2025 Mazda CX-50 First Look

New this year, the CX-50 gets Toyota's hybrid tech and improved fuel economy.

Benjamin Hunting | 

Jul 16, 2024 | 3 min read

Mazda 

The 2025 Mazda CX-50 sees a big fuel-economy bump this year thanks to new availability of a Toyota-designed hybrid system that promises fewer gas station stops.

Here's what you need to know about the 2025 Mazda CX-50 lineup.

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Mazda Looked to Toyota for a New Hybrid Powertrain

Mazda has expanded its hybrid offerings outside of the plug-in CX-90 flagship SUV by giving the CX-50 a new hybrid powertrain. This gasoline-electric setup, which is borrowed from corporate partner Toyota, consists of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine matched with a trio of electric motors that help give it standard all-wheel drive (AWD).

Total output is listed at 219 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque, making it a midpoint in terms of performance and pricing within the crossover's lineup.

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Mazda and Toyota are hardly strangers; the CX-50 is built in Alabama alongside Toyota's Corolla Cross. But the CX-50 borrows its hybrid tech from the larger RAV4.

Two other engines remain available in the Mazda CX-50. Entry-level models are motivated by a 2.5-liter inline-four that delivers 187 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque, while higher trims have access to a turbocharged version of that same mill that pushes out 256 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque, as long as 93-octane fuel is used; otherwise it's 227 horses and 310 lb-ft of twist.

AWD is standard across the board, and while the electrified drivetrain features a continuously variable transmission, the two gas-only entries are matched with a six-speed automatic transmission.

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Electrified Option Boosts Fuel Economy by 40%

The hybrid Mazda CX-50 is manufacturer-estimated to deliver 39/37/38 mpg city/highway/combined. This marks a substantial improvement over the gas-only models rated between 23/29/25 mpg and 25/31/28 mpg.

It's worth noting that the CX-50 Hybrid's fuel-economy numbers are lower than the 2024 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid's.

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CX-50 Lineup Stretches From $32,000 to $45,000

Mazda offers 10 CX-50 trim levels, a high number compared with rivals such as the 2025 Honda CR-V that's available in six trims.

The base 2025 Mazda CX-50 2.5 S Select is priced at about $32,000 including a mandatory $1,420 destination charge. Standard equipment includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity via a 10.3-inch screen, a digital gauge cluster, automatic climate control, synthetic leather upholstery, and safety tech such as automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and a driver-attention monitoring system.

The step-up $33,000 Preferred trim tosses in a power liftgate plus a power-adjustable driver's seat and heated front seats. It's also available as a $35,000 hybrid.

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The least expensive CX-50 2.5 Turbo is the $42,000 Meridian Edition, which comes outfitted with leather seats, a big moonroof, and a Bose audio system. The lineup tops out at about $45,000 for the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus with its surround-view camera system and front cross-traffic alert.

Gas-only editions of the CX-50 go on sale at the end of this summer, while the Hybrid model arrives closer to December.

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All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Benjamin Hunting

Benjamin Hunting is a writer and podcast host who contributes to a number of newspapers, automotive magazines, and online publications. More than a decade into his career, he enjoys keeping the shiny side up during track days and always has one too many classic vehicle projects partially disassembled in his garage at any given time. Remember, if it's not leaking, it's probably empty.