Compare the2023 Ford EdgeVS 2023 Mazda CX-50

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Edge have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Mazda CX-50 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Edge has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Edge 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, all wheel drive, 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 and available front and rear parking sensors.

There are almost 6 times as many Ford dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Edge’s warranty.

The Edge has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is rated lower.

The Edge’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 63 more horsepower (250 vs. 187) and 94 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 186) than the CX-50’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Edge ST’s standard 2.7 turbo V6 produces 79 more horsepower (335 vs. 256) and 60 lbs.-ft. more torque (380 vs. 320) than the CX-50’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Ford Edge turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Mazda CX-50 4 cyl.:

Regardless of its engine, the Edge’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 Edge has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-50 (18.5 vs. 15.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Edge 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 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Ford Edge as a “Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle” (PZEV). The Mazda CX-50 is only certified to “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV) standards.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Edge, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the CX-50.

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

The Edge ST’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the CX-50 are solid, not vented.

The Edge stops much shorter than the CX-50:

For better traction, the Edge has larger standard tires than the CX-50 (245/60R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Edge ST’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CX-50 (265/40R21 vs. 245/45R20).

The Edge SE/SEL’s standard 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. The Edge ST’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the CX-50 Premium Plus/Turbo’s 45 series tires.

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

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

The Edge’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The CX-50 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Edge’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the CX-50 (112.2 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

The Edge ST handles at .88 G’s, while the CX-50 2.5 S pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Edge ST executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2 seconds quicker than the CX-50 2.5 S (26 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

The front grille of the Edge 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 Edge ST 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 Edge Titanium is quieter than the CX-50 2.5 Turbo:

The Edge has 13.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-50 (113.9 vs. 100.3).

The Edge has 1.1 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom, 2.3 inches more front hip room, 4.4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.7 inches more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear legroom, 5.4 inches more rear hip room and 6.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-50.

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

The Edge has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the CX-50 with its rear seat up (39.2 vs. 31.4 cubic feet). The Edge has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-50 with its rear seat folded (73.4 vs. 56.3 cubic feet).

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

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

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Edge’s available 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.

The Edge ST 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 Edge can be unhitched and driven around locally. The CX-50 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Optional Trailer Sway Control on the Edge (except SE) uses the AdvanceTrac® 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 Edge offers a 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 Edge Titanium/ST’s standard 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 power windows standard on both the Edge and the CX-50 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Edge 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.

The Edge 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 Edge and the CX-50 offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Edge 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 Edge (except SE) 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 Edge Titanium/ST’s optional Active Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The CX-50 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Ford Edge has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

The Ford Edge outsold the Mazda CX-50 by over four to one during 2022.