Compare the2023 Honda CR-VVS 2023 Mazda CX-50

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Mazda CX-50 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear 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 CR-V 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.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The CX-50’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the CR-V’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The CX-50 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the CR-V and the CX-50 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Honda CR-V is safer than the CX-50:

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CR-V its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CX-50 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2023.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the CR-V for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Mazda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the CX-50.

There are almost 2 times as many Honda dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CR-V’s warranty.

The CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 3 more horsepower (190 vs. 187) than the CX-50’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Honda CR-V is faster than the Mazda CX-50 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V gets better mileage than the CX-50:

The CR-V 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.

The CR-V has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a CVT.

The CR-V stops shorter than the CX-50:

For better traction, the CR-V has larger tires than the CX-50 (235/60R18 vs. 225/65R17).

The CR-V’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CX-50’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CR-V has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the CX-50.

For superior ride and handling, the Honda CR-V 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 CR-V has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the CR-V flat and controlled during cornering. The CX-50’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The CR-V EX-L AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the CX-50 2.5 S pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Honda CR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 250 pounds less than the Mazda CX-50.

The front grille of the CR-V 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 CR-V 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.

The CR-V has 3.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-50 (103.5 vs. 100.3).

The CR-V has 2 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear legroom and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-50.

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

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the CX-50 with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 31.4 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-50 with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 56.3 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the CR-V easier. The CR-V’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 26 inches, while the CX-50’s liftover is 28.4 inches.

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

The CR-V 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 CR-V EX-L’s standard easy entry system 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 CR-V’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 CR-V 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 CR-V and the CX-50 offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the CR-V 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 CR-V 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 both the Honda CR-V and the Mazda CX-50, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The CX-50 has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the Mazda CX-50 by over 11 to one during 2022.