Shadowing Practice: 2026 Mazda CX-50 | Review & Road Test - Learn English Speaking with Video

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You didn't forget about the CX -50 from Mazda, did you?

Yeah, they have a brand new CX -5 hitting dealership showrooms right now, but this was originally supposed to be its replacement.

But now since we have that new CX -5, I think it's about time we revisit the CX -50

and see why it's still a fantastic alternative to the super popular CX -5.

One major benefit of getting the CX -50 over that new CX -5 is in engine choice.

The only option on the new CX -5 is this model's base engine, which is a 2 .5 liter inline -four, making 187 horsepower.

You can get that here, or you can get the turbocharged version, which I have here, one of my favorite powertrains out there.

This makes 256 horsepower and 320 pound -feet of torque if you use premium fuel, but if you use regular,

those numbers drop down just a bit.

But that makes this one of the most powerful options in the segment aside from the new Volkswagen Tiguan Turbo.

The third option is a Toyota -sourced hybrid making 219 horsepower.

That's the same powertrain you found in the last generation RAV4 and various other products in their lineup.

And that's going to be the one you want if you want over 30 miles per gallon easily.

That car is very, very efficient and you get the same exact Mazda qualities you find here just with that Toyota powertrain.

However, if you want the most fun, definitely get the CX50 Turbo while it still lasts,

because that CX -5 losing the turbo makes me think that it's not long for the world here in the CX50 either.

Because there haven't been major updates to this model, nor has there been even a light refresh,

my thoughts on front seat comfort have stayed the exact same the entire time this car has been out,

and those thoughts are that it's one of the more comfortable cars and more comfortable driving positions in this segment.

If you go into Mazda showrooms and you step into a CX50 and then perhaps a CX -70 or 90,

and then after that, the new CX -5, you're going to experience three different design motifs for their interiors.

This particular interior goes back to about 2019 with the Mazda 3.

That car introduced this generation interior theming, and it still holds up today, especially compared to others in the competitive set,

even new ones that have just debuted.

The telltale sign

that this is not one of Mazda's latest interiors is with the piano black plastic

they use quite a bit down here in the center console

and that's an area with high traffic cups keys just knickknacks

and items are always going to be thrown around in this area therefore you're going to get some scratches

and you're definitely going to get some fingerprints

yes it looks nice at first but over time this starts to get

so scratched up looking even a year old model will look like it's been beaten up

and used for like five years so that is something

that the company has moved away from in the cx70 90

and the new 5 but we still see it here whether

or not Mazda decides to give this car a refresh with an updated interior, we'll have to wait and see.

But at the current moment, no word on that.

One thing that sticks around in the new CX -5

and is of course here is the very soft and supple steering wheel.

This is something that Matt Deegan commented on in his CX -5 first drive.

And it is one of my favorite things about the Mazda interiors of this era.

This thing feels like butter in your hands.

It is just the softest leather wrapping I've ever felt on a steering wheel.

And it just makes you want to get in the car

and drive because this is the place your hands are going to be most of the time.

There is no hands -free driving assistant in this car, so even with the more advanced lane centering and lane tracing and adaptive cruise,

yeah, you're still going to have to touch the wheel, and this is a pretty darn good one to have to touch.

This interior also is a relic of the Mazda rotary scroll wheel era.

This is probably one of the last cars you'll ever see Mazda use this in.

The CX -70 and 90 kind of do a combination where they have the new interior look with the new materials,

but they kept the rotary knob and the sort of touchscreen up at the top.

What I mean by that is it's a touchscreen most of the time, but in some situations, if you're driving, it will lock out the touchscreen.

But if you're using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, it will work.

And I've noticed in the settings here, you can turn that off altogether.

So the touchscreen can operate while you're driving.

That is actually a setting you can change in the infotainment.

This premium plus trim does have a head up display.

It's a pretty small and basic one, but it's nice to have.

And as you move over to the dashboard, you'll see a mix of materials up top injection molded plastic that's not super squishy

but it's not fully hard plastic

then you have some sort of vinyl leatherette wrapping here with the real stitching the contrast stitching

this all looks very nice though i do prefer the the chestnut brown interior color they offer

that would go really well with this green color on the outside

because this is not that new cx5 you do still have physical controls for your air conditioning so

So knobs, buttons, toggles, all you need.

You don't have to go to the touchscreen.

And that is going to be a deal breaker for a lot of you with that new CX -5,

which is why I am so happy that the CX -50 will still be around,

to give you that extra choice in case you want the size, but you don't want that fancy all touch -based infotainment.

Down in the center console, you will see a lot more buttons and controls than you will on the new CX -5,

but you'll see about the same as you would on a CX -70 or 90 because,

like I said, that interior design is very similar to this, meaning you do have the control wheel,

you have the four quadrant buttons to control certain functions and how to navigate the system, you have your parking brake and an auto hold button.

Unfortunately, this is the type of auto brake hold that you have to turn on every time you get into the car,

so keep that in mind if you do like that feature.

You will have to press this button every single time.

And finally, we have a favorites button and the volume knob.

And the volume knob is in a perfect position right here where your right hand rests on the center console armrest.

There is a sunglass holder here if you like to store your sunglasses like Mike Danger.

Because I'm in a premium plus trim, that means we have the Nappa leather seats.

And these have this nice sort of copper brownish accenting, this tube accenting in the leather design.

It's very, very attractive for a black leather interior.

Me personally, I have not sat in the new CX -5, but traditionally a CX -5 has a taller greenhouse,

a taller cabin, and that's why a lot of people go for it

because it does feel like it sits a little bit higher off the ground, even though this does have more ground clearance,

but the overall just shape of the car

and the atmosphere of the cabin is a little bit more open and airy in a CX -5,

and I don't think that has changed with the new one, especially considering that it got bigger.

But here in the CX -50, at 5 '9", I still have gobs and gobs of headroom, especially with the panoramic moonroof.

But even with the headliner right above the left side of my head, I'm five plus inches away from it.

So very, very good with the overall comfort of the front seats.

Now, rear seat space might be one area where the new

CX -5 does have a leg up over the CX -50 here.

Though I do have plenty of space, I could have a little bit more knee room.

My knees are pretty close to the back of the seat where I was sitting.

So if you want more knee room, you have taller passengers, taller kids,

you might want to look into that CX -5 or even jumping up to the CX -70,

which is a model that Mazda created to give people the option of a two row

that was much bigger than a CX -50 or five.

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So if you need more space, but you don't need a third row, that's what the CX -70 is for.

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But here again, it's very, very comfortable for me at my size.

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Now moving into the center seat.

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There is a hump down in the floor

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and the back of this seat is a little hard but that is to be expected in any car like this.

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On this top trim you do have air vents back here in the center console

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and three level heated seats in the outboard position as well as two USB -C charge boards.

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So in summary this is not the biggest back seat in the world but it's also a very comfortable one.

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The seat backs themselves are just about as squishy and comfortable as the seats up front.

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The seat bottom is not too low so I don't feel like I'm,

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you know, my knees are up really high off the ground but I can also squeeze my feet under the front seat.

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There's quite a lot of foot room down there which is great.

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Cargo capacity is certainly not at the top of the class but it's still very accommodating.

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You've got 31 .4 cubic feet behind the second row and 56 .3 with the seats folded.

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The great thing is going for the hybrid model does not mean you lose any space back here.

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Those numbers are the exact same for that electrified option.

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For comparison, the new CX -5 swallows 33 .7 and 66 .5 respectively,

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while the CX -70 bumps those numbers up to 39 .6 and 75 .3,

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giving you a trifecta of two -row multipurpose all -wheel drive crossovers all in the same showroom.

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What you aren't going to find in

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that brand spanking new CX -5 is this turbocharged engine and

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that is one of the main reasons why I still love the CX -50.

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But I did say earlier that, you know, it's probably not long for this world.

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If the CX -5 is losing it, I can't imagine this car has much demand for it either

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since this car doesn't even sell as well as the CX -5.

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However, we of course don't know sales figures on the new one because it just came out.

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But on this engine, the reason I love it so much is

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because even though it is using an older six -speed automatic and is very, very thirsty.

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The sounds it makes, the smoothness of the inputs, the buttery smooth throttle response and brake feel,

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everything about it is just elevated over anything else in this segment.

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And I can't imagine that the new CX -5 loses any of that charm,

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but you just don't get quite the full package without this turbo engine.

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Because this is the most powerful version,

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we are also in the fastest CX -50 with a zero to 60 time just a hair below seven seconds,

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which is perfectly fine for 99 % of people who will buy something like this.

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And the way the car accelerates, the way it goes about its duties, it's just premium feeling.

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It's just upscale.

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There's just something, there's a touch of magic Mazda has

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that makes them able to give you that premium to near luxury driving experience without paying the price for it.

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And the other noises you hear, like I've mentioned, the engine note is very sweet sounding.

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It's just a pleasant engine note for a four -cylinder engine.

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In fact, I would say this is one of the best sounding turbocharged four -cylinder engines.

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that money can buy, even from luxury cars.

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I mean, there are some turbo four cylinders from the German manufacturers

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that don't sound quite as premium or refined as this one.

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So props to Mazda for being able to engineer, or in some cases out -engineer, the Germans.

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One other thing about this car and the Mazda 3

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that have been very notorious for this generation of products is the fact that this platform uses a torsion beam rear suspension.

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Now for you, that just means the rear passengers are not going to see

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quite the same smoothness over rough pavement as the front passengers are.

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And most other cars in this segment do use fully independent rear suspensions,

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but somehow Mazda makes it to where you don't even really notice the difference.

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In fact, this still feels like the most well -balanced driving experience in this segment.

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It's super, super comfortable, not too firm.

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Like I'm going over bumps in the road right now, and yes, you feel them, but they're not, you know, they're not bothersome.

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At the same time, you can still push this car in the curves.

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However, it's still a crossover.

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It's still a big, heavy crossover, so there's only so much you can do in that regard.

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This car is not riding on grippy summer tires, so you will hear tire squeal if you go through a traffic circle with too much haste.

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In terms of cabin noise, I think Mazda does a very good job at isolating you from the outside world,

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though you do hear a little bit more road noise than you do wind noise.

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Now, this is not the Meridian Edition, which rides on all -season knobbier tires.

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I've heard that those are a little bit louder and actually a little bit firmer on the street.

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These on the 20 -inch wheels, they're actually perfectly fine.

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I have no complaints with the ride quality on these wheels.

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The other noise you will hear is the sound system.

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This is rocking the Bose Centerpoint sound system

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that was designed specifically for Mazda interiors with strategically placed speakers so they don't cause rattling in the door panels.

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And I will continue to say that this is absolutely the best sound system for under $60 ,000.

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It somehow masters the clarity and the balanced dynamics

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that I'm looking for in a sound system without giving you

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that muddled feeling or that muddled sound effect that you get from a surround sound system.

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So props to Mazda for still having one of, if not the best audio systems.

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When the CX -50 first debuted, it did not offer any sort of lane tracing assist for the adaptive cruise control or just in general.

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And that is something that Hyundai and Kia have offered for a while,

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the ability to use lane tracing assist even when you're not using adaptive cruise control.

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But this car didn't even come with it at all before.

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Now it does come with it.

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You can turn it on by the steering wheel button right here that has a little steering wheel icon on it.

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And when you're using adaptive cruise on the highway, it will actually actively steer you through your curves.

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So it's no longer going to do any of that ping ponging it used to do.

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However, the system is not quite as confidence inspiring as Hyundai or Kia's or even Toyotas.

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So I'm glad to see they have it here now, but it's definitely also not a hands -free system.

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This is, even though Hyundai and Kia system is not a hands -free system,

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you can actually take your hands off the wheel for a little bit longer than you can here.

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If you keep your hand off the wheel for more than five seconds, it's going to start yelling at you.

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One area where this car will definitely be inferior to the new CX -5 is in fuel economy,

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but that's only because they're not offering the turbo in the CX -5.

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You can only get the naturally aspirated version of this engine there

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so obviously it's going to do better

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but right now you can get this as the hybrid as i've already mentioned

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which you will have to wait at least a year for in the new cx5

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so if you want this experience this car driving experience the mazda cx50

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or even the cx5 experience

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but you want the hybrid efficiency cx50 is really the only choice you have right now

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and i averaged about 19 miles per gallon here in this you'll average well into the 30s with the hybrid

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and probably well into the mid to high 20s with the naturally aspirated version.

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The CX -50 is available in multiple trim levels, ranging from the 2 .5 S Select for $31 ,395 all

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the way up to the fully loaded 2 .5 Turbo Premium Plus for $44 ,395.

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You can bump that number up even higher by going for one of Mazda's extra cost paint choices

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or one of their many factory installed accessories.

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You can find these in the realm of outdoor adventure, camping, and even dog friendliness.

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This top trim is the only one in which you will find the 360 -degree surround view camera system, the frameless auto -dimming rearview mirror,

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two -person memory settings for the front seats, and the towing drive mode,

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as the turbo -equipped models have a 3 ,500 -pound towing capacity versus the non -turbo's 2 ,000.

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The CX -50

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Hybrid sheds a few trim levels from the mix,

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including the more adventure -oriented Meridian Edition that's available with both the naturally aspirated 2 .5 and 2 .5 turbo engines.

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The base hybrid preferred trim starts at $36 ,245 while the hybrid premium plus tops things off at $41 ,945.

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That model comes with pretty much everything that this turbo premium plus trim does aside from the towing drive mode.

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So if 38 miles per gallon combined sounds more like your jam, we can't recommend the hybrid enough.

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But do us a favor, give this turbo a try and see if it doesn't move the needle for you.

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We'll definitely miss it once it's gone.

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It is super rare, in fact, completely unique, honestly, for a car company to offer two models in the same segment,

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like the CX -5 and 50 here at Mazda.

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And though that wasn't the original plan for these two,

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I am glad to see that Mazda is going to continue to offer people the choice between them.

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Because they each have their own unique personas and their own strengths and weaknesses.

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And luckily, since you can find them both in the same showroom, it shouldn't take you too long to decide which one's right for you.

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If you have already made that decision and are ready to make a purchase, Kelly Bluba can help you find a fair purchase price with

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the link up here in the top right corner of your screen.

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Now, if it were my money, which compact Mazda crossover would I get?

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Definitely the CX -50.

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It starts at a hair below the new CX -5, has a more station wagon -y, rugged look that I admire more,

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and offers more powertrain diversity, at least for right now.

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Mazda is bringing their own dedicated hybrid system to

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that new CX -5 in a few years or actually they're promising next year

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But for now if you want a hybrid in this category,

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you're gonna have to go CX -50 and for that I'm gonna give it the leg up here

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131 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “2026 Mazda CX-50”. This video has 228 sentences and 3293 words to shadow. The speech runs for 15:57. The speaker talks fast, about 206 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
hybrid noun	/ˈhaɪ.bɹɪd/	Offspring resulting from cross-breeding different entities, e.g. two different species or two purebred parent strains.
turbo noun	/ˈtɝ.boʊ/	A turbine.
premium noun	/ˈpɹiː.miː.əm/	A prize or award.
trim verb	/ˈtɹɪm/	To reduce slightly; to cut; especially, to remove excess.
segment noun	/ˈsɛɡmɛnt/	A length of some object.
steer verb	/stɪɹ/	To guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc. (by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or steering wheel).
leather noun	/ˈlɛðɚ/	A tough material produced from the skin of animals, by tanning or similar process, used e.g. for clothing; often denotes leather from cattle when no qualifier…
knee noun	/ni/	In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank.
cruise noun	/kɹuz/	A sea or lake voyage, especially one taken for pleasure.
console noun	/ˈkɑn.soʊl/	A stand-alone cabinet designed to stand on the floor; especially, one integrated with home entertainment equipment, such as a TV or stereo system.
automobile noun	/ˈɔː.tə.məˌbil/	A type of motor vehicle designed to move on the ground under its own stored power and intended to carry a driver, a small number of additional passengers, and…
crossover noun		A place where one thing crosses over another.
adaptive adjective	/əˈdæp.tɪv/	Of, pertaining to, characterized by or showing adaptation; making or made fit or suitable.
naturally adverb	/ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/	In a natural manner.
passenger noun	/ˈpæs.ɪn.d͡ʒɚ/	One who rides or travels in a vehicle, but who does not operate it and is not a member of the crew.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
come out verb	/ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/	To be discovered; to be revealed.
drop down verb		To sail, move, or row down a coast, or down a river to the sea.
go back to verb		To stem from; to originate in.
go through verb		To travel from one end of something to the other.
going over noun		An inspection, examination, review, or investigation.
hand off verb		To pass (the ball) to a teammate.
hands off		Refrain from touching; refrain from initiating any physical contact.
head up verb		To lead or take the lead in; to direct; to take charge of.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	if you're driving, it will lock
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	haven't been · have stayed · have just debuted
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	be thrown · been beaten · be expected
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	engine, which is · there which is · people who will

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 57 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: leather /ˈlɛðɚ/, smooth /smuːð/, altogether /ɔl.tuˈɡɛð.ɚ/, thirsty /ˈθɝs.ti/, bothersome /ˈbɑðɚsəm/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: luxury /ˈlʌk.ʃə.ɹi/, refresh /ɹɪˈfɹɛʃ/, contrast /kənˈt(ʃ)ɹæst/, efficient /ɪˈfɪʃənt/, efficiency /ɪˈfɪʃ.ən.si/
Long words — get the stress right: automobile /ˈɔː.tə.məˌbil/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, respectively /ɹɪˈspɛktɪvli/, efficiency /ɪˈfɪʃ.ən.si/, automatic /ˌɔː.təˈmæt.ɪk/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like hybrid, turbo, premium.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: 2026 Mazda CX-50 | Review & Road Test - Learn English Speaking with Video

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