2023 Mazda CX-50 Consumer Reviews
MSRP Starting at
$27,550
Save as much as $1,349
Nice, but with a few caveats
ScottyD, 08/10/2022
2023 Mazda CX-50 2.5 S Preferred Plus 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
131 of 135 people found this review helpful
I’ve had my 2023 CX-50 preferred plus in polymetal gray for about 3 weeks now, and have about 1k miles on it. Here are my thoughts. The good: - Comfortable, even on long drives. - Excellent handling. Classic Mazda. - Build quality is solid. Much nicer than the alternatives at this price point. - Very surefooted. Haven’t done any significant off-roading yet, but zero problems so far on dirt roads and grass parking lots. - The dial controlled infotainment system has grown on me. Seemed weird at first, but it really is less distracting than the finicky touchscreen on my last car. - Plenty of room for four people, with a decent amount of trunk space. - The panoramic sunroof is a nice touch. Will get lots of use out of it once the weather cools off some. - Power with the base engine is perfectly adequate. The turbo would have been fun, but it’s certainly not a must-have for day to day use. The bad: - Fuel mileage has been kind of disappointing. Combined average (for me, about 2/3 city and 1/3 highway) struggles to break 24 mpg. Not catastrophic, but definitely under the EPA estimate. May try to feed it premium gas next tank to see if that makes a difference. - The Mazda Connect app is kind of awful. In theory, it should be helpful…but it doesn’t work consistently, and is slow as molasses even when it does work. If it were just telematics and marketing stuff, I wouldn’t care. But it’s the only way to use the remote start. Why couldn’t they have just put that function on the key fob?? - The road noise at highway speeds on some surfaces can get a little annoying. It’s not constant, so it might just be the OEM tires on rougher surfaces. But definitely take it up to highway speeds on your test drive to make sure it’s something you can live with.
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Fast and Sporty
JohnL, 04/12/2023
2023 Mazda CX-50 2.5 Turbo Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
My wife bought a 2023 Mazda CX50 Turbo Premium. We have had it for 9 months. We live in a major city and it does mostly city driving. We do not drive off the pavement, but we wanted some ground clearance, because some streets flood here. My wife likes cars that have good acceleration and the CX50 Turbo is probably one of the fastest in this class. With the Turbo engine it does become more expensive than it's competition which are: Toyota RAV4, Honda CRV, Subaru Forrester and the Ford Bronco Sport.The Bronco Sport was the only other choice that had similar HP as the CX50, but the Ford is more utalitarian and off road while the Mazda feels more luxurious and performance oriented. Here are my likes and dislikes. Likes... 1. We love how it looks from the outside 2. We love the interior design 3. Interior materials like Nappa leather while having cooled and heated seats 4. Acceleration and handling(very torquee engine) 5. My wife likes the wireless android auto 6. Panoramic Sunroof Dislikes... 1. Steering too heavy and I have owned sports cars 2. Lack of cubbies and smaller cargo than the competition 3. Glovebox not useful as it is a slot style so when you open it the things just fall out 4. The ride is on the harder side, but it absorbs impacts much better than other cars 5. My car came with an annoying rattle while new from the passenger seatbelt pillar that the dealer has no idea how to get rid off. (This is just specific to my car) 6. The most annoying to me is that the seats bottom lack cushioning. After driving for an hour, my bottom will feel discomfort, so we will never take this car for long trips. Keep in mind that your experience might differ on this. Summary... We really like how this car drives, acceleration, handling and we can live with a stiffer ride. We love how it looks inside out too. I can accept that it is not as roomy as other cars too. But the seat bottom being too hard and that annoying rattle is not good for me. My wife drives this car and she notices the seat being hard but it is more acceptable for her. She would not have any problems buying another Mazda in the future, but their seats are not for me. I think Mazda are a little niche, so make sure that they are suitable for what you want as there are compromises to be made for the extra performance that they offer.
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CX-50 Turbo Premium is a Quality Ride
Jim M, 08/31/2022
2023 Mazda CX-50 2.5 Turbo Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
44 of 49 people found this review helpful
Just short of 3 Mos ownership. I love this Mazda The Terracotta leather interior looks great. Fit and finish looks very good coming from the new US Mazda - Toyota Plant. The engine and tranny are from the main Japan plant, known for quality and reliability. Ride is firm but not rough and handling is excellent. Turbo has plenty of power and allows for up to 3.5k towing capacity. Turbo also has an additional Towing driving mode. The Interior is comfortable and quiet and the Bose 12 speaker stereo is excellent. The infotainment system is fine no issues, some like the wide screen tv touch screen look this 10” display looks more elegant. So far so good but no one can yet weigh in on reliability but if fit finish is representative of build quality it should be good.
hot red cx-50
HERB, 12/23/2022
2023 Mazda CX-50 2.5 S Preferred Plus 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
13 of 14 people found this review helpful
just became the very proud owner of my brand new cx-50 preferred plus in soul red,and i really like this suv.i really think some car owners are a bit nit-picky on certain things..i have the 17-inch wheels in black,which is what i wanted.i knew before i even test drove this vehicle that i didn't want the turbo,or the 20-inch wheels.mine rides smooth,and is quiet enough for me.i also have the standard 8-speaker stereo system,which is almost as good as the bose system in the hyundai i traded in for this vehicle.i do have a few minor gripes,but just takes getting used to..the tire monitor is on the mazda connect app,and so is the remote start.also,with the remote start,the vehicle shuts off anytime you unlock the back,or a door.also,you have to remember to set ventilation setting the night before,if you plan on using the remote the next morning.on the hyundai blue link,i was able to turn on my heated seats,and adjust interior temperature.like i said,just a few things,but nothing worth crying about.
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2 weeks in
Eric , 04/29/2023
2023 Mazda CX-50 2.5 S Preferred Plus 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Recently purchased the CX50 PFP non-turbo. Great value for the money. My 2nd Mazda, I had a CX5 a few years ago and mistakenly sold it. The CX50 to me looks better, rides as nice, good handling and adequate power and is returning 26.5 mpg combined. My two requirements were to reduce fuel costs and overall vehicle ownership cost. No issues at this point, although it’s only been 2 weeks. The infotainment took a few days to master and I do like the screen placement as I can see it without taking my eyes off the road. The center console controls fall right at hand and with practice become second nature. It’s not an off-roader but it can travel on gravel or unimproved roads with out issue. If you want a jeep, get a jeep. This is a great package add a cargo rack and take your bikes, kayak or paddle board on your next adventure. It’s 4 passenger, not 5, plenty of cargo room comfortable ride. Great looks inside and out. And great value with the Preferred Plus package.
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