2023 Mazda CX-50 vs 2023 Honda HR-V

The 2023 Mazda CX-50 featured a blunt nose, long hood, and a rakish windshield, with a cabin pulled back toward the rear wheels. This design exhibited the subtle seductiveness that had characterized Mazda’s cars and SUVs for the past decade. However, the CX-50 conveyed newfound ruggedness with blistered and boxed fender swells, lower body and wheel arch cladding, and fake front and rear skid plates. Oversized air intake and vent designs imparted performance without offending the eye.

The CX-50’s standard black grille and mirror caps, along with available 20-inch wheels, created an appealing exterior. Later in the model year, the CX-50 Meridian Edition joined the lineup with exclusive wheels, all-terrain tires, splash guards, and a roof-mounted load platform. Inside, the CX-50’s interior displayed Mazda’s traditional mix of driver-focused design, quality materials, and polished metallic trim. Despite a few design quirks, the new Mazda CX-50 was a good-looking compact crossover.

The new generation of the Honda HR-V came with a substantial styling update, losing some of the funky charm of the outgoing model but gaining a sophisticated modernity. The lowered beltline and simplified detailing resulted in a sleeker look with cleaner lines and fewer interruptions. The example tested was presented in Nordic Forest Pearl, a dusky, oceanic gray-green color. The HR-V Sport trim featured 18-inch black alloy wheels, a black rear spoiler, a chrome exhaust, and a more aggressively styled grille.

Inside, the new seats came covered in black or gray cloth by default, with the Sport trim adding black seats with orange contrast stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and heated front seats. The EX-L trim, which was tested, offered perforated leather seats with additional shoulder support, dual-zone climate control, a power moonroof, and an eight-way power driver’s seat. The 2023 HR-V’s interior followed the refinement trend set by the 2022 Civic, with a metal honeycomb grille hiding the vents and a sculptural center console contributing to the sense of thoughtful design.

Most Mazda CX-50 buyers were likely to choose the more affordable and fuel-efficient 2.5 S model, which had a 187 hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 186 lb-ft of torque. This power was delivered to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission, with an expected 27 mpg in combined driving. For those seeking stronger acceleration and increased towing capacity, the CX-50 2.5 Turbo offered a turbocharged version of the standard engine, making between 227 hp and 256 hp depending on the fuel used. Torque varied between 310 lb-ft and 320 lb-ft.

The CX-50 2.5 Turbo provided smooth acceleration across a broad power curve, with no noticeable turbo lag. It featured Normal, Sport, Off-Road, and Towing modes, working with G-Vectoring Control technology to ensure natural vehicle behavior. The CX-50 felt firmer in ride quality compared to the CX-5, and it was capable of tackling off-roading situations, though it lacked a downhill assist control system. The turbo-four engine had no trouble towing up to its maximum 3,500-pound capacity on flat highways.

The 2023 Honda HR-V had a single powertrain option: a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine making 158 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque. This was an improvement over the 2022 HR-V. The updated continuously variable transmission (CVT) incorporated a Step-Shift function to imitate traditional automatic transmission cues. HR-V drivers could choose from Normal, Snow, or ECON drive modes, with Sport mode available by pulling the shifter back a notch.

The HR-V was available with either front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). The new front and fully independent rear suspensions, along with widened tracks, made the SUV fun to drive on mountain roads, though it was not overpowered. The HR-V’s competitors, like the Kia Seltos and Subaru Crosstrek, offered multiple powertrain options, including turbo engines.

The fully equipped CX-50 2.5 Turbo had power-adjustable heated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, heated side mirrors, and heated windshield wipers. The ventilated front seats and dual-zone automatic climate control were effective in keeping the cabin comfortable. The driver’s seat and front passenger’s seat were comfortable for long drives, though they could use more side bolstering. The back seat was roomy enough for adults, with rear air vents and charging ports.

Storage space in the CX-50 was adequate, though there were missed opportunities for additional bins. The available smartphone charger had its own slot under the center armrest. The power rear liftgate revealed 31.4 cubic feet of cargo space, with a maximum of 56.3 cubic feet when the rear seats were folded. The load floor was long but narrow between the wheel wells, with side bins and hooks for securing items.

The HR-V, being a subcompact SUV, felt comfortably sized and well thought out. The center console featured a shelf underneath the controls for drive modes, parking brake, and hill-descent control. The 2023 HR-V sacrificed less than half an inch of rear-seat headroom for its new fastback look, with headroom measuring 39.4 inches in the front and 38.0 inches in the rear. Cargo space was 24.4 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 55.1 cubic feet with them folded.

The Magic Seat from the first-generation HR-V was gone, but the second-gen car had a thoughtfully engineered hinge for the 60/40 split rear seats, offering a higher seating position and a nearly flat floor when folded down. The new HR-V had 98.7 cubic feet of passenger volume in LX and Sport trims and 97.3 in EX-L. Legroom was slightly reduced for the rear seats but improved for the front seats.

Every CX-50 had a Mazda Connect infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and Mazda Connected Services. The base 2.5 S had an 8.8-inch display, while other trims included a larger 10.25-inch display. Historically, Mazda Connect did not offer touchscreen control, but the 2023 CX-50 allowed touchscreen control for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The available 12-speaker Bose Centerpoint surround-sound system delivered a satisfying audio experience.

The CX-50 also offered an Active Driving Display, commonly known as a head-up display (HUD), projecting data within the driver’s line of sight. Blind-spot warnings were particularly useful, eliminating the need to look at side mirrors to check for other vehicles.

In the 2023 Honda HR-V, the touchscreen hosting the infotainment system rose above the dash, tablet-style. Power and volume were controlled with a physical knob, and the EX-L trim offered additional buttons for Home, Back, and Seek functions. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard across the lineup, with wireless versions available on EX-L. The EX-L trim also featured a 9-inch infotainment display, a Qi-compatible wireless charging pad, and a Smart Shortcuts feature.

All HR-Vs had a 7-inch digital gauge cluster and a 7-inch color touchscreen display, with EX-L getting a 9-inch display. Standard features included three USB-A ports, Bluetooth connectivity, and a four-speaker audio system. Sport trims added a six-speaker audio system, Smart Entry, remote start, and walkaway auto lock. EX-L trims had an eight-speaker audio system, WiFi capability, and SiriusXM and HD Radio.

Mazdas typically rated high for safety, and the CX-50 was expected to excel in crash tests. The CX-50 came with a generous standard package of driving assistance systems, with additional features available on the CX-50 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus. These included Traffic Jam Assist, active blind-spot monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, and a surround-view camera system. The driving assistance systems generally worked well, though the adaptive cruise control occasionally failed to recognize slower vehicles cutting in.

Honda Sensing was now standard on every HR-V, including adaptive cruise control, collision-mitigation braking, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, road-departure mitigation, lane-departure warning, and forward-collision warning. New features for 2023 included traffic-sign recognition, traffic jam assist, and automatic high-beams. The EX-L trim added front and rear parking sensors and low-speed braking control. The 2023 HR-V had not yet been crash-tested, but the 2022 model received high safety ratings.