Compare the2023 Mazda CX-50VS 2023 Honda CR-V

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-50. But it costs extra on the CR-V.

The CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus has a standard 360° Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The CR-V only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the CX-50 and CR-V have rear cross-traffic warning, but the CX-50Turbo Premium Plus has Rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic.

The CX-50 has standard E911 Automatic Emergency Notification, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The CR-V doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the CX-50 and the CR-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CX-50 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CR-V has not been fully tested, yet.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. With 3 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mazda higher than Honda.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda above average in long-term dependability. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda fourth in overall reliability. Honda is ranked fifth.

Engine

The CX-50’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 7 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The CX-50’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 66 more horsepower (256 vs. 190) and 141 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

	CX-50	CR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	8.5 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	16.7 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CX-50 (except Turbo)’s fuel efficiency. The CR-V doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The CX-50 has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the CR-V (15.8 vs. 14 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the CX-50’s brake rotors are larger than those on the CR-V:

	CX-50	CR-V
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12.3 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	12.2 inches

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

	CX-50	CR-V
60 to 0 MPH	118 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	142 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the CX-50 Premium Plus/Turbo’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CR-V (245/45R20 vs. 235/60R18).

The CX-50 Premium Plus/Turbo’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CR-V’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CX-50 Premium Plus/Turbo has standard 20-inch wheels. The CR-V’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The CX-50 has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The CR-V doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-50’s wheelbase is 4.5 inches longer than on the CR-V (110.8 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the CX-50 is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the CR-V.

For better maneuverability, the CX-50’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the CR-V’s (36 feet vs. 37.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CX-50 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CR-V (8.3 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the CX-50 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The CX-50 Premium/Turbo’s minimum ground clearance is .4 inch higher than on the CR-V (8.6 vs. 8.2 inches).

Passenger Space

The CX-50 has .9 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more rear headroom and 2.6 inches more rear hip room than the CR-V.

Cargo Capacity

The CX-50’s cargo area is larger than the CR-V’s in almost every dimension:

	CX-50	CR-V
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42.6”/75.4”	37.5”/71”
Max Width	55.6”	54”
Min Width	40.2”	41.5”
Height	30.2”	41”

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the CX-50 Select/Preferred/Premium/Turbo’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The CR-V doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The CX-50’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the CR-V’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Honda CR-V is only 1500 pounds. The CX-50 offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

The CX-50 Premium Plus/Turbo Premium has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The CR-V doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CX-50’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The CR-V’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The CX-50’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The CR-V’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Consumer Reports rated the CX-50’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the CR-V’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CX-50 Turbo has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The CR-V doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the CX-50 Premium/Turbo is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The CR-V’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The CX-50’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The CR-V offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the CX-50 and the CR-V offer available heated front seats. The CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the CR-V.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the CX-50 Premium Plus/Turbo Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The CR-V doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the CX-50 Turbo Premium’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The CR-V doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

To direct the driver from any location to a given street address, a GPS navigation system is available on the CX-50. The CX-50’s navigation system also has a real-time traffic update feature that offers alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The CR-V doesn’t offer a navigation system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Mazda CX-50 and the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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