2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Premium Plus vs 2025 Subaru Forester Touring Hybrid: Two crossovers that definitely needed an economy option.

This week: Mazda CX-50 Hybrid.

Price: $41,470 as tested. No options on test vehicle.

Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver liked the "significant fuel-economy bump” that “doesn't sacrifice much acceleration,” with he “same nice interior as the nonhybrid CX-50.” But they complained the "continuously variable automatic transmission saps fun, added weight hurts handling, tow rating suffers.”

Marketer’s pitch: “Refined performance to go farther and experience more.”

Reality: Only one of these hybrids really gets to be called “economical.”

What’s new: The whole thing, as far as the hybrid version is concerned. This is Mazda’s small SUV entrant, new for the 2

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