2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid First Test: Wait! Don’t Get a CR-V or RAV4 Just Yet

You don’t need a Magic 8 Ball to predict that you’ll see RAV4 or CR-V SUVs everywhere on your way to work. The Toyota and Honda helped build the compact crossover segment decades ago and are joined today by a dozen other SUVs vying for a piece of that market. The attractive Mazda CX-50 is one of them, yet the lack of a hybrid option in its lineup left the CX-50 unable to match the two segment sales leaders. Until now, that is. Can the new 2025 CX-50 Hybrid tear away a few buyers from Toyota and Honda?

Signs point to yes.

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How Quick Is the CX-50 Hybrid?

Gosh, is the RAV4 busy. After ending 2024 as the bestselling SUV in the U.S., the popular Toyota is lending its hybrid powertrain to the Mazda CX-50. Joining the CX-50's Mazda-engineered 2.5-liter I-4 and 2.5-liter turbocharged I-4 is a third engine option: a four-cylinder hybrid with performance and pricing that fits neatly between the two other models.

At 7.6 seconds in 0–60-mph testing, the 219-hp CX-50 Hybrid keeps up with the CR-V Hybrid and is just behind the RAV4 Hybrid’s 7.3-second performance. The Mazda’s adequate acceleration fits neatly between the CX-50 base engine (8.5 seconds) and the turbo (6.7 seconds), but there’s so much more to this car than a 0–60 time.

For a compact SUV, the CX-50 is a blast on a winding road.

Our test crew said the 2025 CX-50 Hybrid couldn’t have been more fun in our figure-eight test, which you can think of as a racetrack in a bottle. The results support that. Despite being no quicker in a straight line than the competition, the Mazda beats the CR-V and RAV4 hybrids here.

The CX-50 Hybrid finished its figure-eight loop in 27.6 seconds at 0.62 g (average), which compares nicely to the Toyota’s 28.2 seconds also at 0.62 g (average), and the Honda’s 29.3 seconds at 0.57 g (average).

Put another way, this Toyota-engined Mazda mostly drives like a Mazda.

We say “mostly” because this CX-50 lacks the delicious snarl emitted by non-hybrid versions, which is part of the driving emotion characterizing the Mazda brand. Otherwise, the hybrid offers a similar experience to other CX-50s. The same communicative steering that’s heavier than most competitors instills confidence on the highway. And the ride quality is typical CX-50: you’ll feel more of the road than in less sporty middle-of-the-road options.

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What Hybrid Gives and Takes Away Inside

Fuel economy has never been a CX-50 strength, but that changes with the new hybrid. While its 39/37 mpg city/highway falls short of the RAV4 Hybrid’s 41/38 mpg, the new Mazda is approximately a zillion times better than the standard CX-50's 25/31 mpg.

Even better: The 2025 CX-50 Hybrid is EPA-rated at 551 miles of combined city and highway driving range per tank of fuel. Compare that with the standard SUV’s 445 miles, and you start to understand the hybrid’s value.

Then you try the back seat, and the outlook isn’t as good.

The hybridized CX-50 loses 2.0 inches of rear legroom compared to non-hybrid models, and headroom is lacking, as well, compared to less sleek options including the CR-V and RAV4 hybrids.

Like most Mazdas, the CX-50 Hybrid also falls behind in cargo capacity. Many Mazda intenders will see the SUV's 29.2 cubic feet as sufficient for most trips. The reality is that you’re looking at 5.5–7.1 fewer cubes than the CR-V Hybrid and 8.3 fewer than the RAV4 Hybrid.

Where Toyota and Honda Can’t Compete

Design and driving experience are likely reasons Mazda buyers pass by more popular brands, but we’d be surprised if safety ratings were at the top of that list. Even so, the Mazda is one of the safest SUVs in its class; where the CX-50 earns a 2024 IIHS Top Safety Pick+, the CR-V gets the lower award without the plus, and the RAV4 doesn’t qualify for either. The Mazda also performs slightly better in NHTSA tests, and one MotorTrend editor found the LATCH child seat hardware easy to work with.

Not what you’d expect, right?

In our testing, we found CX-50 Hybrid’s 60–0-mph emergency braking to be pretty good at 113 feet, a number significantly shorter than either the Honda (123 feet) or the Toyota (133 feet). Having said that, the ABS actuation proved particularly loud during that test. On the street, the brake pedal feel is fine if a little awkward just before you come to a stop (as it is on some hybrids), but it’s a small price to pay for the range and mpgs you receive in return.

Tech Highs and Lows

After a year behind the wheel of a 2023 CX-50 Turbo, I came to understand and even appreciate the way Mazda’s infotainment works. I liked that the standard 10.3-inch display tilts toward the driver and could use the many physical buttons without looking down. Not everyone at MotorTrend feels this way, so your mileage may vary here.

As the market progresses, we do see a couple feature omissions. We think loaded CX-50 Hybrids should offer a fully digital display and a 360-degree camera system as optional or standard. The latter is included on the highest CX-50 Turbo trim but not on the hybrid.

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So Is the CX-50 Hybrid Good?

We already liked the CX-50, especially after Mazda relaxed the steering and suspension tuning for 2024. Testing the new hybrid reinforces our belief that it’s a good addition to the family despite the sacrifices in interior space you make compared to some rivals.

We hope those who don’t care for the CR-V or RAV4 hybrids will consider this Mazda, whose greatest assets are its styling and the way it drives. But does it pose a significant sales threat to the Toyota and Honda?

Don’t count on it.