The Mazda CX-50 Is a Crossover That’s Actually Fun to Drive

Modern crossovers are, for the most part, soul-sucking, unassuming boxes that take all the joy out of driving. “Fun” is not an important factor for most buyers, meaning things like steering feel and chassis control aren’t priorities for engineers. The result is a market of boring vehicles incapable of attracting people that relish seat time.

Unlike some brands, which have turned to capacitive touch buttons , Mazda has kept the CX-50 sane with real, actual buttons for the climate control and most of the car’s other functions. Better yet, buttons for things like distance sensors, lane keeping assist, surround-view cameras, and traction control are one-touch affairs, meaning you don’t have to perform some nonsensical pattern or sit there holding down the same button for five straight seconds to turn things on and off.

The six-speed gearbox bolted to the engine isn’t as impressive as it is satisfactory. It’s missing one to two forward gears compared to competitors, but shifts are smooth enough to blend in during normal driving situations. It listens to commands from the wheel-mounted paddles, but don’t expect dual-clutch speeds here. If you’re really on it, you may be denied a downshift or two, though it’s tough to be surprised or disappointed.

You wouldn’t know that from the inputs, though. The most impressive part of the CX-50 is how the steering rack's been tuned and weighted to deliver feedback. There’s actually some heft to the wheel and real information coming back to your fingertips as you go down the road. It’s clear that this was designed by the same people who make. The brakes, too, are shockingly well-weighted and tuned to deliver smooth, easy stops without a ton of precision or effort from the driver.

Road & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.

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