It’s not quite the “Zoom Zoom” brand anymore, but Mazda consistently churns out offerings that look great, drive great, and are priced great. And the brand continues to improve these vehicles, the 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Premium Plus being the latest example. Find out why in our review at Headlight.News.
With its long hood and short overhangs, it’s easy to pick out a Mazda in a crowd of crossovers. The design of the 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid looks athletic and powerful.
Like many other brands, Mazda’s shifted from a car-heavy lineup to a portfolio dominated by crossovers and SUVs. Unlike some companies making the shift, Mazda’s vehicles seemingly have gotten better in the process.
Once considered an affordable performance brand, it has morphed into an affordable near premium one. And now, as several automakers begin rolling back their shift into electric vehicle production, Mazda shows up with a slew of hybrids that are more popular than ever. The latest embodiment of that comes in the form of the CX-50.
Just introduced a few years ago as a mild off-roader replacing the CX-5, it became an immediate hit. With a wider stance, higher ride height and all-wheel drive capability, Mazda took advantage of a push by Americans to get to the outdoors, which was one of the few fun things we could do during the pandemic.
Better mileage, excellent performance
Now for 2025, Mazda’s pushing out a slew of new hybrid models, and the CX-50 may be the best candidate for the update. The compact crossover offered strong performance, powered by a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder that normally puts out 187 horsepower. Of course, the turbocharged version is the one to get, pushing the output to 250 hp.
The CX-50 Hybrid ties three electric motors to the existing 2.5-liter 4-cylinder and develops 219 hp. It also gets 38 mpg combined.
However, the hybrid, which ties three electric motors to the existing 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, develops 219 hp. It also gets 38 mpg combined, according to EPA ratings — significantly better than its non-hybrid sibling at 27 mpg combined.
CX-50 Hybrid offers over 100 miles of extra driving range compared to CX-50 2.5 S models based on the same calculation methodology as fueleconomy.gov. Another way of looking at it, you’ll save about $50 a month on gas.
Numbers aside, it’s a spirited engine that offers plenty of go when you need it. No, you’re not going to tear up the local curvy road as you might with the turbocharged non-hybrid powerplant, but you’re going to save some serious cash, and still have a vehicle that’s tight with little body roll, so you’ll always get to enjoy the joy of driving a slow car fast.
Quite the looker
Earlier I called Mazda a “near premium” brand, and taking a look at the exterior design will support that assertion. It’s a simple, but contemporary design that looks like it could take you camping or to the opera … or least a Doobie Brothers concert.
With its ample ground clearance, the CX-50 appears ready to take you off-road, albeit not too far off.
With its long hood and short overhangs, it’s easy to pick out a Mazda in a crowd of crossovers. The design of the CX-50 looks athletic and powerful, but also the length of the hood gives it a feeling like it simply cuts through the wind.
With its ample ground clearance, the CX-50 appears ready to take you off-road, albeit not too far off, but enough that you can be alone with nature. Mazda also offers plenty of accessories, such as a roof rack designed to hold camping gear, to allow you to do that without worrying how you’ll get what you need in the ute.
It’s the inside that counts
My “near premium” assertion gets further support once you slide inside the CX-60 Premium Plus. With heated and ventilated leather seats, which features an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with power lumbar support and 2-position memory and a 6-way power seat for the passenger.
Additionally, you get a one-touch panoramic moonroof and a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, so once you’re behind the wheel, you can simply drive and enjoy. The cabin is extremely quiet — until you unleash the Bose system, then it’s like a rolling concert hall.
The CX-50 Premium Plus is stuffed full of technology, starting with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as wireless charging for your smartphone.
The CX-50 Premium Plus is stuffed full of technology, starting with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless charging for your smartphone. Accessing the infotainment features is channeled through a 10.25-inch touchscreen. This is one area where Mazda lags the competition. Not only is the screen smaller than some competitors, but it also features a dial that helps you scroll through different menus to make choices. It’s tedious, onerous and a real drag.
That said, the screen is well placed and next to the dial that I loathe is the feature I love: a volume knob. It’s not on the dashboard, but instead on the center console, abutting the armrest. No need to reach around a steering wheel to get at it, just move your hand up a bit and it’s right there.
Carrying things
In addition to the all the tech stuff, it carries people and cargo as well. Second-row passengers get a better-than-average amount of legroom, and the 60/40 split bench seat is comfortable. It says it will seat five people, but as a larger person, I’m certain three of me would not be comfortable back there.
Three average-sized adults should be fine in the second row, where they have privacy glass and USB ports to charge their devices and control of their own temperature setting.
However, three average-sized adults should be fine and if it’s just two people, they’ll enjoy a relaxed space where they have privacy glass and USB ports to charge their devices and control of their own temperature setting.
The cargo space in the back is deceptively small. It looks big when you open the liftgate, but it’s a smaller space than what’s offered by the competition — but only slightly. Two couples could take a weekend trip together and have enough room for all of their bags — as long as they packed lightly. It would be hard for a couple to run out of room.
Would I?
Loaded with premium touches, offering great style and strong performance, the Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Premium Plus is a worthy competitor in a strong field. You can get into a non-hybrid CX-50 for $30,500, plus a $1,495 destination charge.
However, you’re going to need a few more pennies to get into our tester. It came in at $41,920, including the destination charge. And that’s on the affordable end of the range for the compact segment, when equipped at this level. So … would I get one if I were in the market for a compact crossover? You betcha.
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