Got rid of my CX-50 Turbo Premium (long post)

More than simply being a first-year model, I suspect a lot of the blame for the CX-50's failings lies with... A) being built by Toyota -and- B) being a rushed design heavily influenced by Toyota in order to produce it on the same line as their model it shares a lot of DNA with (I forget which model and really don't care enough to look it up). From what I can tell reading-between-the-lines the RWD chassis Mazda was working on that it was assumed would be the basis of a CX-50 was postponed for a redesign (now to be the upcoming CX-70 and recently launched CX-90).
Not sure where you are getting your info, but none of it is accurate.
Both the CX 50 and Corolla Cross are produced in the same plant in Huntsville Alabama USA.
There are two separate production lines and none of the parts are the same.
All the employees work for MTM, Mazda Toyota Manufacturing.
Just as Toyota designs and engineers their vehicles, Mazda does the same.
The CX 50 may be a first year production vehicle but it shares many parts with its CX 30 and 3 siblings. Yes there were issues with some of the early production run vehicles, they have been resolved and we’re no different than any other manufacturers early production inventory.
So instead of spouting off made up thoughts of yours, please educate yourself for the accuracy of reporting on a forum.
 
Hey guys, it's been fun and I wanted to say that I really thought I would love the CX-50 and I just don't think it was a good fit for me. There are just some things a test drive won't be able to uncover until owning a vehicle long term and I ultimately traded the CX-50 Turbo Premium in for a 2023 CX-9 Touring but I think it was worth it in the end. There's just so many build quality issues with the CX-50 cropping up every other week to the point where I felt like Mazda just half-assed this vehicle and rushed it in addition to my other gripes.

At the time of the trade in, I was deciding between the Acura RDX/MDX, Toyota RAV-4 Hybrid/Highlander, Lexus RX-350 or the CX-5 Turbo Premium and I settled on the CX-9 as it had the best price/features ratio with little to no markups compared to Toyota in addition to being very spacious, quiet and comfortable. After nearly 6,000 miles of driving the vehicle, here's some of my observations.

What I liked:
  1. Appearance: I really like the wide body stance of the vehicle along with the 20 inch wheels, front/rear tail lights as it really stands out.

  2. Lumbar Support: The lumbar support on this car is phenomenal as it has a very deep adjustment setting that can dig into the lumbar if necessary and it provides a lot of support.

  3. Auto Adjusting Side Mirrors: I liked how the mirrors would automatically point downwards when the car is reversing. It would've been cool if both sides of the mirror could reverse instead of having to manually select the individual mirror.

  4. Horn: The horn on this vehicle is very loud and not anemic like the CX-5/CX-9.

  5. Headlights: The headlights look very cool at night when walking away from the vehicle and when cornering (thanks to the auto adjusting headlights).

  6. Bose Centerpoint Speakers: The sound from these speakers are very good compared to the CX-9 with stock speakers. I had a chance to test drive a 2020 Lexus RX-350 F-Sport with the Mark Levinson as well and the Bose sounded much better overall.

  7. Infotainment: I really liked how the system uses Wi-Fi to enable Android Auto instead of the traditional USB cable that plugs into the phone. Another thing that I liked was the volume knob that has the ability to skip tracks.

  8. Heads-up Display: I've never had a car with a heads up display before and I thought it was cool. It can be distracting at times but it's especially helpful when using Google Maps and instead of following turn-by-turn directions on the center console/cell phone, it was right in front of my face.

  9. Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS): Being able to see the PSI of each tire was very nice, especially on the My Mazda app.

  10. Backup Camera: I don't know what resolution the camera is but it seemed like 720/1080p as it was very high resolution. It definitely blows the CX-9 out of the water on this aspect.

What I didn't like (I guess I don't really like majority of the car 😅?)
  1. Steering Wheel: This is one of my biggest gripes with the car so far. There's really no need to make the steering wheel so stiff as it's very fatiguing to drive on long road trips that are 3-7+ hours. Some people don't have an issue with it but I am guessing they take short trips with the vehicle only or maybe they're used to it. Coming from a CX-5 and now CX-9, I much prefer the light steering wheel that doesn't require much effort. Another thing that I do not like is the fact that only the left/right hand portion of the steering wheel is heated and the top and bottom are cold.

  2. Cup Holders: It was originally a massive issue for me until I got a shorter length charger + L-shaped USB-C cables that stopped obstructing the cup holders. However, this is still a very poor design as the cup holders are not only small but they are literally right in front of the cigarette port and they're barely big enough to hold larger sized bottles.

  3. Visibility: I am not sure if it's just me but each time I drove in the CX-50, I felt like the visibility for the car isn't so great. The windshield feels very narrow and the angle is awkward compared to that of a CX-5/CX-9 and combined with the super stiff suspension, it makes me feel sick.

  4. Suspension: This car is easily more harsh than the 2016 CX-5 as every bump on the road can be felt throughout the vehicle due to the stiff suspension/torsion beam setup as opposed to the softer independent rear suspension that is in the CX-5/CX-9. Some people reported that the 20 inch wheels may be the factor while others reported that installing 17-18 inches didn't make a drastic difference so I am not sure....

  5. Seatbelt Chime: This is another extremely annoying thing about the vehicle that I cannot really tolerate. The chime is very intrusive and unfortunately, there's no way to change this sound.

  6. Safety System: Each and every time there is low visibility or some type of terrible weather, the Safety and Driver Support Systems Temporarily Disabled message appears on the center speedometer gauge. Not that I actually rely on these systems but it makes me question the purpose of this system if it gets disabled like this each time the weather turns bad to worse with some fog, snow or rain. This will ultimately disable any features such as Active Cruise Control and some other ones that I don't really use or care about but it's something to keep in mind.

  7. Rattles: Every time I went over very specific imperfections (e.g. one side higher than the other) on the road, I would hear a rattling noise on top of the headliner and after multiple trips to the same dealership, nothing was ever done to remediate the issue even after escalating my case to Mazda corporate. I was told that there was no insulation or padding in between the headliner and roof to dampen the noise as it's held into place by Velcro clips and to purchase felt lining and to put the material myself to dampen the sound. The run around that I was getting from both the service tech and Mazda corporate was that this vehicle was meant for "off-road usage" and that they've heard of other repeated complaints from other customers as well.

  8. Panel Gaps: One day after walking around my car, I noticed that the driver side of my vehicle's hood was higher than the passenger side. I slid my hand up and down the panel and felt the raised section that was ultimately fixed by the service technician when I brought it up.

  9. Noisy Driver (Rear) Window: I noticed this issue when I closed the Driver (Rear) door as it sounded weird compared to the other doors. I rolled down the window and tried closing the door again and the noise went away and after the service technician applied some lubricant to the Window, the noise went away.

  10. Fuel Economy: I drive 80% City/20% Highway and I was averaging 15.6-15.8 MPG with or without a heavy foot. With my CX-9, I am averaging about 17-18 MPG with or without a heavy foot even though the car hasn't broken in yet. I honestly could barely get 220-240 miles out of each fill up without having to fill up. EPA claims the CX-50 Turbo MPG to be 23 (City)/29 (Highway) but the City MPG did not live up the expectations for me.

  11. Road Noise: After driving in a CX-9, I noticed that the CX-50 has lots of road noise as there's not much insulation inside of the panels. It feels like the entire car is made of very hard plastic for cost saving measures.

  12. Brakes: The CX-5 (Raybesto Element 3's)/CX-9 (OEM) brakes that I have stop much better in wet/dry conditions as opposed to the CX-50. In the CX-50, it feels like the brake doesn't really have much bite and I am guessing the material is more on the ceramic side than semi-metallic. Could be the tire differences as well.

  13. 5-8 MPH Lurch: From what I was told by the service advisor, this was normal behavior that the vehicle does that because it disconnects from the torque converter. It doesn't always lurch but in stop and go traffic, I can feel the car lurching around 5-8 mph and disappearing afterwards. I've read on other Mazda CX-50 forums and they've experienced this issue as well.

  14. Door Handle: I am not sure if anyone else experienced this but the handle that is grasped to open/close the door has a very cheap feeling to it, especially at the center portion. It almost feels abrasive and I feel that Mazda could've done a better job to polish that area to make it smooth and more refined as it seems like it came straight out of an ABS mold without much touch ups.

  15. My Mazda Remote Start Feature: Probably one of the worst things to be designed where the car shuts off after the door is opened due to the fear of a vehicle being stolen. The car basically needs to be started a second time after getting in.

  16. OEM Door Sill Trim Plates: I thought that the front door sill trim plates were cool as they light up but the rear ones do not unfortunately even after having to pay about $200-300 for the whole set.
Lessons I've learned from this whole ordeal
  1. Never buy a first year production model as there's too many issues that may come up and ultimately, you will be a beta tester unless time/money is not an issue.

  2. Best bet is to test drive a car in the winter time as that is when most of the rattles show themselves in a vehicle. During hotter weather, the rattles typically not appear.

  3. The dealership/Mazda Corporate is not your friend when it comes to fixing small issues like rattles and will lie to your face as there's no money to be made even if you spent $40k+ on a vehicle.

  4. Dealerships/Corporations typically respond well to criticism or negative feedback through sites such as BBB or other sources that may impact the brands perception.

  5. If you drive in the city, the Turbo may not be the most fuel efficient even though it may be the most fun.

  6. The torsion beam setup is awful.....
As I mentioned to you in the vehicle specific CX 50 forum, your complaints are generally ‘your opinions’ and not accurate to the majority of owners.
You say your intention is to help people shopping the 50, but your long winded rant is more of a disgruntled buyer than an exercise in accuracy.
Enjoy the 9.
 
As I mentioned to you in the vehicle specific CX 50 forum, your complaints are generally ‘your opinions’ and not accurate to the majority of owners.
You say your intention is to help people shopping the 50, but your long winded rant is more of a disgruntled buyer than an exercise in accuracy.
Enjoy the 9.
My opinions are a reflection of the CX-50 of the 5,700 miles that I've put onto the vehicle with all of the issues, whether personal opinion or not. I think it's evident in the title that it's very specific to my own personal observations. You seem to take be taking this very personal for some reason and it seems like I'm supposed to be jumping on a band wagon that is praising the CX-50 for all of the issues I've encountered during my ownership which is basically what it sounds like from your post. I think there is quite a bit of deflection there on your part.

The post you are referring to is on the CX-50 forums which contains the same exact information, word for word. You can find other people complaining about the same exact build quality issues, whether on Facebook/CX-50 forums but I am providing an honest insight so I think my point still stands.

https://www.cx50forums.com/threads/got-rid-of-my-cx-50-turbo-premium-long-post.543/#post-3807
 
As I mentioned to you in the vehicle specific CX 50 forum, your complaints are generally ‘your opinions’ and not accurate to the majority of owners.
You say your intention is to help people shopping the 50, but your long winded rant is more of a disgruntled buyer than an exercise in accuracy.
Enjoy the 9.
His post is a mix of both facts/accuracy and opinion.

Facts like the location of the cupholder or the metal panels being misaligned, fuel economy , etc.

Others are opinions such as uncomfortable harsh ride or very loud cabin noise. But as the OP has owned previous mazda's and traded the CX-50 in for a 9, I think his opinions hold some weight as he can notice the subtle differences between the vehicles.

Likewise, most adults can discern between facts & opinions/ preferences.

I still plan to test drive a CX-50 but it's nice to have another view on it as I too like a soft comfortable ride and switched to 16/17 inch tires on my CX-5.

There is still freedom of speech??
 
So instead of spouting off made up thoughts of yours, please educate yourself for the accuracy of reporting on a forum.

You say your intention is to help people shopping the 50, but your long winded rant is more of a disgruntled buyer than an exercise in accuracy.

We all have opinions, and I can appreciate the passion, but please remember to be civil in your discourse with your fellow members.
 
FUTURE hybrid drivetrain tech., yes, that’s correct. Toyota had no hand in any vehicle design work with the cx50 as it’s based off of the current Mazda3 platform.
Yes and no. I believe there are Toyota parts in the CX-50 (if only the panoramic sunroof) and the factory is a joint venture between Toyota and Mazda, so you can't really say built by Mazda (but neither is it built by Toyota :) ) Updated - you already said that last bit.
 
Yes and no. I believe there are Toyota parts in the CX-50 (if only the panoramic sunroof) and the factory is a joint venture between Toyota and Mazda, so you can't really say built by Mazda (but neither is it built by Toyota :) ) Updated - you already said that last bit.
I’d love to see your source for this. Said genuinely, not sarcastically.
 
Yes and no. I believe there are Toyota parts in the CX-50 (if only the panoramic sunroof) and the factory is a joint venture between Toyota and Mazda, so you can't really say built by Mazda (but neither is it built by Toyota :) )

Yep.... They probably do share.

Remember i had a Chevy in the late 80's...most of it was Chevy part's except it had a Toyota engine and Toyota brakes system(calipers, etc)
 
Without evidence or proof, speculation on parts sharing is just that - speculation. What we do know for a fact is that Mazda manufactures the CX-50 under the same roof as the Corolla Cross. We also know that they do not share production lines. The CX-50 is built on the plant's "Discovery" line, while the Corolla Cross is built on the "Apollo" line. I believe the rumour is that when the CX-50 gets a hybrid or plug-in hybrid option, it may use Toyota's tech for that, which is awesome.

The VP of Production at the plant said this in a news release from Jan of last year:
“They are working at the only automotive plant in the world that builds two brand new vehicles on two separate lines. To say I’m proud of what they’ve accomplished would be an understatement.”

To me, this sounds like its different from the other automotive plants that have built different models under the same roof, like the Mazda Tribute and the Ford Escape, or the Mazda2 and the Scion iA, Toyota Yaris and Yaris Hybrid.

I was curious, so I sent them an email asking for more information. We'll see if they reply.
 
Every car that leaves the factory is not going to be perfect. Its really a crap shoot. You have better chances for getting a lemon or having problems with certain brands. Then there are the tradeoffs. While I love my 50. The wireless charger is a real let down and yes I do wish the cup holders were in a better spot, but there's more to love than hate.
 
Thanks for your feedback on the CX-50. Just curious why you chose the CX-9 over the Lexus NX 350 or Acura RDX other than price of course? I may be giving my CX-5 to my daughter at some point and will need another car. I really had my heart set on the upcoming CX-70 until I found out it will be virtually the same size as the CX-90. I do not need or want a car that big, that's why I went with the CX-5. So once I found out about the size of the upcoming CX-70, I have been exploring other options.

I could get another CX-5 but I think it's getting a bit dated and needs an 8 speed auto and touch screen IMO. I may consider the CX-50 hybrid when it comes out. I have also been considering the Lexus NX 350 and 350h. Not as fun to drive as the CX-5, but equally as reliable and way better on gas if I get the 350h. I drive a ton and in CA gas costs a fortune. Although the NX is more expensive.

It would be great if Mazda did a true redesign of the CX-5 but with so many new models coming it doesn't seem likely. I am also considering the Lexus IS 300 and IS 350F sedan with the V6 engines. I think it's a mistake Mazda did away with the Mazda 6 sedan. I would buy the Mazda 6 sedan with the new V6 engine they are putting in the CX-90/70 over the Lexus IS 300/350F.

The Acura RDX and TLX sedan are nice too but neither offers a hybrid and I personally don't believe Acura is as reliable as Lexus. I put Lexus on par with Mazda for reliability.
Apologies for the super late reply, just went back to some of these comments. I actually did go to a few Lexus dealerships to get an appraisal for the CX-50 at the time and a few of the things that I didn't like about the NX-350 was that it felt extremely cramped like the CX-5 back in the 2nd row and I would have to pay a luxury premium for "Lexus comfort" which I don't really find to be worth it for a vehicle of that size.

Another aspect to the NX350 that I didn't like was how they changed the door handles to these super tiny little levers that are built into the arm wrests. It just didn't really make much sense to me as much as it's aesthetically pleasing for some.

I would probably recommend looking into a CPO RDX/MDX if you want something a bit more upscale with good handling, comfort, luxury and the fun to drive aspect. I'm a little bit on the fence on Hybrid's since it's going to be about $2-3k to swap the battery pack with remanufactured ones after the warranty is over but then again, those city MPGs are juicy :love:

I saw some of the reviews about the new inline 6 Mazda engines and most of them say they don't really feel that much when driving it full throttle so it was a little disappointing from the fun aspect of the vehicle but who knows....I haven't test driven it so I cannot comment but it seems very linear which isn't a bad thing but for the price, there are better options.

I think the new TLX A-Specs look nice with the twin exhausts and the jewel headlights. I might've gotten one had I not have a bias for SUVs and the ground clearance. Don't really enjoy getting out of sedans since it just requires a lot more effort. Not sure anymore but Mazda should refresh the CX-5 already 😅
 
Back