BEST 2025 MAZDA MODELS CARBUZZ TESTED - AND THOSE WE CAN'T WAIT TO DRIVE IN 2026
Japanese brand Mazda is not short of competitive models currently in the market, and our opportunities to get behind the wheel of 2025 models have reiterated why this automaker is so beloved. From their expanding fleet of family-oriented crossovers to the brand’s long-running rear-wheel drive, lightweight sports car, the Mazda MX-5, the brand is continuing to offer a great balance between upmarket product feel with engaging, fun-to-drive platforms; in addition with continued development of its internal ‘SkyActiv’ family of powertrains and transmissions as they explore more ways electrification, or hybrids can be integrated in their product range.
Featured here are some of the best 2025 Mazdas we drove, and looking into the future, some of the most exciting Mazdas we look forward to driving in the coming year.
This ranking looks at all the 2025 Mazda models we drove; we rank them based on the assigned BuzzScore for each model, from lowest to highest. Find out more about our rating methodology here. First Drives without BuzzScores assigned are excluded. The base MSRPs quoted exclude destination fees and other costs, and specs are correct at the time of writing.
Best 2025 Mazda Models CarBuzz Tested
2025 Mazda 3 Hatchback
The 2025 Mazda 3 Hatchback won our praise as one of the best Mazdas to buy this year. The current-generation Mazda 3 has been on sale within the North American market since the 2019 model year, but continues to be a solid offering when compared against other models in its class, such as the Toyota Corolla Hatchback. Not only has the Mazda 3 won us and any number of potential buyers with its athletic, sporty design, we praised it for its attention to detail within its cabin design that makes it feel far more premium for its price range.
"Open the door, and the Mazda3 looks and feels like something you’d expect from a European premium brand. The cabin is minimalist in all the right ways. The dashboard design avoids the clutter and overcomplication of many rivals: Mazda still uses a rotary controller for the infotainment system, which means you’re not constantly jabbing at a screen while driving. There are soft-touch surfaces, precise stitching, and solid-feeling controls. And everything is where you expect it to be. In the 3, and across the lineup, Mazda has built one of the most intuitive interiors on the market."
- Roger Biermann, Managing Editor, CarBuzz
In addition to these selling points, the Mazda3 delivers a surprisingly fun and engaging driving experience for a vehicle in this segment, with an available 2.5L turbocharged four-cylinder engine and/or a 6-speed manual also available among the higher trims. All-wheel drive is also available on these more expensive trims. On top of this, prices for the Mazda 3 hatchback begin below $30,000, making it one of the best value-for-money Mazda models to go for.
2025 Mazda CX-50
Compared to other Japanese brands like Toyota and Lexus that have widely embraced gasoline hybrid powertrains, Mazda has, up until relatively recently, stuck with only offering full gasoline engines across their entire range for the North American market. Mazda now offers a variety of hybrid models in its crossover/SUV lineups
The 2025 Mazda CX-50 served as the brand’s first steps into hybrid power, adding the option for this powertrain alongside its full gasoline 2.5L four-cylinder, with and without turbocharging. While the hybrid system is one sourced from Toyota (also used in the RAV4 Hybrid) to save on costs to engineer a system from the ground up, Mazda ensures the CX-50 Hybrid retains its key design language and handling characteristics, ensuring this isn't simply a RAV4 with Mazda badges stuck on.
"Anyone who has ever driven the gas-only CX-50 should feel right at home in the hybrid; it just moves along a bit differently. The Toyota hybrid system doesn't use a transmission with gears, meaning the acceleration is uninterrupted, but it sounds very different from other Mazda vehicles. This might take some getting used to for traditional Mazda owners, but it seems like the company did a nice job insulating the engine noise from intruding into the cabin. The CX-50 Hybrid feels noticeably quieter than the RAV4 Hybrid, both in terms of engine and road noise. Even the hybrid "hum" at low speeds is less detectable.
Other elements of the driving experience remain typical Mazda. The steering is nicely weighted and delivers confidence, and the handling is pretty athletic despite a lack of grip from the tires. Compared to the RAV4, the CX-50's ride is noticeably firmer, but not enough to disturb occupants or ruin its daily functionality."
- Jared Rosenholtz, Editor-at-Large, CarBuzz
Other alluring qualities of the CX-50, in both gasoline and hybrid form, include standard all-wheel drive, an available powered tailgate on some models, several safety assist features (blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert), and Alexa Built-In services integrated into the infotainment system.
2025 Mazda CX-70
The 2025 Mazda CX-70 also makes our list among the best Mazdas we drove this year, and we feel it also wins points for being one of the best-looking Mazdas to come out in recent times. It may be a full-size SUV primarily aimed at families, but Mazda has still attempted to integrate their ‘Kodo’ design philosophy and engaging chassis dynamics, all of which make this one of the better handling SUVs in the market today.
The CX-70 is also available as a plug-in hybrid model, with a 2.5L four-cylinder PHEV sold alongside the 3.3L turbocharged six-cylinder engine. Our impressions of the CX-70 PHEV found that, despite its smaller engine capacity and fewer cylinders, that didn’t seriously impede overall acceleration and getting to enjoy this SUV through the corners.
"The hybrid engine provided plenty of power to get the CX-70 moving. It accelerated strongly from a complete stop and still delivered plenty of passing power on the highway. It’s responsive with an 8-speed automatic transmission that did a good job of managing the engine’s power. This is a large SUV, so it doesn’t handle like a Miata. But for its size, it's fantastic. It stays controlled during quick highway lane changes without any sloppiness or body roll. The CX-70 is a great highway cruiser, but it’s just as at home on country roads."
- Nicole Wakelin, Road Tester, CarBuzz
The addition of a plug-in hybrid system also brings a decent range for all-electric power compared to other PHEVs of this size, and we feel this Mazda SUV offers some great competition to rival the Korean equivalents, such as the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid.
Best Mazda Cars We Can't Wait To Drive In 2026
2026 Mazda CX-5
The Mazda CX-5 has proven to be one of the most popular Mazda products since its debut, and it continues to be a popular compact crossover SUV among a segment dominated by the likes of the Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, and Nissan Rouge. But the current second-generation CX-5 has been on sale since 2017, and aside from a minor facelift done from 2021 onwards, has been in desperate need of a major refresh.
News about the 2026 Mazda CX-5 has been released, including photos from Mazda showcasing its all-new design, new cabin features, and powertrains that will aim to give Mazda’s important SUV model a decent shot at giving the latest iteration of its rivals some competition, especially the all-new Toyota RAV4 and the Korean Hyundai Tucson/Kia Sportage models.
"The strong demand for the CX-5, despite competition from within Mazda's own ranks, proves its importance; that's why Mazda can't afford to get the third-generation CX-5 wrong. The current model may be a strong seller, but there's room to improve its ride quality, onboard technology, and overall practicality if Mazda wants to compete against the segment's best. Visual changes are to be expected, but this will be a case of evolution, not revolution."
- Roger Biermann, Managing Editor, CarBuzz
Some of the highlights to expect from the all-new CX-5 include Mazda’s redesigned infotainment UI, now a larger center screen that is stated to feature integrated Google Apps, a more spacious second row for occupants, and the addition of Mazda’s new hybrid powertrain, a variant of their new four-cylinder ‘SkyActiv-Z’ engine, which is planned to debut in this model.
2026 Mazda MX-5
We don’t expect a lot to change with the 2026 Mazda MX-5, but that is totally fine by us. The latest MX-5 was great as a roadster when it debuted, and it continues to be a great choice as a sports car to this day — another case where ‘more’ changes don’t necessarily need to be done to improve on a product that is already good to begin with.
"The MX-5 is designed to be fun on back roads or at the track, not to race in a straight line at traffic lights or be challenging to drive hard. So while 181 hp isn't a lot on paper, the MX-5 doesn't need more. There aren't many cars this reasonably priced that offer so much in terms of fun, driving pleasure, fuss-free commuting, and a load of features. There's a reason the Miata has a cult-like following across all its generations, and the latest models are likely to gain just as many fans."
- Ian Wright, CarBuzz
There is potential for Mazda to introduce more special edition models that bring more vivid exterior items and upgrades to the chassis/platform — which should leave many content until Mazda finally unveils further details of the follow-up to the ND-generation MX-5: the ‘NE-generation’ or whatever designation they intend to follow. There are also rumors Mazda may be bring in an updated powertrain, still utilizing internal combustion power, but with a mild hybrid or some combination of PHEV systems — approaches Mazda may have to implement to ensure their famed Roadster continues to meet stricter emission/fuel economy regulations, but will have to do so in a manner without sacrificing their ‘Jinbai Ittai’ (horse and rider as one) philosophy that makes the MX-5, an MX-5.
2025-10-13T02:39:42ZSources: Mazda