start selling more of them to fund their passion projects, things like the Miata that we love so much. And in that context, what's happened to the CX-5, it makes a lot more sense now. They've tried to make it more mainstream in an effort to appeal to more people. But in that way, I think that Mazda has fundamentally misunderstood the assignment. I don't think that what we were looking for was less Mazda in their cars, we were just looking for more practicality, maybe a touchscreen, maybe some stuff to make it more livable. And while the CX-5 has done those things, it's also stripped away so much soul that it's no longer recognizable, and to me, that's a shame. Thanks for watching.