You can't talk about Mazda without mentioning the RX-7 or the MX-5 Miata. These sports cars put the Japanese automaker among the greats in automotive history. But today, Mazda is forging a new kind of history. Only second to Toyota in Japan, It has a vehicle model in every competitive car segment in the market.
Its presence is so large there’s a model unit for everyone. The most popular offering from its stable is the CX-50 and CX-5.
Jakub and Yuri of TheStraightPipes reviewed the 2023 CX-50 and the 2022 CX-5 to determine the best of the two.
While it might seem obvious that the CX-50 is of a similar trim level with the CX-5, it’s actually a stretched-out version of the CX-30. It’s 3-inches wider, ½-inch taller, 10-inches longer, and with more off-road capabilities.
The 2022 CX-5 comes with an updated headlight without plastic cladding around the wheels. The 2023 CX-50, on the other hand, has plastic cladding and a widebody.
But there’s a compromise. While the CX-50 offers more legroom at the back, it has minimal headroom compared to the CX-5’s high headspace and minimal legroom.
The CX-50 and CX-5 have the same engine and transmission across all trim levels but with different tunes. Its 2.5 S models comes with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine making 187 HP with the top trims packing a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine producing 256 HP.
All models come with a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive as standard. A hybrid version of the CX-50 will be available to compete with the Toyota RAV4 hybrid.
The 2023 Mazda CX-50 is also more expensive than the CX-5. It has a starting price of $28,025 with options up to $42,775 for the top trim. With these offerings, Mazda is looking to take on the Nissan Rogue, Hyundai Tucson, and Toyota RAV4.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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