Comparison Test: Honda CR-V Hybrid vs. Mazda CX-50 Hybrid

The Honda CR-V and the Mazda CX-50 are the cream of the compact SUV crop. With its nonhybrid powertrain, the CX-50 beat seven rivals in a small-SUV battle royal last spring. And the Honda CR-V’s full line took home a 10Best Trucks award this year. With increased public interest in hybrids, we were curious how the gas-electric versions of each would stack up against each other.

Meet the Contestants

At Honda, the hybrid powertrain is the step-up choice over the base turbocharged 1.5-liter four in the CR-V, so it’s reserved for the top three trim levels: Sport, Sport L, and Sport Touring. Our sample vehicle was a Sport Touring, which includes all-wheel drive (it’s optional on lesser trims) and for 2025 starts at $42,495.

For Mazda, the CX-50’s hybrid powertrain is effectively the middle offering, between the free-breathing base four-cylinder and the more powerful turbo four. Mazda offers the CX-50 Hybrid in three trim levels: Preferred, Premium, and Premium Plus. Here again, we had the top model, the Premium Plus. Base price for that trim is $41,470, and all CX-50s come standard with all-wheel drive.

Interior and Exterior

The latest CR-V has a more substantial, squared-off appearance than its predecessors. If you want a CR-V Hybrid, though, you’d better like black wheels and black trim, because that’s what you’re going to get. We like the CX-50’s somewhat more wagon-like proportions, with a longer hood and a set-back cabin. It comes across as a junior version of the CX-70/CX-90.

Climb inside, and the CR-V earns top marks for its outward visibility. The layout of the controls and switchgear is traditional Honda: straightforward, easy to use, and no gimmicks. We love the three knobs for climate control and the physical shift lever. There’s also a good amount of stowage. The plump front seats are plenty comfortable, and space in back is generous. Outside of the hex-pattern trim on the dash, however, this is mostly a style-free zone, and the materials even in this range-topping trim are nothing special.

Honda CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring

HIGHS: Spacious interior, plush ride, transparent hybrid powertrain.
LOWS: Ho-hum interior materials, highway fuel economy lags, black exterior trim is inescapable.
VERDICT: An extremely well-rounded offering that covers all the bases.

The top-spec CX-50 interior has a whiff of richness with soft leather accents on the dash and door panels. As in the CR-V, a real shift lever and physical climate-control buttons and knobs are present. Bravo. The Mazda’s rear seat also has plenty of legroom and knee clearance, but the cushion isn’t as substantial as the Honda’s. And the CX-50’s more hunkered-down roofline means the view out isn’t quite as expansive.

Infotainment

The Honda’s infotainment system is unremarkable, and that’s okay. At 9.0 inches, the touchscreen is far from the biggest out there, but it’s big enough (the base Sport hybrid gets a 7.0-incher). There’s a volume knob and two tiny buttons for tuning. Smartphone mirroring is wireless in the Sport Touring (and Sport L), and the top-spec model also has a wireless charging pad.

The Mazda infotainment system is unusual in that you navigate via a knob and a quartet of buttons on the center console. That wouldn’t be so bad—we appreciate BMW’s similar (soon-to-be-deep-sixed) setup—but the operational logic makes the Mazda system kind of annoying. There is a workaround, however. Pair your smartphone (wireless smartphone mirroring is standard on all models) and use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, and touchscreen functionality is unlocked, but the 10.3-inch screen is a long reach. Wireless charging is standard on all CX-50 Hybrid trims.

Powertrain and Performance

The Honda’s hybrid system combines an Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter four and two electric motors. One electric motor functions as a generator, and the other propels the car. The gas engine charges the battery and can also assist in powering the car. Total combined output is 204 horsepower.

Mazda gets its hybrid powertrain from Toyota. The Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter four and three electric motors are the same bits you’ll find in a RAV4 Hybrid. Like we said, all-wheel drive is standard, with one of the motors driving the rear wheels, with the gas-electric combo up front powering the front wheels via a planetary-gear transmission that operates like a CVT. The nickel-metal hydride battery is a Mazda exclusive, though (Toyota uses a lithium-ion unit). Total combined output is 219 horsepower.

Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Premium Plus

HIGHS: Standout looks, upscale cabin, engaging handling.
LOWS: Engine noise, less-roomy interior, some ride harshness.
VERDICT: Exceeds the class norm in several areas, but the hybrid CX-50 is not our favorite CX-50.

Mash the right pedal, and neither of these hybrids has a distinct advantage over the other. Our 2025 CX-50 test car got to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds. That’s just ahead of the 7.9-second result for the CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring, the test results for which come from a 2023 model we previously evaluated that’s mechanically identical to the latest one. From a 5-to-60-mph rolling start, though, the CX-50’s 8.4 seconds trails the CR-V’s at 8.0 seconds flat. The Mazda ekes out a win in the quarter-mile sprint, its 15.8 seconds at 89 mph nosing ahead of the Honda’s 16.3 seconds at 85 mph. The Honda, though, was fractionally quicker in 50-to-70-mph passing at 5.2 seconds to the Mazda’s 5.6. Call it a wash, then, between the two.

Both hybrid SUVs have modest tow ratings. The CX-50 Hybrid’s pulling capability is less than its nonhybrid siblings at 1500 pounds. Still, that beats the hybrid CR-V’s 1000 pounds, but few buyers will find this difference meaningful.

Fuel Economy

With all-wheel drive, the Honda CR-V Hybrid earns EPA ratings of 40 mpg city and 34 mpg highway. With all CX-50 hybrids touting all-wheel drive, the feds say to expect 39 mpg city and 37 mpg highway. So, the Honda has a paper-thin edge in the city, while the Mazda does better on the highway. Our real-world 75-mph highway fuel-economy test gave testament to the CX-50’s advantage, with the Mazda’s 34 mpg beating the Honda’s 31-mpg result.

Driving Experience

The CR-V hides its hybrid nature well. Programmed faux shifts mimic the action of a conventional transmission. In most driving, the engine is audible, but droning isn’t an issue. The hybrid system in the CX-50 is familiar, since it’s borrowed from the RAV4 (and other Toyotas). Because of its CVT-like action, the engine sometimes holds revs under acceleration. There’s more engine presence here, as the Mazda is noisier than the Honda: 74 decibels at wide-open throttle versus 72.

In keeping with its Sport designation, the CR-V Hybrid has a firmer suspension tune and beefier anti-roll bars than nonhybrid models. And while its handling is poised and competent, you wouldn’t call it engaging. We were much more impressed by the suspension’s ability to take the edge off broken pavement and glide smoothly over bumps. The CX-50 is stiffer riding, allowing more road harshness to penetrate the cabin. But while the two SUVs’ skidpad grip is similar (0.85 g for the Honda, 0.83 g for the Mazda), the Mazda has subjectively superior steering and handling. When it comes to stopping, neither of these hybrids suffers nonlinear brake-pedal response, but the Honda’s 171-foot stop from 70 mph is 10 feet shorter.

Picking a Winner

The tit-for-tat results show how closely matched these two compact SUVs are. The Mazda’s low-slung shape and cab-rearward proportions strike us as more stylish, and the Mazda’s interior is more upscale. The Honda’s straight-edged styling is hardly homely, though, and its cabin is both easier to see out of and slightly roomier. Acceleration is a figurative and literal dead heat between the two, but we preferred the CR-V’s power delivery and greater refinement. The Mazda returns better highway fuel economy, but in city driving it’s a wash. Both are among the best-driving of their ilk, with the CR-V delivering a smooth ride but the CX-50 having the edge in steering and handling. The Honda carries more cargo, but the Mazda can tow a bit more. Pricing is virtually identical.

The CR-V Hybrid’s combination of virtues likely will please more buyers, so it takes the win. Even so, plenty of folks may find the CX-50 Hybrid more compelling. Either way, there are no losers here.

Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com