First of all, Happy Holidays Hoons! I hope the season has been good to you so far. I feel like Santa Claus would look good in Soul Red Crystal Metallic, so it was with that in mind that I got started with this latest review. I last reviewed the Mazda CX-50 in June of 2022 and noted that it was still sold alongside the slightly smaller CX-5. That was a bit confusing, and for 2024 it’s…basically the same scenario. Mazda’s best selling vehicle is said CX-5, so for now they are both available at your Mazda dealer. Is the CX-50 worthy of fully replacing the CX-5, well I’ve just spent a week with one so stand by for CONSUMER ADVICE!

2024 Mazda CX-50 Overview

The Mazda CX-50 is bigger in some ways than the CX-5, it is a full 5.7-inches longer, and the wheel base is 4.6-inches longer as well. It’s got more ground clearance too which is handy (8.3-inches vs. 7.6-inches). The CX-50 a bit wider but not quite as tall as the CX-5. That all adds up to a bit more cargo space (31.4 cubes vs. 30.8 in the ‘5’er) but no real gains in headroom or legroom across the five-passenger cabin.

As you can see below, the CX-50 has a bunch of trim levels available, and much like last year it’s primarily divided into turbo and non-turbo but there are some variations on trim level across each engine. We had a top-spec CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus on loan for the week.

Pricing starts at a reasonable $43,300 and our tester just added the pretty Soul Red paint ($595) to the bottom line.

Out the door at just over $45,000, pretty solid MSRP for a top-spec crossover. Let’s get into some details to see what’s what.

2024 Mazda CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus Inside & Out

I’ll start with the obvious (if you have eyes. And taste) – the CX-50 is a nice looking thing. In an era of over-designed SUVs, the CX-50 looks purposeful and dare I say elegant. The duct-looking design flanking the grille on the front is aped in the back and looks fantastic. A multi-spoke set of wheels (that isn’t black) completes the look. Criticisms on the exterior are minor, the hood sticks out a bit like a nose in need of rhinoplasty, likely the result of some not-killing-pedestrians regs. Still, overall it’s a good looking compact crossover, on to the interior.

The inside, well it’s…fine. It was a bit hard to get excited about it since for some reason it just feels a little old. Maybe it’s the lack of touchscreen, I’ve always had a disdain for any automaker that doesn’t let me just make my selection on the screen. Don’t get me wrong, the Mazda infotainment system and knob combo is way better than the old Lexus touchpad nonsense, but still feels dated. I’m also trying out the new 2024 Mazda CX-90 S Premium Plus soon which does have a more modern interior, so stand by for what’s next from Mazda. I did like that the audio volume control is still down next to the shifter, where my hand is normally resting anyway. It’s similar to the Jaaaag that I have so it was easy to get used to.

On the tech side, setting up apple CarPlay wasn’t bad and worked itself out pretty quickly. It didn’t even ask me to plug it in via usb first, I was able to just connect via Bluetooth and be on my way. Interesting that it doesn’t have USB-C, another way it felt a bit dated but every loaner I have lately has a different USB combo. Interestingly, later that week my phone ended up not being able to reconnect and I had to delete it and re-pair the device.

It does have wireless charging, which is great. However, from the beginning it began telling me that “wireless charging is unavailable”, then when I pick my phone up it shows that it indeed has been charging. I was never quite sure what is going on, but it definitely is a bit fickle when it comes to exactly where you place the phone on the pad as to whether it actually charges or not.

The CX-50 is a great option for small families, with decent rear legroom and pretty impressive cargo space. It made quick work of hockey practice, even though I feel like the bags are getting bigger every season of the CAPS Academy.

Out on the road the CX-50 is a joy to drive. I love the steering wheel, it’s a great size and shape and I like that the grip areas are oval and not round. It just fits into your had nicely. The 2.5L turbo engine sounds great and makes 227 hp and 310 lb-ft on regular gas and 256 hp and 320 lb-ft on 93 octane, so it’s got some giddy-up. The CX-50 also feels nimble, and at around 3,700 pounds is actually a bit lighter than a similarly equipped 2024 CX-5.

Summary

I think that the addition of the latest touchscreen infotainment system will help bring the CX-50 a bit closer to having a modern day feel. In the end, it wasn’t enough to keep me from recommending a CX-50 for a small family looking for an interesting SUV. It’ll tackle the daily commute with it’s fun-to-drive vibe and it’s got decent interior space for people and stuff. Plus, and maybe I’m getting jaded seeing how expensive cars are getting, at around $45,000 for the top-spec 2024 CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus it feels like good value too.