You’ll have a tough decision to make from the eight 2024 Mazda CX-50 trims, which are Select, Preferred, Premium, Premium Plus, Turbo, Turbo Meridian Edition, Turbo Premium, and Turbo Premium Plus. The first four get a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 187 horsepower and 186 lb.-ft. of torque. The remaining four move up to a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder that generates 227 horsepower and 310 lb.-ft. of torque, with a boost to 256 horsepower and 320 lb.-ft. of torque with premium fuel.
Regardless of the powerplant, all 2024 Mazda CX-50 models are equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. Their towing capacity ranges from 2,000 pounds for non-turbo models to an additional 1,500 lb. for the turbocharged versions. In terms of fuel efficiency, non-turbo models achieve an EPA-estimated 24 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway, while the turbos offer 23 city/29 highway.
The 2024 Mazda CX-50 goes above and beyond in delivering a truly luxurious experience. Even the base Select is stocked with an impressive supply of deluxe features, from proximity keyless entry to auto on/off LED headlights. It also gets rain-sensing wipers, push-button ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, partial synthetic-leather upholstery, and a 7-inch LCD gauge cluster. The Preferred is sweetened with a power liftgate, a windshield wiper de-icer, heated side mirrors, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and heated front seats. You can select the Premium for even more, including a panoramic moonroof and wireless phone charging, while the Premium Plus is boosted with ventilated front seats, full leather upholstery, power-folding side mirrors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink, position memory for the driver’s seat, a power-adjustable front passenger’s seat, and a head-up display.
While the Turbo forgoes some of the elegant attributes listed for the Premium Plus (the power-folding side mirrors, ventilated front seats, and head-up display), it gains an adaptive front lighting system, paddle shifters, and red interior contrast stitching. The Turbo Meridian Edition flaunts a few unique design elements, such as a special hood graphic, side rocker garnish, and terracotta-colored leather seats. Building on the regular Turbo, the Turbo Premium gets ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, power-folding side mirrors with memory, and a head-up display. The Turbo Premium Plus sits at the peak of the lineup and punctuates its equipment list with heated rear seats, an auto-dimming driver’s side mirror, and a frameless auto-dimming rearview mirror.
The 2024 Mazda CX-50 is outfitted with a standard slate of premium safety technologies, including adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, driver attention alert, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking. In the Turbo Premium Plus, your safety potential will be maximized by a surround-view monitor, front and rear parking sensors, traffic jam assist, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot assist, and reverse automatic braking.
The default infotainment system in the 2024 Mazda CX-50 consists of a 10.25-inch display with wireless Apple CarPlay, plug-in Android Auto, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, HD radio, voice recognition, and an 8-speaker sound system. The Premium and Premium Plus raise the in-car entertainment stakes with SiriusXM satellite radio and a high-end 12-speaker Bose audio system.
While the Turbo and Turbo Meridian Edition revert to the base infotainment setup, the Turbo Premium and Turbo Premium Plus get the heightened multimedia system. For added convenience, the Turbo Premium Plus also has built-in navigation. A 3-year trial of Mazda Connected Services is provided across all trims to enhance the ownership experience.