2026 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid: The little Mazda SUV gets a fun-ectomy
For everyone tired of spirited driving and enjoyable handling, here’s some dullness for a change of pace. Or maybe Mr. Driver's Seat is being cranky.
2026 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Premium Plus vs. 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL: Two kinds of hybrids to save us some fuel.
This week: Mazda CX-50 Hybrid
Price: $43,655 as tested
What others are saying: “Highs: Thriftier with fuel than the standard CX-50, near-luxury interior, remains enjoyable to drive in hybrid form. Lows: Sub-par cargo space, continuously variable transmission’s droning,” says Car and Driver.
What Mazda is saying: “Refined performance to go farther and experience more.”
Reality: Slower than more fun versions of the CX-50. Maybe the efficiency will pay off?
What’s new: The CX-50 Hybrid kicked off in 2025, so not much to report in this department.
Mr. Driver’s Seat actually reviewed that model year as well, and worried he’d be rehashing the same old ground this time, but the differences between the two model years make both reviews worth a reader’s time.
Competition: This is a competitive segment. In addition to the Outlander, highlights include the Chevrolet Equinox, Dodge Hornet, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, and Toyota RAV4.
Up to speed: The 4-cylinder engine mated to the hybrid system is not going to win any races. It took 7.6 seconds to get to 60 mph, according to Car and Driver, not bad among hybrids but pretty pitiful overall, especially after boasting about 219 horses.
Shifty: The CX-50 Hybrid gets a standard PRND shift lever between the seats, but no ability to pretend-shift the continuously variable transmission; the addition of shifting might help the performance, or at least keep your mind off the slow ride.
On the road: The CX-50 is small enough and light enough that it offers some inherent fun as it moves around tight turns and narrow old roads. But, unlike other versions of the small SUV, there’s nothing beyond that. The power mode seemed to tighten up the handling but the vehicle still wanted to tilt quite a bit on corners.
The main surprise, though, was how nicely the vehicle handled PennDot’s vengeful limited-access-highway road seams. I expected a bump-enhancement feature a la the Kia Soul, but Mazda has tuned the vehicle nicely for the big ruts. It took U.S. 202 outside King of Prussia at its worst to upset the CX-50 harmony.
It has all-wheel drive, something the now-defunct Soul could have benefited from, so maybe that’s one of the keys.
An exceptionally windy day tossed the CX-50 around pretty wildly.
Driver’s Seat: The leather seats provided enough comfort and support to keep me from complaining about how firm Mazda’s seats can be. I didn’t take any long trips in this CX-50, but the comfort held up over days and days. I have taken long trips in other versions, and always felt just fine.
Mazda keeps a simple set of dials for the gauges. When I hear stories about those snazzy digital displays failing for a short time — or forever — I think “Holy repair bills, Batman.”
Friends and stuff: The rear seat has a pricey feel and is not too firm. Headroom is good, but legroom and foot room are just OK. The angle of the seat back is awkward and offers no other choices.
Cargo space is 29.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 56.3 when it’s folded.
The test model came with a cargo liner as part of the $390 Weather Package, and this is among the nicest I’ve seen. I had a similar cover in a Protege5 four or five cars ago and it really kept objects from sliding around as well.
In and out: The CX-50 sits up a little higher than the Soul, so aging hips and knees may not fully enjoy the entry-exit experience.
Play some tunes: Mazda keeps hanging on to the console dial and buttons that some complain about, but which have always pleased Mr. Driver’s Seat. It’s easy enough to get around, even when clicking though CarPlay. But if you do get tired of that, the 10.25-inch touchscreen makes a nice backup plan.
Sound from the Bose system is something I forgot to note, but it hit an A+ in 2025. I’d suspect I wasn’t quite so impressed this year or I’d have noted it.
Keeping warm and cool: Buttons underneath the infotainment screen controlled all the functions except for air temperature; those were handled by a pair of dials. It’s a fairly simple system with its own readout.
Fuel economy: Mr. Driver’s Seat can be forgiving of lackluster acceleration when there’s fuel savings to match.
But the Mazda CX-50 Hybrid is not ticking that box either. This little crossover with the hybrid power plant disappointingly struggled to break past 30 mpg.
It’s worth noting I drove a 2025 CX-50 Hybrid that averaged 36 mpg over lots of miles with various drivers. I guess as the old adage notes, your mileage may vary.
Where it’s built: Madison, Ala., with 65% of parts from the U.S. and Canada, and 25% from Japan.
How it’s built: The CX-50 Hybrid gets a 3 out of 5 for reliability according to Consumer Reports.
In the end: The CX-90 with a little bit of hybrid could theoretically be had for not much more (in a stripped-down version); it gets 25 mpg, performs a lot better, and offers three rows.
Next week: How does the Mitsubishi with that CX-90-esque “little bit of hybrid” compare?
