2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid First Drive Assessment

Finally, Mazda has a conventional hybrid. Mazda has just plugged a big hole in its lineup by adding some hybrid tech from Toyota. The Mazda CX-50 is now easy on fuel, so we put it to the test to see if that new engine makes the CX-50 lose its fun-to-drive character or if the experience is enhanced by the meeting of the minds.

Mazda finally got onboard the electrification train with its PHEV CX-90 and CX-70 (just ignore the oddball MX-30 EV), but before this it didn’t offer anything for buyers who didn’t want to shell out big bucks for the big battery. It was all about combustion.

Mixing Toyota hybrid tech with Mazda cabin and engineering know-how makes this CX-50 something really special. It’s a model that feels good to drive, looks good inside and out, and can deliver nearly 40 mpg. It’s not all roses, though, as Mazda’s touchscreen resistance and overly heavy steering make this crossover a little tougher to live with.

In short: Zoom zoom with sip sip. The CX-50 is the rough-road Mazda, trading a little bit of pavement fun for some gravel road comfort and competence. The new hybrid system just makes it better, by way of more power and less time/money filling up.

2025 Mazda CX-50 Review

When Mazda launched the CX-50 in 2022, it was something different for the brand. For the last couple of decades, Mazda had been focusing on on-road handling. Even if it was selling crossovers, it wanted to sell them to the kind of person who was also thinking about buying the MX-5 roadster.

Firm, direct steering, crisp gearshifts, suspension settings that stayed on the firm side of the comfort bubble, and low-profile tires that were more about cornering grip than being durable on gravel. That was Mazda’s core value.

The CX-50 changed that. Mazda wanted to appeal to the growing North American audience of adventurers. People who wanted to go beyond the pavement. It wasn’t intended to be a rock crawler by any stretch of the imagination, but the CX-50 was meant to be comfortable on a gravel road — to not shake the driver to death or rattle the vehicle to pieces on a forest road or the trail to that backwoods cottage.

At the same time, Mazda wanted to maintain at least some of that on-road performance. A tough rope to walk.

CX-50 Adds Much-Needed Hybrid Power

The big change this year is something that Mazda has needed for a long time. The 2025 CX-50 picks up a hybrid powertrain thanks to its partnership with Toyota.

Mazda builds the CX-50 at a plant in Alamaba it shares with Toyota. But while the Corolla Cross rolls off the assembly line, it’s the RAV4’s hybrid system that goes into the CX-50.

It pairs a 2.5L four-cylinder and three electric motors to make 219 horsepower. That’s more than the 187 horses of the CX-50’s base 2.5L four and less than the 256 horsepower of the 2.5 turbo. And yes, that’s three different 2.5L engines offered for 2025.

This is a powertrain we know well, because it’s been motivating the Toyota RAV4 for years. Like in the Toyota it uses an electric motor to power the back tires instead of a driveshaft from the front, helping save complexity and reduce the number of parts.

It behaves almost exactly how it does in the RAV4, with plenty of torque from a stop and a bad habit of droning on when you’re really on the gas. But, Mazda says it has tweaked the system because Mazda buyers expect a little more Zoom Zoom than Toyota buyers.

Mazda Puts Own Touch on Toyota Tech

A more responsive accelerator pedal and a Mazda-specific calibration gives the CX-50’s hybrid system a little more zip. It seems quicker to bring the hybrid system to max power, and quicker to rev. It’s also quieter than this engine is in any Toyota, and Mazda says it has put a focus on reducing NVH compared with its gas models.

Most of the time, it makes less noise than Mazda’s gas engines. It’s also smoother because there are no shifts to wait for.

38 Miles Per Gallon Combined

This system won’t interest buyers who were looking at the CX-50 Turbo, but it’s a serious upgrade over the standard engine — not just through the pedal but at the pumps. The hybrid should deliver 38 mpg combined, which is a big improvement over the 28 combined rating of the gas base engine. It’ll also tow 1,500 pounds, 500 less than the standard 2.5.

One quick note for buyers who were thinking about the turbo: To get the 256 horses, you need to pay for 93 octane. If you use the cheap stuff, you’ll only get 227 and get 25 mpg, making this model look increasingly appealing.

Heavy Steering Dampens Excellent Dynamics

Mazda wants its vehicles to appeal to buyers who like to drive, and that’s the likely cause of one of the CX-50’s biggest faults. To help it have “deft steering” and “great dynamics,” Mazdas get steering that is very heavily weighted. The CX-50 I drove, similar to some copies of the CX-70 and CX-90 have steering that is heavy to the point of inconvenience.

Needing to keep both hands on to keep the CX-50 pointed in a straight line on the highway is a chore. It felt like I was fighting with lane keep assist pulling me in both directions even though I confirmed the system was completely off. Parking maneuvers took serious two-handed effort to turn the wheel, with steering that felt like there was no power assist at all.

Mazda’s suspension engineers, on the other hand, have once again done an excellent job. The CX-50 has less body roll than its competitors, and when you’re not fighting the wheel, it feels very planted and stable in corners. By small crossover standards, this is a delight to drive, quick to turn in, and highly responsive, though it’s definitely softer than a CX-5.

Copes Well Off-Pavement, Too

It also does well in the dirt. I took the CX-50 down a trail I had been using to test multiple off-roaders that day, including a TRD Pro Tacoma. The CX-50 had excellent ride comfort on the trail, not tossing me around like its peers did. The AWD system’s use of electric power in the rear helped make sure I kept going forward when the front tires slipped, too.

Thanks to the hybrid system, it does have less ground clearance. The CX-50 loses half an inch versus the comparable gas trims, and that comes with equally small changes to approach and departure angles. Still, 7.8 inches is enough for what you’re likely to use this crossover for.

High-Class Mazda Interior

The cabin is the same as every other CX-50, with the exception of a couple of hybrid-specific screens on the instrument cluster and center screen. It’s a very well-put-together vehicle and has one of the more luxurious-feeling cabins in the segment.

You’ll find some lovely-looking seats in the CX-50, but that doesn’t mean you’ll find comfort. Mazda likes its seat foam firm and this model is no different. It also has a short seat bottom, so if you have long thighs like me, you might find the support there lacking. Usually some tilt adjustment to bring up the front of the bottom cushion remedies this, but the Mazda doesn’t have enough range of movement to fix it.

Please, Mazda, Use Touchscreens!

Mazda continues to insist on using a dial to control its infotainment system, a feature I’ll never get behind. This is especially true for making small adjustments like changing radio stations, which can take far too many steps. At least Mazda now lets you use the touchscreen for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, so you only have to use the dial for the parts of the system that are designed for it.

Yes, you can use it as a touch screen with the Mazda interface when you’re parked. No, that doesn’t help.

The HVAC controls are all real buttons, which is one big advantage for Mazda over many of its competitors. You don’t need to hunt through menus to adjust airflow, which is a pleasant treat these days.

Large Cabin Loses Small Cargo Space

Everything else is standard CX-50, and that means lots of space. The CX-50 is wider than the CX-5, and so it offers more elbow room for everyone as well as more space for splayed knees for the driver. Headroom is also generous.

The Hybrid does lose some cargo space, but it’s miniscule. Down from 31.4 cubic feet to 29.2 because of a slightly higher load floor. Remote rear seat releases in the back of the cargo bay help when you’re loading the CX-50, saving some trips walking around the vehicle.

2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Pricing

Mazda is skipping its cheapest grades with the new hybrid CX-50. It starts at the $33,970 preferred grade with heated front seats, power hatch, wireless phone charging, and most of Mazda’s advanced driver assists.

CX-50 Hybrid Premium, $37,400, adds black trim and black or red leather seating, panoramic roof, and Bose audio. It also adds stop-and-go traffic function to the radar cruise system, speed limit assist, and traffic sign recognition.

Finally, at the top of the list is the $40,050 Premium Plus trim. It has 19-inch wheels and shiny trim outside. It also comes with a power passenger seat, painted metal interior trim, ventilated front seats, and a full-color head-up display.

Adding the hybrid system will set you back an extra $2,320-3,400, depending on the trim. How long that will take to pay back in fuel depends greatly on where you live, as gas prices across the country are massively different. But if you’re looking at the standard 2.5L four, then this might not be all about saving gas. It could just as easily be about a smoother, quieter driving experience.

2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Review: Conclusion

When corporate speakers and executives throw around buzzwords like synergy, the Mazda CX-50 is what they’re trying to describe. The CX-50 hybrid leverages a serious value add from the rockstar Toyota hybrid system to give the company a seat at the table in the green economy and maximize its own core values.

What I’m trying to say is that the CX-50 adds the best fuel-sipping system around to what was already the best cabin and one of the best drives in the segment. If you’re OK with the infotainment dial and the hefty steering, this is one heck of a compact crossover for drivers who want to have fun on the mountain and on the paved mountain road that gets you there.