Mazda Explains Why It Thinks the New CX-5 and CX-50 Can Coexist
We could follow that logic, especially since the CX-50 offered some things the CX-5 didn't, like more room and a hybrid option. Now that the CX-5 is coming out with its third generation, featuring a larger footprint that brings it even closer in size to the CX-50 and a new hybrid option coming in 2027, we asked again if there were any concerns at Mazda about having two such similar offerings. Stefan Meisterfeld, vice president of strategic planning at Mazda North American Operations (MNAO), says Mazda is still not worried. Meisterfeld repeats Moro's points about styling differences, giving CX-5 a more upright city-cruising elegance, while CX-50 will continue to lean towards a more hiking and camping–oriented crowd.
Mazda
CX-50
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Mazda
CX-5
Meisterfeld's biggest argument in favor of keeping both models is the popularity of the compact-SUV segment worldwide, but especially in North America. In 2024, Mazda sold 134,088 CX-5s and 81,441 CX-50s. So far this year, CX-5 sales are maintaining that same pace, while CX-50 sales are growing, so clearly the CX-50 isn't stealing its sister's lunch money. Through June 2025, Mazda recorded 70,260 CX-5 sales and 46,914 CX-50 sales. Put together, that's more than 50 percent of all Mazda sales in the U.S., and that's with the current CX-5 being an aging model that hasn't been refreshed since 2022. The updated CX-5 will likely bump up customer interest.
Mazda may still have a ways to go to catch up to its competitors, as Honda sold 212,561 CR-Vs and Toyota sold 239,451 RAV4s through the first half of this year, but it's clear that Meisterfeld is correct that there is room for many models in the segment.
Mazda
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Mazda
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"We believe you can make a sub-segmentation of different customers with different preferences," he says. "So the CX-5, as you know, is designed more for this urban, sophisticated audience, and the CX-50 is more for the adventurous, maybe more rugged. We see that also from our customer traffic, that there is a difference in these customers with a clear preference for one or the other." He agrees that there may be some customers who are undecided between rugged and sophisticated, but feels that as long as they drive away from the dealership in one or the other, everyone wins.
Another reason why Mazda is keeping the CX-5 around is that the U.S. is not the company's only market. The CX-5 is a global bestseller for Mazda, so it's not such a risk to offer it alongside the more market-specific CX-50 in the States. Mazda hasn't announced 2026 CX-5 pricing yet, but says changing tariffs shouldn't affect things dramatically, which would keep it around the same cost as the CX-50. Still, it's worth noting that the CX-50 is built in a U.S. facility, which might be reason enough to keep it as an option alongside the imported CX-5, which is built in Japan.
Elana Scherr
Senior Editor, Features
Like a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn't know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars, but did not own one. Elana reluctantly got a driver's license at age 21 and discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant somebody had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews. In 2020, she received a Best Feature award from the Motor Press Guild for the C/D story "A Drive through Classic Americana in a Polestar 2." In 2023, her Car and Driver feature story "In Washington, D.C.'s Secret Carpool Cabal, It's a Daily Slug Fest" was awarded 1st place in the 16th Annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards by the Los Angeles Press Club.
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Specifications Specifications 2024 Tesla Cybertruck Beast Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup PRICE Base/As Tested: $101,985/$121,985 Options: Foundation Series (20-inch Cyber wheels with 35-inch tires, White décor, off-road light bar, premium accessories, Powershare home backup, Powershare mobile adapter, universal wall connector, Full Self-Driving capability, lifetime premium connectivity), $20,000 POWERTRAIN Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 276 hp, 320 lb-ft Rear Motor: induction AC, 284 hp, 544 lb-ft Combined Power: 834 hp Combined Torque: 740 lb-ft Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 123.0 kWh Onboard Charger: 11.5 kW Peak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 250 kW Transmissions: direct-drive CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: control arms/control arms Brakes, F/R: 13.8-in vented disc/14.0-in vented disc Tires: Goodyear Wrangler Territory RT LT285/65R-20 123/120H M+S TO DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 143.1 in Length: 223.7 in Width: 80.0 in Height: 68.5–76.6 in Passenger Volume, F/R: 62/57 ft3 Front Trunk Volume: 7 ft3 Underbed Storage Volume: 3 ft3 Curb Weight: 6901 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 2.6 sec 100 mph: 6.9 sec 1/4-Mile: 11.0 sec @ 119 mph 130 mph: 14.5 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 2.8 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 1.5 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 1.8 sec Top Speed (gov ltd): 131 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 176 ft Braking, 100–0 mph: 367 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.75 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY AND CHARGING 75-mph Highway Range: 250 mi DC Fast-Charge Time, 10–90%: 50 min C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More Features and Specs
