2025 Mazda CX-50 Camping Review

Sport-Utility Vehicles, at least the forefathers of the segment, were meant to get folks into the rugged outdoors. They were the perfect camping companion. A four-wheel drive go-anywhere vehicle with a fully enclose cabin to keep gear dry, food away from animals, and double as sleeping quarters in a pinch.

SUVs have evolved over the past 50 years or so, and although there still are some hardcore rugged examples, most are built more for family life rather than trail riding. But are they still a good match for a camping getaway? We’re talking less intensive camping here, at a state/provincial park with facilities, but while still sleeping in tents and cooking by campfire.

To find out, we grabbed one of the better all-around smallish SUVs, the 2025 Mazda CX-50. We grabbed the top-dog fully-loaded example, which is the CX-50 GT Turbo in Canada, or the CX-50 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus in the United States. We loaded it full of gear, and a roof-mounted tent, and headed out for a weekend getaway.

It may have been on sale now a few years, but we still love the CX-50’s exterior styling. In fact, it might be growing on us more as time goes on. The vehicle has a nice wide squatted stance, thanks it being only 185.8-inches (4,720 mm) long, but 75.6-inches (1,920 mm) wide. It looks like an off-road racer from a distance, with the roof-mounted tent only enhancing this look.

Being the Turbo Premium Plus/GT Turbo, the SUV comes with 20-inch wheels, automatic power folding mirrors, and a panoramic power moonroof.

We can never say no to more power, so of course we grabbed a turbocharged version of the CX-50. The 2.5-liter makes 256 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque on premium fuel, or 227 hp and 310 lb-ft on regular fuel. We’ve discussed in the past that this engine hasn’t felt as powerful as the numbers suggest, but that may have more to do with the transmission dialing back power initially for durability reasons. Catch the CX-50 at the right speed in the right gear and it accelerates with authority, and a nice little snarl.

Officially, the CX-50 turbo is rated at 23 mpg (10.4 L/100 km) in the city and 29 mpg (8.2 L/100 km) on the highway. We can’t really comment on real world fuel economy as the big roof-mounted tent did nothing to help consumption on our lengthy highway jaunts.

The 2025 Mazda CX-50 comes with all-wheel drive standard and our tested includes 8.6-inches (218 mm) of ground clearance. That’s a fraction off the Subaru Forester and even with the road-bias 245/45R20 tires, the SUV can scramble over pothole-stricken gravel roads. Of course, it is not as capable as the CX-50 Meridian, but the 3,741 pound (1,729 kg) SUV is better suited for the dirt than some key rivals.

That stated, the CX-50 (Meridian excluded) is meant more for on-road driving and those wide, low profile tires work with a well sorted chassis to deliver better driving characteristics than most of the competition. Is it sports car like? Not quite. But the CX-50 responds to inputs quickly and is very predictable when hustling through on-ramps.

Last year, the CX-50 received suspension updates that have done a lot for the SUV. The way it rides reminds us of the Meridian, which is a good thing. The 2025 Mazda CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus/GT Turbo is still on the slightly stiffer side for the segment, but not nearly as jarring as before. This is a big plus on rough roads when approaching camping spots, and as we wrote above, handling hasn’t really been affected.

Inside there is space for four adults comfortably, with the rear seat offering 37.5-inches (952 mm) of headroom and 39.8-inches (1,012 mm) of legroom. Being the top-of-the-line, both front seat occupants have heated, ventilated, power seats. Those in the rear also get heated seats on the outside positions.

In the cargo area there is a generous 31.4 cu ft (890 L) of storage space behind the back seats. While on the topic of cargo, we need to point out that having a tent attached to the roof does add a good deal of wind noise at highway speeds.

When not driving the CX-50, there are some key features that are great for camping. First, having a light on the cargo hatch and one in the cargo area is a huge plus when getting something from the back of the vehicle at night. The 12V outlet in the cargo hold is also a big plus as it allows us to plug in our cooler fridge when in motion.

We also can’t explain just how key a power liftgate is when using the back of a vehicle as a combination pantry, fridge, storage locker, and security safe. We were opening and closing it dozens of times a day. The CX-50’s reinforced roof is another good feature for those with a roof tent who are camping in areas where sleeping on the ground is less than ideal.

One feature we would change on the SUV is a way to keep the exterior lights off when putting it in accessory mode or starting the engine. It’s an inconvenience to have to manually switch the lights off every time the ignition is pressed, and our neighbouring campers probably weren’t too crazy about the random bursts of light either.

Aside from features already mentioned, the Turbo Premium Plus/GT Turbo CX-50 also includes rain sensing wipers, head-up display, 10-25-inch infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, windshield wiper de-icer, and much more. The full active safety systems, including adaptive cruise control, speed limit assist, and traffic sign recognition, are also present.

The interior remains one of the more premium looking and feeling. We like that there are a lot of hard buttons and things are not wholly touchscreen dependant. The infotainment system doesn’t annoy us as much as it once did as we’re getting used to it and like some of its features. We just wish the volume knob on the center console was for seek, not replay when it comes the Satellite radio.

Pricing for the 2025 Mazda CX-50 starts at $31,995 (all prices include destination charges) in the United States. As tested, the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus came in at $44,995. The CX-50 Turbo doesn’t really have a direct competitor in its class, until the Volkswagen Tiguan R shows up. Right now, most other SUVs the size of the CX-50 and with decent levels of power, are hybrids. A fully loaded Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Honda CR-V Hybrid, or Hyundai Tucson Hybrid costs a few thousand dollars less than the CX-50 we had on hand.

In Canada, the starting price for the CX-50 is $41,405, but there are far less trims to choose from. Our tester came in at $49,305 which is a very competitive price for the market, making the CX-50 GT Turbo more of a value.

Sport Utility Vehicles are still great choices for camping, but maybe for different reasons than in the past. Capable of hauling the family plus their gear, the vehicle can then double as a central storage hub during a weekend in the woods.

The 2025 Mazda CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus/GT Turbo is a bit of overkill for a camping excursion. If we are going to pay this kind of money to take a CX-50 camping, we’ll probably get the more capable Meridan, or maybe a lower spec non-turbo for a lot less money. Regardless of that, the CX-50 remains a stylish, yet wholly practical entry in a tough segment. The vehicle offers plenty of options and choice, and the higher trims, like our tester, also includes a few niceties to make that outdoor adventure more enjoyable.

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