Our Rides: Finding The Meridian

Deep in the woods, only certain vehicles can tackle “The Great Outdoors.” What you’re looking might just surprise you on how well it does when you’re setting foot onto your favorite state park and national forest.

Yet, you seem puzzled. True, this vehicle may remind you of one of our community’s favorites. The one with all-wheel drive, a horizontally opposed engine, and with off-road capability. Actually, we’re referring to the more rugged version of said vehicle. You probably know which one we’re alluding to…

Just to put your active lifestyle selves at ease  – your puzzlement might just be rewarded.

Here’s why: Mazda wants to play in the same sandbox as other rugged, off-road capable vehicles. They have done so in the past. However, they are trying to catch the current wave of popularity of such vehicles.

Instead of ruggedizing one of the vehicles in their lineup, they created an all-new vehicle. It arrived a year ago at Mazda dealerships.

The CX-50 is best described as a more wagon-esque, crossover-ish, SUV-like vehicle. It fits somewhere between the CX-5 and the CX-90 as a two-row model. It competes against that vehicle we alluded to, among other vehicles wearing extra body cladding and wearing all-terrain tires.

This specific version of the CX-50 is what Mazda thinks those active lifestyle consumers amongst us want so badly. Something that looks rough, rugged, and raw. They call it the Meridian Edition.

Our 2024 tester certainly looks the part. The extra cladding and trim distinguish the Meridian Edition from the seven other versions of the CX-50 Mazda offers. Add 18-inch alloy wheels and Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires and a hood decal and you’re ready to go deep to the cabin on the lake.

The CX-50 stands on an 8.5-inch ground clearance, which should be fine for rougher, uneven surfaces. Our tester gets the added bonus of a Roof Platform – a Mazda accessory. It is designed to hold everything from a full-sized spare tire, a cooler, kayaks or canoes, extreme camping gear, or a rooftop tent. All of this to encourage some form of overlanding.

If you strip away all of the Meridian Edition’s extras, the CX-50 is truly a Mazda. The KODO – Soul of Motion design language dictates a shield-like grille with low-profile LED headlamps and horizontal LED tail lamps out back. The roofline is its distinguishing point compared to other Mazda models.

It is worth mentioning that the CX-50 shares its platform with the CX-30 and Mazda3, rather than the CX-5. This dispels the rumors that the popular, venerable, and versatile CX-5 was going away any time soon.

Open any of the wide-opening doors into the cabin and you are greeted with a nicely finished space. The driver is greeted with a combination digital and analog instrument cluster. It offers the information you need with clear readouts. Controls are pretty good overall – including the ones on the steering wheel the climate system.

On top of the center stack is a 10.25-inch infotainment screen. It is too far to reach for us; therefore, you have to use the infotainment knobs and switches on the center console. You can tether your smartphone device wirelessly through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Meridian Edition does not come with SiriusXM as a playback option.

Up to five people sit on two-tone leather upholstery. The front seats’ backrests tend to be on the firm side, yet they offer some support on the sides and on the cushion. People who sit in the back get great headroom. However, taller people may have to negotiate the leg room once they settle in behind the front row. Behind those rear seats is 31.4 cubic feet of cargo space. Folding down the rear seats expands cargo space to 56.3 cubic feet.

Powering the Meridian Edition is a 256-horsepower 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with up to 320 pound-feet of torque. Keep in mind that these numbers are achieve by only putting in premium fuel. You can put in regular gasoline. However, the turbocharged engine’s performance numbers are reduced down to 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. It sends power onward to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

We talk about off-road capability on this CX-50. This is easily done through Mi-Drive, short for the Mazda Intelligent Drive Select system. Through a switch, Mi-Drive enables the driveline to be preset for Off-Road and Towing modes by remapping the drive system for each specific purpose.

In short, the Off-Road mode works in the Mi-Drive system. We took it on a test over a twisty dirt road and some unmarked grass areas. The result was solid traction and maneuverability throughout this course. Thanks to the 8.5-inch ground clearance, there is plenty of protection underneath and space to get through some of the more uneven parts of the dirt road.

On the highway, the ride quality felt a bit on the firm side. It would be easy to blame them on the all-terrain tires, but one would expect a softer ride for the purpose it intends to fulfill. Handling and concerning were just fine. No drama thanks to a controlled roll and lean on evasive maneuvers. We also found some noise coming from the Roof Platform adding to some wind and road noise below it.

The steering was actually quite good with a very good radius managing tighter maneuvers. The on-center feel was fine. The brakes responded solidly and had good pedal feel. Normal and panic stops returned great results with solid action down to the wheels.

You can tow up to 5,000 pounds in the CX-50. Tow mode helps to manage the extra load for competent trailer pulling. In our care, we observed a fuel consumption average of 23.1 MPG.

How much does this vehicle cost? Our 2024 Mazda CX-50 Turbo Meridian Edition arrived with a sticker price of $43,860. The Roof Platform was included in that price as an $899 accessory. The 2024 CX-50 lineup starts at $30,300.

After some time in the CX-50 Meridian Edition, we had a tough time trying not to compare this with that vehicle we alluded to – the Subaru Outback Wilderness. It is a favorite of our community and offers some more protection, higher ground clearance, and a softer ride over the CX-50. Yet, the Mazda offers a strong argument for those who rather want something else. Perhaps, something different.

Is this the right vehicle to find your meridian? It could be. We know you have choices for your active lifestyle full of exploring the outdoors. Therefore, the Mazda CX-50 Meridian Edition is a choice to meet your craving to explore the great expanse of this country.