Compare the2023 Chevrolet BlazerVS 2023 Mazda CX-50

For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Chevrolet Blazer are height-adjustable, and the rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Mazda CX-50 has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Blazer are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Blazer and the CX-50 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Blazer the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 203 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CX-50 has not been tested, yet.

The Blazer’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the CX-50’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 5 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Blazer’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Blazer second among midsize suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The CX-50 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Mazda is rated lower.

The Blazer’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 41 more horsepower (228 vs. 187) and 72 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 186) than the CX-50’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Blazer’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 52 more horsepower (308 vs. 256) than the CX-50’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Chevrolet Blazer V6 is faster than the Mazda CX-50 turbo 4 cyl.:

Regardless of its engine, the Blazer’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Mazda only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the CX-50 Turbo.

The Blazer FWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-50 (19.4 vs. 15.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Blazer AWD’s standard fuel tank has 5.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-50 (21.7 vs. 15.8 gallons).

The Blazer has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Blazer higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Mazda CX-50 (5 to 7). This means the Blazer produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CX-50 every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Blazer, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the CX-50.

For better traction, the Blazer has larger standard tires than the CX-50 (235/65R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Blazer RS/Premier’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CX-50 (265/45R21 vs. 245/45R20).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Blazer has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the CX-50. The Blazer RS/Premier’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the CX-50 Premium Plus/Turbo.

The Chevrolet Blazer’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Mazda CX-50 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Blazer has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The CX-50 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For superior ride and handling, the Chevrolet Blazer has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Mazda CX-50 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Blazer has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Blazer flat and controlled during cornering. The CX-50’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Blazer’s wheelbase is 1.9 inches longer than on the CX-50 (112.7 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Blazer is 1.3 inches wider in the front and .9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the CX-50.

The front grille of the Blazer uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The CX-50 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Blazer uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The CX-50 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Blazer RS 4x4 is quieter than the CX-50 2.5 Turbo:

The Blazer has 7.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-50 (107.8 vs. 100.3).

The Blazer has .7 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front hip room, 3.2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.1 inches more rear hip room and 5 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-50.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Blazer’s rear seats recline. The CX-50’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Blazer has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-50 with its rear seat folded (64.2 vs. 56.3 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Blazer. The CX-50 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Blazer RS/Premier’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Maximum trailer towing in the Mazda CX-50 is limited to 3500 pounds. The Blazer offers up to a 4500 lbs. towing capacity.

The Blazer can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Blazer can be unhitched and driven around locally. The CX-50 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Blazer uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The CX-50 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Blazer has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Blazer RS/Premier’s optional easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The CX-50 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Blazer’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The CX-50 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The power windows standard on both the Blazer and the CX-50 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Blazer is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The CX-50 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Blazer LT/RS/Premier’s available exterior PIN entry system. The CX-50 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Blazer’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Mazda only offers heated mirrors on the CX-50 Preferred/Premium/Turbo.

The Blazer has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the CX-50 Select/Preferred/Premium/Turbo.

Both the Blazer and the CX-50 offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Blazer has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The CX-50 doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Blazer offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Blazer is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Blazer, based on reliability, safety and performance.