Two notable companies in the crossover SUV class are Hyundai and Mazda. Both of these companies have brought multiple SUVs to their lineups that offer something unique in this saturated class.

However, despite these companies offering solid options, there has been one surprising takeaway from the recently published 2023 sales list involving these two companies; Mazda is doubling up on Hyundai. Currently, the Hyundai Palisade has around 33,574 units sold to date, and the Mazda CX-5 has 67,160 units sold to date.

Why has this Mazda gone so far ahead of the competition? Here is everything you need to know about the Mazda CX-5 and what has made it so popular when compared to the competition

Why has the Mazda CX-5 outsold the Hyundai Palisade?

The Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Palisade are reasonlably similar in size but differ greatly in approach. The CX-5 is a mainstream, no-frills SUV with a ton of unexpected luxury features. The Hyundai Palisade on the other hand is an upmarket SUV with a slight focus on luxury.

The Mazda CX-5 starts at $26,700, and the Palisade starts at $35,550. Quite a price difference, for sure, but the Mazda goes above and beyond by offering luxury features not found on the base model of the Palisade.

Standard features found in the Mazda CX-5 include all-wheel drive, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, and remote trunk release,  all of which are not found on the base model of the Hyundai Palisade.

The CX5 is also much better on fuel than the Palisade, with the all-wheel drive CX-5 getting around 24 mpg city and 30 mpg highway according to U.S. News.

On the other hand, the larger, front-wheel drive Palisade only gets around 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. In just about every aspect, the Mazda is a better buy than the Hyundai, and it is at a much cheaper price point.

One saving grace for the Palisade is that it isn’t in the same segment as the CX-5. The CX-5 is more o fa compact crossover while the Pallisade is squarly in the 3-row midsize SUV segment. A lot of the CX-5’s advantages come with the territory of being a smaller SUV.

Why has it outsold the Hyundai Palisade?

Sadly, the news only gets worse for the Hyundai Palisade. According to GoodCarBadCar, the brand-new Mazda CX-50 is taking even more customers away from the Palisade.

On top of the CX-5’s 67,160 units sold so far this year, the new CX-50 has also sold 17,934 units so far this year. With the CX-5 and CX-50 quickly approaching 100,000 units sold in combined sales for 2023, it is safe to say that the Hyundai Palisade needs to tweak its strategy to reel consumers back in.

For now, the CX-5 and CX-50 share space at Mazda dealer lots, but with both of these crossovers offering nearly identical experiences, we wouldn’t be surprised to the Mazda CX-5 being discontinued after a few more years of production.

For now, the CX-5 will remain, offering a less aggressive and slightly less expensive experience than the CX-50, and both of these crossovers seem like they are bound to take even more of the marketplace with their long list of standard features at some of the lowest prices in the segment.