If I check sales figures, the Mazda CX-50 is not at the top of the charts for compact crossovers. But maybe it should be. It’s ruggedly handsome, endearingly comfortable, and drives like it was built in Germany. You can also get it as an efficient hybrid, with engineering by Toyota. All that, and it’s built in America with a base price under $30,000. Spend a bit more to get our luxury trim 2026 Mazda CX-50 Premium Plus Hybrid.

Compared to its siblings, the CX-50 is less of an art piece and more of a handsome hunk that looks ready to explore – whether that’s local galleries or light trails to a campsite. It still has curves in all the right places, but fenders are more bolstered, windows are more upright, and the grille appears wider. Black plastic protects wheel wells and lower sills per SUV tradition. Black roof rails and 19-inch wheels add distinguishing touches.

Move uptown when you slide inside. Like other Mazdas, there’s a very “designed” feel to details like silver air vent pods bracketing the gauge cluster, plush materials on the doors and red cross-stitching across the dash. Dual front armrests echo BMW. Minimalist dual-zone automatic climate controls put a focus on the driving experience. Gauges look classic analog, but are actually configurable flatscreens that underly a head-up display above.

I love the heated and ventilated front leather seats with their cushy cushions and bolstered sides. A perfectly sized heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, and dual-panel sunroof elevate the experience – as does the crisp Bose audio system. I think the CX-50 has the least frustrating version of it, but I’ll sing Hallelujah when Mazda finally dispenses its spiteful joywheel infotainment navigator. At least devices connect through wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and console charging pad.

Going further, safety is amped with adaptive cruise, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and blind spot warning systems. Safe exit warning keeps your peeps – kids and otherwise – from stepping into traffic.

Mazda had the good sense to partner with Toyota for its hybrid system that combines a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with batteries and motors for a robust 219 horsepower, 165 lb.-ft. of torque and 39/37-MPG city/highway. Of course it has a continuously variable transmission, but motor torque allows it to operate in the right range without buzzing and revving obnoxiously, clicking off 0-60 mph in a sprightly 7.5 seconds. All-wheel-drive dispenses with winter muck and trail yuck. In city traffic, it often runs silently on batteries and has an EV model to hold off the engine for short spurts. If you must, tow up to 1,500 lbs. I’d like it even more as a plug-in hybrid.

There is a certain German sophistication to the CX-50’s chassis, tuned for the perfect balance of wafting over imperfections and taking a hard set in corners. Just think it and place it. I dare say it’s the best in its class, very Audi-like, and if you didn’t know better, would swear electronic genies were conjuring the magic. You’d also swear the rear wheels are independently sprung, but nope – a torsion beam. Astonishing. It’s near magical whether heading to grandma’s or finding a fun road on which to unleash your favorite tunes.

It’s somewhat difficult to name competitors. A base price of $29,900, or $43,655 as-tested, puts the CX-50 against the Honda CR-V Hybrid, Subaru Forester Hybrid and Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, but its sophistication and poise are a match for much more expensive crossovers like the Audi Q3, Lexus NX and Mercedes-Benz GLA. It is truly a downtown crossover with an uptown price.

Storm Forward!

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