Compare the2024 Mazda CX-50VS 2024 Buick Envista

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mazda CX-50 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Buick Envista doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Mazda CX-50 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Envista doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus has standard Smart Brake Support-Reverse that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Envista doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The CX-50 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Envista doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

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 Envista only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CX-50 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Braking on the Turbo Premium Plus automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Buick charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Envista and the Envista’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

The CX-50’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Envista doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the CX-50 and the Envista have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Mazda CX-50 weighs 591 to 883 pounds more than the Buick Envista. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CX-50 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 54 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Envista has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The CX-50’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Envista’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the CX-50’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Envista’s camshafts. If the Envista’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Buick vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda fourth in overall reliability. Buick is ranked 11th.

Engine

The CX-50’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 50 more horsepower (187 vs. 137) and 24 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 162) than the Envista’s 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder. The CX-50’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 119 more horsepower (256 vs. 137) and 158 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 162) than the Envista’s 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder.

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 Envista doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The CX-50 has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Envista (15.9 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

For more complete vehicle control the CX-50 has a manually controlled automatic, with the available convenience of an automatic transmission and the complete gear control of a manual transmission without the inconvenience of a clutch. A manually controlled automatic allows the driver to eliminate unwanted shifts and maximize engine braking by down shifting while cornering. The Envista doesn’t offer a transmission that allows complete gear control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	CX-50	Envista
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	11.3 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CX-50 Premium Plus/Turbo has standard 20-inch wheels. The Envista’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-50’s wheelbase is 4.8 inches longer than on the Envista (110.8 inches vs. 106 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the CX-50 is 3.8 inches wider in the front and 3.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Envista.

For better maneuverability, the CX-50’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Envista’s (36 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The CX-50’s turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the Envista Avenir’s (36 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

Passenger Space

The CX-50 has 2.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Envista (100.3 vs. 97.5).

The CX-50 has 1.3 inches more front hip room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear legroom and 6.3 inches more rear hip room than the Envista.

Cargo Capacity

The CX-50 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Envista with its rear seat up (31.4 vs. 20.7 cubic feet). The CX-50 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Envista with its rear seat folded (56.3 vs. 42 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the CX-50 Premium Plus/Turbo, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Envista doesn’t offer a memory system.

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 Envista doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

Advanced Keyless Entry and Start standard on the CX-50 allows you to unlock the driver’s door, cargo door and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Buick Envista’s Pushbutton Start doesn’t unlock the doors or the cargo door.

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 Envista’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the CX-50 has a standard rear wiper. The Envista doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Both the CX-50 and the Envista 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 Envista.

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 Envista doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The CX-50’s 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. The Envista doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

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

The CX-50’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Envista’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

Recommendations

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