2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Review -- Sport in Search of Refinement

The CX-50 is known for being one of the sportier, more fun-to-drive compact crossovers on the market. The good news is that going hybrid doesn't change that. The steering is accurate and responsive and well-weighted. It handles corners well for being a utility vehicle. And the ride doesn't suffer -- it's stiff enough to be sporty in nature but not so stiff that it punishes you. Not even on cratered urban streets.

Also, despite what looks like an anemic torque number, the acceleration is just fine for most around-town driving and freeway passing.

That's the good. The bad became apparent shortly after the press fleet dropped the CX-50 off. As soon as I got on the accelerator, the powertrain got quite noisy/thrashy. The gas engine just doesn't sound pleasant or smooth when you dig into the throttle. It was quiet when coasting/cruising/using electric motivation only, but passing or pushing hard away from a stop light will interrupt conversation or force you to turn up your tunes.

I also got a bit of road noise on the highway, though that was less annoying. Wind noise, at least, wasn't bad.

I like the minimalist interior design, but the infotainment screen is a skoosh small. Mazda's rotary infotainment controller isn't hard to learn and works better than similar systems do in cars that cost two or three times the price, but it also can get a bit wonky at times. Otherwise the controls are generally easy and pleasant to use.

Rear-seat legroom is adequate but headroom is tight, at least for taller adults like me.

Materials above the beltline look and feel classy, but some downmarket feel intrudes when it comes to pieces that are less easily seen and touched less often.

Hybrids are available in three trims: Preferred, Premium, and Premium Plus. The Preferred starts at $33,970, the Premium at $37,400, and the Premium Plus at $40,050. Those prices exclude the $1,420 destination charge and the usual fees.

Standard features on the Preferred includes 17-inch wheels, built-in Alexa, 10.25-inch center screen, Bluetooth, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, infotainment, keyless entry and starting, power liftgate, USB ports, wireless phone charger, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, blind-spot monitoring, emergency lane-keeping with road-keep assist, lane-departure warning system, lane-keep assist, radar cruise control with stop and go, rear cross-traffic alert, rearview camera, rear-seat alert, and vehicle-exit warning. There's also hybrid-specific badging and cladding plus a "shark fin" antenna.

The Premium adds a power panoramic moonroof, black roof rails, black exhaust pipes, leather seats, satellite radio, Bose audio, power passenger seat, memory driver's seat, radar cruise control with stop and go and speed-limit assist, traffic-sign recognition, and auto-dimming rearview mirror.

Select Premium Plus and you'll add 19-inch wheels with all-season rubber, power-folding sideview mirrors, cooled front seats, head-up display, Homelink, and some unique interior trim touches. This trim drops the black roof rails and exhaust pipes.

The CX-50's is likable due to its handling, and the hybrid powertrain gives a nice fuel-economy boost. It's just a shame that the gas engine can be so cacophonous when called upon. I also find the tight headroom to be a bit frustrating, though I acknowledge that a) I am on the taller side and b) most rear-seat passengers will be children.

Mazda has the "zoom-zoom" part down when it comes to the CX-50, and hybridizing it hasn't taken much away. The CX-50 Hybrid is sporty and stylish and will pass more gas pumps than the gasser -- Mazda claims over 100 more miles of range.

A bit more refinement is all that's needed to take this one from "very good" to "among the best in class".

As it stands now, "very good" is still, well, very good.

[Images © 2024 Tim Healey/TTAC.com]

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