Mazda's CX-5 and CX-50 Are Pulling Shoppers From Toyota, Jeep, and Lexus
CX-5 And CX-50 Have Different Buyers
The 2026 Mazda CX-5 went on sale earlier this year, introducing fresh styling, a more spacious interior, and a new touchscreen to replace the old rotating knob infotainment system. Mazda's third-generation CX-5 sells alongside the similarly-sized CX-50 crossover, which has been in production since 2022. It may seem counterintuitive to sell two vehicles in the same competitive segment, but Mazda customers and dealerships don't see it that way.
"It's such a big segment and we were seeing different customers wanting different things. The outdoor trend was gaining popularity, and that is where the CX-50 idea came from," explained Jannice Jacobson, Sr Mgr, Strategic Planning & Integration during an interview with Autoblog.
"[The CX-50 is] more wagon-like with a lower stance to create a distinctive differentiated positioning versus the CX-5, which was more mainstream," she added.
CX-50 Steals Premium Shoppers
Mazda has noticed that despite having similar entry prices - the CX-5 starts at $29,990 and the CX-50 starts at $29,900 - they are not cannibalizing each other. In fact, the CX-50 saw its strongest sales year ever in 2025 (110,345 units), while the CX-5 finished even stronger (136,335 units). "They still offer their own values and can coexist," Jacobson said. "We're getting early feedback from dealers and they have no issue. Customers see the difference between the two vehicles."
Jacobson even pointed out that CX-50 customers tend to come from different demographics than CX-5 buyers, on average. "CX-50 attracts more premium intenders and younger, more affluent males versus the CX-5," which skews more female, she revealed. "CX-50 does also get cross-shopped with more premium brands."
At the upper trim levels, the CX-50 is quite luxurious with heated and ventilated seats, heated rear seats, and premium design. It is also among the last vehicles in its segment to offer a turbocharged engine option, which produces 256 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque on premium gasoline. "Design, craftsmanship, and performance; those are the three things premium buyers cite as their top purchase reasons. The CX-50 is able to offer that," Jacobson said. "Performance is probably the reason a lot of premium intenders consider CX-50."
Competing With 4Runner And RAV4
Perhaps more surprising than to hear that CX-50 steals sales away from premium brands, Autoblog learned that many customers cross-shop it with "outdoorsy" models like the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner.
"In terms of mainstream segment, the CR-V, RAV4, and Tucson are the more prominent competitors. The CX-50, naturally, just being in the CUV segment, will be cross-shopped with these big players," Jacobson told us. "At the same time, CX-50 gets cross-shopped more with outdoorsy models like the Outback, Bronco, Wrangler, and 4Runner. Vehicles that show more capability and active lifestyle."
While the CX-50 Meridian Edition looks more rugged than a standard model or any CX-5, it's not exactly a body-on-frame Wrangler or 4Runner rival. It's much closer to a RAV4. "People don't necessarily buy things that they need, there's a lot of emotion in all of these purchases," Jacobson elaborated. "It's what they want their image or lifestyle to be, but then reality hits." The CX-50 may not make it up the Rubicon trail, but perhaps buyers decide they will never tackle it, so that doesn't matter, so it fits their needs better than a 4Runner.
CX-5 Fills The Core
The CX-50 has introduced a new audience in the CUV segment for Mazda, but the CX-5 still serves a crucial role as the company's bestseller. While the CX-50 had immense success in 2025, it was still bested by the more mainstream CX-5, a vehicle that had already been on the market since 2016 and was last facelifted in 2021.
"Our intent is to sell more than 200,000 units in the CUV segment. But we want both models to be successful in their own right. If you look at customer potential, the CX-5 being more mainstream, we expect it would capture more buyers because the appeal is larger; it appeals to broader customers in terms of product attributes and values. CX-50 is more targeted, intentional, and purposeful," Jacobson detailed.
"You would expect the CX-5 would always be the more volume player but it depends on the cadence, of when these models come out," she added. Mazda will introduce a CX-5 Hybrid in 2027, which should help it compete against popular competitors like the CR-V and RAV4. With the CX-50 Hybrid accounting for over 37% of all CX-50 sales last year, we imagine the hybrid powertrain will act as a major boost for CX-5 sales when it arrives in 2027.
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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 7:15 AM.