2026 Jeep Cherokee vs. Mazda CX-50 Hybrid: Not Your Average Hybrid SUV Test

Really? Mazda vs. Jeep? Sporty minimalism vs. trail-hungry ruggedness? What kind of buyer would cross-shop a CX-50 and a Cherokee? We hear you, but humor us—they may not appear to be in direct competition, but these two mainstream hybrid SUVs are transcending their traditions in interesting ways, and we think they’re worthy of a little out-of-the box matchup.

The 2026 Jeep Cherokee revives a storied SUV nameplate that has been dormant since the 2023 model year, and it returns to the stage as the first ever Jeep with a hybrid powertrain. The 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid represents change for Mazda’s SUV lineup, as well, with the '25 model year being the CX-50's first with a hybrid system. Which one would we choose for everyday use? Let’s get into it.

Mazda Vibes

As we said, hybrid power is still a relatively new twist for the CX-50, but the fact that it shares its powertrain with our No. 1 ranked Toyota RAV4 Hybrid should be a major selling point. While borrowing from a hybrid heavyweight Toyota was a wise move, happily, there’s enough Mazda in this SUV’s tune to set it apart from its mechanical cousin. The powertrain is good for 219 hp and some amount of torque that combines the engine's 163 lb-ft with the electric motors' 118 and 89 lb-ft (neither Mazda nor Toyota publishes a single torque total); with it, the CX-50's good for a 0–60-mph time of 7.6 seconds. No, it isn’t what you’d call quick, but it's surprisingly fun to bomb around in. It's efficient, too, pulling down 39/37/38 mpg city/highway/combined.

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The CX-50 Hybrid may be Toyota-powered under the hood, but it doesn’t handle like any RAV4 we’ve ever driven. The powertrain itself is smooth and quiet, and power delivery is linear everywhere but in the midrange zone, where it goes a little soft. The brakes have good bite but also exhibit some unwelcome stiffness underfoot, possibly a quirk of the regenerative braking system.

The CX-50's steering is predictable and satisfying, with a direct, responsive feel and nice weight regardless of speed or driving mode. Ride quality is similarly refined, with damping that smooths out the bumps just enough to make things comfortable, but it maintains a sense of composure and connectedness, aided by its AWD grip. If anything, we suspect the Mazda would be a much more capable handler with stickier tires under it. It’s clear a lot went into imbuing the CX-50 Hybrid with a sporty character befitting the Mazda brand, and that effort has paid off.

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Jeep’s New Hybrid: Incognito Mode?

The new-for-2026 Cherokee is a hybrid, too, but you’d be forgiven if you miss that part. There’s no obvious callout on the displays, no dedicated eco driving mode, no hybrid badging (hell, the word hybrid doesn’t even appear in the full model name), and when you pop the hood, the big, bold TURBO lettering you’re met with feels a lot like purposeful misdirection. On the one hand, this may speak to a traditionalism that Jeep and its customer base takes seriously. In fact, the Cherokee’s refined powertrain exhibits so little of the clunky character that often plagues hybrid vehicles, you’d almost swear it's gas-only.

On the other hand, because this is Jeep’s first hybrid, we’re left to wonder whether, or why, Jeep would want to play that kind of powertrain peekaboo (maybe it thinks its customers won’t want to advertise that fact?). Whatever the case, the "TURBO" doesn’t seem to be helping much. With total outputs of 210 hp and 230 lb-ft and a 9.4-second 0–60-mph time, the Cherokee is pretty poky and often feels overmatched when asked for power (Hurricane time, Jeep?). At least it’s no slouch when it comes to efficiency, returning 42/33/37 mpg.

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Fine, you may be thinking, but isn’t a Jeep always proudly its own thing? Don’t the Jeep loyalists dig the brand’s respect for its own traditions, quirks and all? Sure, but that’s just it—the new Cherokee isn’t terribly Jeep-ish despite boasting best-in-class approach and departure angles. It has an all-wheel-drive system with a rear-axle disconnect to be clear (though classic 4x4 Trail Rated models are reportedly in the offing), and it looks the part from the outside, with its blocky exterior styling and seven-slot grille. But jump inside, and you’re going to be pleasantly surprised.

Elegance … It’s a Jeep Thing?

Jeep has given its new SUV an interior treatment that’s, dare we say, downright elegant. Materials and finishes look and feel uniformly high-quality, and the way the Cherokee’s dash cleanly integrates its dual screens—low, level, uncluttered, and out of the driver’s line of sight—is something to be admired, even imitated.

Our only gripes about the cabin come down to the lack of obvious interior door handles—Jeep has gone to a button controlling an electric actuator as the main release, with a manual override tucked out of sight beneath the armrest. It's a solution in search of a problem, one that could be a potential safety hazard in a panic situation. Then there’s its octagonal-ish steering wheel, which is thick, lumpy, and honestly one of the strangest we’ve held.

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The steering setup the wheel’s connected to doesn’t help matters, either, exhibiting a general numbness and lack of feedback. Not that you’d really want to be hurling a vehicle like the Cherokee around corners, mind you, so we wouldn’t call it a big issue. Unsurprisingly, its suspension seems to have been tuned for light off-roading, which is to say it’s somewhat soft and communicates a good deal of motion. The brake feel is on the squishy side, as well. Then there’s its high seating position and seats that, though comfortable, aren’t very supportive—a setup that gives you the sense you’re teetering on them as opposed to sitting in them.

On the plus side, that soft suspension tune is to the Cherokee’s benefit from a ride quality standpoint, smoothing out rough stuff admirably and transferring very little noise or harshness to the passenger compartment. If you want a vehicle you can put on the highway, point straight ahead, and cruise for days in comfort, the Cherokee is arguably one of the best choices in its segment. The Cherokee’s driver assist tech only helps matters—it comes with Jeep’s lane keep assist, adaptive cruise, and driver attention monitor systems, among many other available features.

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Mazda Keeps Doing Its Own Thing

A Mazda is its own thing, too, of course, with a carefully honed reputation for refined, understated design that prioritizes driving dynamics over trendy tech. Those values are on full display in the CX-50’s cabin. It's well appointed, if a bit snug inside, with materials that look and feel good throughout. Everything’s simple in a way you could call conservative, even dated, compared to the busy, screen-laden interiors you find in most SUVs these days.

For the Mazda faithful, this may be a plus, and you can see why—there’s basically no learning curve here. The CX-50 is straightforward and user-friendly in a way many contemporary SUVs aren’t. The driver display, with its three round digitally rendered “gauges,” is as analog-looking a setup as you’ll find in a mainstream vehicle. There’s a screen, sure, but it’s tiny with no touch capability—that’s right, you control things like audio and navigation with buttons and Mazda’s divisive, console-mounted click wheel, and the HVAC is operated by way of a center-mounted cluster that looks more than a little like the AM radio in your granddad’s ’63 T-Bird. (Except when phone mirroring is active—then the display functions as a touchscreen. We don't get it, either.)

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The Mazda is light on driver assist tech, too, featuring adaptive cruise but no lane keep assist—another reminder that this is not a RAV4. Is this a problem? It depends on your tech perspective.

Value Judgement

First, the numbers: The 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Premium, as tested, will set you back around $42,000, about $6,000 less than the 2026 Jeep Cherokee Overland 4x4, at about $48,000.

Now, what’s up with this matchup? You have a Jeep that gestures at tradition, with its hybrid tech on stealth mode, and it sports one of the nicest interiors we’ve seen lately outside of a luxury vehicle. The Mazda drives like a Mazda, with the kind of technological simplicity that almost reminds us of, wait for it, an old Jeep, albeit a nicely appointed one.

No, we’re not saying the Mazda does Jeep things any more than the Jeep can do Mazda things. They're very much their own machines, and each has its strong suits. But when it comes down to which hybrid SUV we’d prefer to jump in and drive every day, the choice is clear: We’d opt for the CX-50 Hybrid. It’s more fun to drive, and even though it’s not as lavishly appointed as the Jeep, it costs significantly less—not to mention it comes with a proven Toyota drivetrain.

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2nd Place: 2026 Jeep Cherokee Overland 4x4

Verdict: There’s a lot to like about the new Cherokee, especially inside, but it just doesn’t have the power or overall dynamics to be our pick here.

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1st Place: 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Premium

Verdict: We’d prefer to drive the Mazda in most circumstances, even without the tech.