We‘re on a trip to Sedona Arizona and got a CX-50 rental car, which is a perfect opportunity to compare it to our 2023 XLE hybrid.
The CX-50 has the standard non-turbo engine and the “Preferred” package. It had 3800 miles when we picked it up. I was really looking forward to seeing what the driving experience was like, since Mazda is known for good driving feel and class leading handling.
First, the interior really feels much more premium. Soft touch materials are plentiful. It feels more cocoon-like in a luxury-enveloping sort of way.
The engine is a weak point. Compared to a Rav hybrid, it is soft accelerating from a stop, and there’s a big gap going into second gear where it feels like it shifts too soon and engine response drops to low levels. Any kind of freeway uphill makes it drop a gear or two and the engine is at 3000+ RPMs. So even though the engine is smoother and better sounding than in the Rav hybrid, it has to rev much higher in any condition requiring more power than steady state cruising. I made a few full throttle accelerations here at 4500 feet elevation and it feels like an 8.5-9.0 second 0-60 car.
It’s got the same sized tires as our Rav hybrid at 225/65-17. I can’t seem to find a TPMS display but there’s a lot of impact harshness that feels like the tires are at least 5 PSI overinflated. That hasn’t helped handling. There’s more body roll than I thought it would have, and transitional handling is not sharp. The handling feels no better and in some ways a bit worse than in my slightly modified Rav hybrid. Steering effort is higher but doesn’t seem to provide any more feedback. It just feels heavier for the sake of being heavier. The tires are Firestone Assurance and I’d say noise levels are equivalent to my Rav.
So far, we’ve averaged 26 MPG. On a similar road trip last year at roughly the same altitude and driving speeds, we got consistently over 40 MPG.
So, kind of mystified why the CX-50 has been so highly praised. Between the two, the Rav hybrid is a much better performing and more efficient vehicle that feels roomier as well.
The CX-50 has the standard non-turbo engine and the “Preferred” package. It had 3800 miles when we picked it up. I was really looking forward to seeing what the driving experience was like, since Mazda is known for good driving feel and class leading handling.
First, the interior really feels much more premium. Soft touch materials are plentiful. It feels more cocoon-like in a luxury-enveloping sort of way.
The engine is a weak point. Compared to a Rav hybrid, it is soft accelerating from a stop, and there’s a big gap going into second gear where it feels like it shifts too soon and engine response drops to low levels. Any kind of freeway uphill makes it drop a gear or two and the engine is at 3000+ RPMs. So even though the engine is smoother and better sounding than in the Rav hybrid, it has to rev much higher in any condition requiring more power than steady state cruising. I made a few full throttle accelerations here at 4500 feet elevation and it feels like an 8.5-9.0 second 0-60 car.
It’s got the same sized tires as our Rav hybrid at 225/65-17. I can’t seem to find a TPMS display but there’s a lot of impact harshness that feels like the tires are at least 5 PSI overinflated. That hasn’t helped handling. There’s more body roll than I thought it would have, and transitional handling is not sharp. The handling feels no better and in some ways a bit worse than in my slightly modified Rav hybrid. Steering effort is higher but doesn’t seem to provide any more feedback. It just feels heavier for the sake of being heavier. The tires are Firestone Assurance and I’d say noise levels are equivalent to my Rav.
So far, we’ve averaged 26 MPG. On a similar road trip last year at roughly the same altitude and driving speeds, we got consistently over 40 MPG.
So, kind of mystified why the CX-50 has been so highly praised. Between the two, the Rav hybrid is a much better performing and more efficient vehicle that feels roomier as well.
