Mazda CX-50 Turbo Got Worse Gas Mileage Than My New 400HP Ford Explorer V6, And The Seats Caused Unbearable Pain After Just 2 Hours Of Driving

By any rational measure, the Mazda CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus is one of the most dynamically competent crossovers in its class. It’s got the looks, clean, athletic lines with just enough attitude to make Subaru drivers nervous, and a chassis that feels like someone in Hiroshima quietly slipped a little Miata DNA into the blueprints.



When we drove the car, we loved it. But not everyone feels that way.

Falling In Love With The Wrong Car

Sometimes a machine, no matter how well-tuned or thoughtfully crafted, just doesn’t work for the person behind the wheel. As one Redditor discovered, love at first sight doesn’t always lead to happily ever after.

Sometimes it leads to a herniated disc and more gas station visits than a mid-2000s Hummer.

“I bought into all of the hype about it punching above its price tag.” 

Wrote user ranchero_colectivo, who chronicled his experience owning a 2024 CX-50 Turbo on r/cars. A self-professed Mazda loyalist, he went all in, top trim, turbo motor, premium fuel.

Mazda CX‑50 Cabin & Cargo Space: Headroom, Legroom & Storage Capacity Breakdown

• Equipped with a 2.5-liter turbocharged Skyactiv-G engine, the CX-50 delivers up to 256 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque when using 93-octane fuel. Opting for regular 87-octane fuel yields 227 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. This powertrain is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive, ensuring responsive acceleration and confident handling across various driving conditions. 
• The CX-50 offers ample space for both passengers and cargo. It provides 39.1 inches of front headroom and 38.6 inches in the rear, with legroom measuring 41.7 inches in the front and 39.8 inches in the back. Cargo capacity stands at 31.4 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expanding to 56.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. The vehicle's overall length is 185.8 inches, width is 75.6 inches, and height is 63.5 inches, contributing to its balanced stance and road presence. 
• Designed with adventure in mind, the CX-50 has a towing capacity of up to 3,500 pounds when properly equipped. This makes it suitable for hauling trailers, boats, or recreational equipment, enhancing its versatility for both daily use and weekend getaways.

He needed a foil to his 2023 Corvette Z51, a practical runabout for bad weather and family duty, with a little soul left over for the backroads.

For a while, the CX-50 delivered. He called its handling best-in-class and applauded Mazda’s refinement of the 2.5-liter turbocharged four and great safety. But the glow dimmed quickly. 

“The unusual thing about the CX-50 is that it's the only car I've ever owned that ended up liking less the longer I owned it.” 

He wrote. That’s the kind of admission that lands like a punch to the gut.

The heartbreak began in the driver’s seat, literally. 

"The seats that I thought were acceptable on a 30-minute test drive ended up triggering awful sciatic pain on 2+ hour drives," 

He noted. And breaking them in didn’t help. It’s a deeply personal, physiologically cruel twist. Comfort is subjective, sure, but when the seat itself becomes the reason you dread road trips, the whole car becomes suspect. This wasn’t a case of nitpicking foam density. 

The Design Language Mazda Uses

• KODO design captures the essence of movement found in living beings. By observing the poised stance of a predator or the fluid motion of a dancer, Mazda's designers infuse vehicles with a sense of vitality and readiness, even when stationary. This approach ensures that each car exudes energy and grace, embodying the "Soul of Motion." 
• Embracing the Japanese principles of Yohaku (the beauty of empty space), Sori (balanced curves), and Utsuroi (the play of light and shadow), Mazda's design philosophy emphasizes simplicity and depth. By eliminating unnecessary elements, the design focuses on form and function, allowing subtle curves and surfaces to interact with light, creating a dynamic visual experience. 
• Despite advancements in digital modeling, Mazda maintains a commitment to traditional clay sculpting. Skilled artisans meticulously shape each model by hand, ensuring that the final design resonates with human touch and emotion. This dedication to craftsmanship ensures that every vehicle not only looks stunning but also feels alive, forging a deeper connection

Others on forums like cx50forums.com report satisfaction, even relief from chronic pain in their Mazdas. But for ranchero_colectivo, the CX-50's seat geometry was a dealbreaker.

Then came the real kicker, fuel economy. Mazda claims up to 29 mpg highway with the turbo engine, but our unlucky protagonist couldn’t sniff it. 

“Most of the time, I was getting between 24 and 26 mpg, and this is using premium fuel.” 

He wrote, noting that his new 400-horsepower Ford Explorer V6 returns the same mileage. That’s a galling stat for anyone trying to make sense of modern powertrain efficiency. The CX-50’s tank, just 15.8 gallons, only compounded the issue.

When a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gets you fewer highway miles than a twin-turbo V6 family hauler that weighs nearly a thousand pounds more, something’s not adding up.

Let’s not ignore the broader context, this wasn’t a lemon. Mechanically, the CX-50 was solid. It never stranded him. The interior didn’t rattle itself into pieces. 

An Odd Praise Indeed

He even praised the six-speed auto for being relatively unintrusive, though he admitted it “desperately needs replacing at this point.” What ultimately soured the relationship was the accumulation of tiny discomforts, the buggy wireless CarPlay, the busy high-speed ride, and the rear torsion beam suspension that made the back end feel uncertain on midwestern highways. 

“The ride gets quite busy… and the abundance of wind and road noise… makes this clear to me that a Teutonic autobahn machine this is most certainly not.” 

The replacement? A 2025 Ford Explorer Platinum V6, a choice that left Reddit commenters slack-jawed.

 “I did not see that Ford Explorer twist coming,” 

Wrote one, while another chimed in, 

“Wait, someone buys Ford Explorers other than the police?” 

But here’s the thing, the Explorer gave him what the Mazda couldn’t. 

“Great seats (plus massage functions), great highway ride, is noticeably quieter, has a more useful form factor.” 

He said. And crucially, he no longer felt like he was compromising when he left the Corvette at home. 

“Now… I don’t mind taking the Explorer.”

As ranchero_colectivo put it, 

“Again, I'm not trashing your CX-50 or dissuading you from buying one, it's just that my expectations for it did not line up with what the CX-50 ended up being.”

The spec sheet doesn’t tell you if a seat will ruin your back or if the engine’s power band will annoy you every day at on-ramp speed. And that’s what makes stories like this so valuable. 

Not because they discredit a car, but because they illuminate what the brochures can’t. Mazda will continue building compelling, well-engineered crossovers. But for ranchero_colectivo, it was a brief affair that ended not in fire, but in discomfort and fuel receipts. Sometimes, the heart says yes, but the lumbar says no.

Have you ever wanted to fall in love with a car but just couldn’t make it work? What do you think about the Mazda CX-50? Would you purchase the car if given a chance?



Let us know in the comments below. 

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.