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Auto123 is putting the 2023 Mazda CX-50 to the long-term test. Today, part 5 of 6, as we goodbye to the all-purpose SUV.
See also: 2023 Mazda CX-50 Long-Term Review, Part 1 : The start of something new
See also: 2023 Mazda CX-50 Long-Term Review, Part 2 : Dimensions, versions and mission
See also: 2023 Mazda CX-50 Long-Term Review, Part 3 : Fuel economy versus power
See also: 2023 Mazda CX-50 Long-Term Review, Part 4: A driving experience with multiple personalities
See also: 2023 Mazda CX-50 Long-Term Review, Part 5: We venture into the interior
After three months of daily cohabitation with “my” Mazda CX-50 GT Turbo, it's time to wrap it up. And give the car back. But not before we ask (and answer) the big questions. For example,
Where is the Mazda CX-50 manufactured?
The SUV is assembled at the plant that Mazda and Toyota have been jointly operating since 2021 in Huntsville, Alabama. Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plans to produce a combined 300,000 vehicles per year. While CX-50s are rolling off the Discovery assembly line, Toyota is spewing out its Corolla Cross from the Apollo line.
In case you’re wondering, for now, there is no exchange of parts between the two models. On the other hand, the hybrid version of the CX-50, which is expected by the end of the year as a 2024 model, will take advantage of the green know-how that Toyota has developed since the launch of the Prius in 1997.
Also in case you’re wondering, the last time Mazda assembled a vehicle in North America before this was the Mazda6 in 2012.
Lastly, because you just keep wondering, for their part, the larger CX-70 and CX-90 will be built at Mazda’s Hofu plant in Japan.
Who are the CX-50's rivals?
The first one is the model’s own stablemate, the Mazda CX-5. Then we have the Toyota RAV4, Subaru Outback, Subaru Forester, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Honda CR-V. Subaru's Wilderness and Toyota's Trail versions play the armored body card like this new Mazda, but the Meridian version of the CX-50 goes a little more mellow on the armor.
Can we talk about a connected Mazda?
Yup. For two years after your purchase, you'll be able to get to know MyMazda for free; the phone application allows you to perform many magic tricks remotely, such as checking the oil, starting the engine, locking the doors and so on.
Can the CX-50 be considered a luxury vehicle?
Now here’s a question! We’ll be enigmatic and answer with… another question: At what starting price do you start to label a model a luxury car? In this age of inflation, that’s a moving target.
I turned to Yves Varin, National Data Manager at Canadian Black Book, who spends his days with his nose in data to do with new- and used-car values.
“According to JD Power (PIN Network),” explained Yves, “the average asking price for a new vehicle in Quebec (where I reside) was around $49,000 in December 2022 for an annual average of $48,000. This is the price posted by dealers.”
“As for the actual amount spent at the time of the transactions, its annual average in 2022 was $44,000. In other words, $4,000 less than the suggested price, which is perfectly normal once dealer discounts are deducted.”
Now let's take a look at the MSRPs (without taxes, prep fees, etc.) charged per trim level for the Mazda CX-50:
- CX-50 GS-L: $38,250
- CX-50 GT: $43,200
- CX-50 GT Turbo: $45,700
- CX-50 Meridian: $48,200
Continued Yves, “Seeing these prices and to answer your question, we realize that the CX-50 is quite in the middle of the $44,000 range (in fact, about $775 less according to the equation $38,250 + $48,200 = $86,450 / 2 = $43,225). As a result, as soon as you sign a contract with a total bill that stretches north of the average, you can consider that you are treating yourself to luxury.”
My friend Yves concluded with a comment worthy of a car journalist: “You could say that the CX-50 is a very competitive choice in this segment considering its luxurious new trim and very dynamic driving dynamics.”
Why choose the Mazda CX-50?
Its strong points are obvious: the fluid and balanced design, the agile and powerful driving (with the turbo), the feeling of space on board, the quality of the materials and the care given to their assembly.
Among the weak points, I noted only fuel consumption and the infotainment system, both of which could stand improving.
Once full, the CX-50's fuel tank holds 60 litres while those of the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, for example, can hold 55 and 53 respectively. But since those two rivals consume slightly less fuel than the Mazda (even without including their hybrid versions), I found that I was visiting gas stations a little too often. Fortunately, the Skyactiv engine is happy with regular-octane fuel without grumbling.
I was also surprised that I couldn't partake in any semi-autonomous driving. Having the car warn me when I drift from the centre of my lane is nice - in fact, in this day and age, it's a minimum. But it’s a shame that I don’t get a more sophisticated system that could guide me safely and painlessly around corners with only a relaxed palm of the hand on the wheel and my eyes on the road.
On the other hand, I swear I can actually hear brand fans making the argument that you don’t get a Mazda for it to drive you around. You get a Mazda to team up with it on the road.
Granted, that fits nicely with the Jinba-Ittai philosophy Mazda long ago adopted, which implies that driver and vehicle are one, or should be. What's more, the brand’s KODO design philosophy suggests “the soul of movement”. Combine the two and you have a manufacturer that prefers to give drivers and not vehicles the reins.
Besides, Ahura Mazda is considered in Japanese culture to be the god of light, wisdom, intelligence and harmony. In short, He must be right.
The final word
Many manufacturers hope to evoke their vehicle in the minds of consumers via a memorable poetic-materialist expression. In the case of the CX-50, Mazda has chosen to see it as a "vibrant utility".
Makes sense.
How so? Because it implies that the vehicle is practical, as you'd expect from a crossover-like utility vehicle, but that its daily use should also tickle your pleasure senses.
In other words, the CX-50 is an organism that sends pheromones to drivers so they can have fun while being soccer moms or commuting to and from work.
That’s the functional pleasure angle.
Then there’s the weekend warrior stuff, so users can marvel at the green foliage of the forest while the CX-50 jaunts happily along difficult trails.
That’s bucolic expedition angle.
I'll be honest, the 2023 CX-50 GT Turbo can deliver all of those emotions and more. I'm now hoping Mazda will address fuel economy (which they will with the upcoming hybrid version of the CX-50), as well as ergonomics, notably in relation to the dashboard layout. As long as you're aiming for perfection and you know how to get there...
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