Sayonara Kizashi!

[KlutzNinja]

Thanks for the additional info on the CX-50. I was wondering if you plan on doing any aftermarket upgrades to it like with your Kizashi? At least all of the exterior lighting is already LEDs (and probably interior, too) lol.
Mazda was apparently notorious for setting the lowbeam way too low out of the factory; is that the case for you? I’ve never messed around with headlight adjustments until I got my 3 and found online that it’s a Mazda thing.

[KuroNekko]

Thanks for the additional info on the CX-50. I was wondering if you plan on doing any aftermarket upgrades to it like with your Kizashi? At least all of the exterior lighting is already LEDs (and probably interior, too) lol.
Mazda was apparently notorious for setting the lowbeam way too low out of the factory; is that the case for you? I’ve never messed around with headlight adjustments until I got my 3 and found online that it’s a Mazda thing.

I'm planning to keep it stock for a while and might entertain a modest lift and AT tires after the comprehensive factory warranty period. There are a few companies that make 1.5 inch lift kit for the CX-50 and it should apply to the hybrid too. However, my reservation is that a lift can void warranty coverage for related components and decrease fuel efficiency. I'm also one who likes to experience the stock form for a while so I have a better sense of what I really want to modify and experience the difference. If anything with this vehicle, it would be to make it a bit more competent on rougher trails but it's been great thus far and I don't intend to get into actual rough offroading as it's a CUV after all.

Also, I got a number of genuine accessories for the CX-50 upon purchase. At the dealer, I got the all-weather floor mats, the all-weather cargo mat, and the mud flaps. I got these through the dealer mostly because the Costco Auto Program offered a discount on accessories at the dealer. I calculated the maximum savings from that program and then sought the crossbars and cargo cover on Offer Up. When I met the seller to purchase the crossbars, he offered me his cargo cover for a mere $20 extra. He was an owner of a pre-owned CX-50 Turbo that came with these accessories he didn't care to keep. Although the crossbars and cargo cover were lightly used, I got them for a fraction of the new price.

Yes, the CX-50 has entirely LED lighting on the exterior and interior. All the turn signals and brake lights are LED. As for the headlights, they were leveled perfectly fine from the factory. I don't know about the Mazda issue you speak of but consider that the CX-50 is made in the USA. I believe the headlight is sourced from Mexico, as Mazda builds certain models there. The CX-50 Hybrid also has auto high beams as standard and in the mountains, they worked well. Overall, I think the LED headlights of the CX-50 work great and I felt confident driving around on the dark trails at night during my camping trip. It initially irked me that the CX-50 didn't even have fog lights on any trims given it's Mazda's most "offroad" model but the reality is that modern LED headlights have made fog lights rather obsolete given their superior output and span over halogens. If anything, LED offroad driving lights make more sense thus the new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Woodland comes with Rigid offroad lights. And of course, auxiliary LED light pods are a popular mod among the offroad community, even on CUVs.

So, my plans for the CX-50 Hybrid don't involve much modifications or tinkering and instead adventures to just enjoy it as is. After all, it's the main reason I moved on from the Kizashi: to get out to places that the Kizashi couldn't really take me while not sacrificing practical efficiency, reliability, and road-handling.