2023 Mazda CX-50 Interior and Cargo

Only the entry-level 2.5 S comes with cloth upholstery, whereas mid-range trims have half leatherette and the upper models boast leather upholstery. Most models have a black interior color scheme, but Terracotta is available for turbocharged derivatives. This interior can't, however, be paired with the Jet Black Mica exterior. On turbocharged models, the black leather has attractive camel stitching, whereas the Terracotta leather comes with orange stitching.

A leather-wrapped steering wheel is standard on all but the base model. In terms of trim inserts, these are silver-painted on lower trims or have a black metal look on pricier models. Like other Mazdas, the use of soft-touch materials gives the cabin an upscale appearance.

The Mazda CX-50's cargo space doesn't set any new benchmarks for the segment, but it's still useful. With all the seats in their normal position, the CX-50 provides 31.4 cubic feet of trunk space. That's just a smidge larger than the CX-5 but lags behind the more spacious trunks of the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. A 60/40 split-remote-folding rear seat is standard on all but the base model. When the second row is folded, the CX-50 has 56.3 cubes available for accommodating larger items.

In the cabin, there are four cupholders - two in front and two embedded in the rear fold-down armrest. All models have door pockets in all four doors, a glovebox, and storage consoles in front. From the 2.5 S Preferred and up, a rear center armrest with storage is added. On the passenger side, there's a front seatback pocket, and every model besides the base trim has an overhead console for you to store your sunglasses.

Other than the entry-level model, the Mazda CX-50 is generously specified. The 2.5 S ships with air conditioning, push-button ignition, a seven-inch TFT LCD meter display, and a manual day/night rearview mirror. At this level, the driver has a six-way manually-adjustable seat and the front-seat passenger has access to a four-way manual seat. Every other model eschews the basic air conditioning for a more advanced dual-zone climate control system. As you work your way up the trim levels, the CX-50 gets a power rear liftgate, a power panoramic moonroof, advanced keyless entry, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, and ventilated seats for the passengers up front. Most trims have an eight-way power driver's seat, but only the top Premium Plus with the turbo has heated rear seats.

The safety specification is in line with what one would expect in a modern SUV. As standard, all CX-50s have a rearview camera, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, Mazda radar cruise control, and pedestrian detection. Front/rear parking sensors, a surround-view monitor, and traffic jam assist find their way onto the top trim.

Mazda doesn't deliver the best infotainment experience in its segment, but it's far from the worst. The standard 8.8-inch display is good, and Mazda's Connect software is well laid out and easy to navigate. Mazda has allowed touchscreen functionality for standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as they are designed for it, but the screen is positioned for the driver's eyeliner and not to use as a touchscreen. Instead, the rotary dial input system is well developed and easy to use. We prefer that kind of system to touchscreen when driving for the same reason as Mazda - safety. An eight-speaker sound system also comes standard but is upgradeable to a Bose system that we can't get too excited about. We do wish Mazda would partner up with a better and more attentive brand when it comes to in-car sound.

Two USB ports are standard, but two more are added in the back along with a 10.25-inch screen up front and HD Radio when you get to the 2.5 S Select Package. The next bump comes with the 2.5 S Premium Package, which adds AudioPilot, SiriusXM, and the underwhelming Bose system. The Turbo models have their own upgrade tree, but the components are the same. Navigation is standard on the top-spec model only.