Compare the2025 Mazda CX-50VS 2024 Ford Edge

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the CX-50 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Edge doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Mazda CX-50 achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Ford Edge has not been tested.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus has standard Smart Brake Support-Reverse that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Edge doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus has a standard 360° Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Edge only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the CX-50 and Edge have rear cross-traffic warning, but the CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus has Rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Edge’s Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the CX-50 and the Edge have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mazda CX-50 is safer than the Ford Edge:

	CX-50	Edge
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	100	212
Neck Stress	209 lbs.	229 lbs.
Neck Compression	11 lbs.	21 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	222/219 lbs.	165/596 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	211	282
Neck Injury Risk	22%	35.2%
Neck Stress	106 lbs.	197 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mazda CX-50 is safer than the Ford Edge:

	CX-50	Edge
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	35	84
Chest Movement	.7 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	144 lbs.	190 lbs.
Hip Force	114 lbs.	192 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	67	103
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	41 G’s
Hip Force	499 lbs.	635 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	16 inches
HIC	214	257
Spine Acceleration	28 G’s	38 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Mazda CX-50 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Edge is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda above average in long-term dependability. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Ford is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda 7 places higher in reliability than Ford.

Engine

As tested in Car and Driver the Mazda CX-50 is faster than the Ford Edge turbo 4 cyl.:

	CX-50	Edge
Zero to 60 MPH	7.6 sec	8.3 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	20.4 sec	23.3 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	8.4 sec	9 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	4.2 sec	4.3 sec
Quarter Mile	15.8 sec	16.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	89 MPH	86 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the CX-50 gets better mileage than the Edge:

			MPG
CX-50
	AWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	39 city/37 hwy
		2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/31 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
Edge
	AWD	2.7 turbo V6	19 city/25 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CX-50 (except Turbo/Hybrid)’s fuel efficiency. The Edge doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the CX-50 Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Edge doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The CX-50 has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Edge. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

The CX-50 has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Edge doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The CX-50 stops much shorter than the Edge:

	CX-50	Edge
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	187 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The CX-50 handles at .87 G’s, while the Edge Titanium pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The CX-50 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Edge Titanium (26.8 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CX-50 Hybrid’s turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the Edge’s (35.4 feet vs. 39.3 feet). The CX-50’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Edge’s (36 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CX-50 2.5 S Premium Plus has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Edge ST (8.6 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the CX-50 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Mazda CX-50 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 500 pounds less than the Ford Edge.

The CX-50 is 3 inches shorter than the Edge, making the CX-50 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the CX-50 easier. The CX-50’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.4 inches, while the Edge’s liftover is 29.6 inches.

Towing

The CX-50’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Edge’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Ergonomics

The CX-50 Premium Plus/Turbo Premium has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Edge doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CX-50’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Edge’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The CX-50’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Edge’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The CX-50’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Edge’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

When the CX-50 Turbo is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Edge’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Mazda CX-50 and Ford Edge offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The CX-50 offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Edge’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Mazda CX-50 and the Ford Edge, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Mazda CX-50 outsold the Ford Edge by 21% during 2024.

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