Of course, like any car, the CX-50 is not perfect. It has more ground clearance than most crossovers for going off-road, but not as much as you’ll find on a Subaru equivalent like the Outback. However, lower ground clearance generally means better handling both on and off the concrete, so that’s a trade-off. Trunk space is better in Honda and Toyota rivals, including the CR-V and the RAV4, but those sacrifice some rear passenger space.
A third important factor to consider is that the starting price of the CX-50 is quite attractive at $30,300 for a well-equipped all-wheel-drive compact crossover that performs this well. For that money, though, you’re getting the less powerful, albeit adequate, engine. The 2.5 Turbo model starts at $38,000, while the Turbo Premium Plus tops the range at $43,300. It’s so good that, when compared with Lexus models, it looks like a good deal as the feature set, interior materials, and build quality are up to the comparison.