2026 Mazda CX-50 2.5 S Select: Stamford Buyers Guide

Quick Answer: 2026 CX-50 2.5 S Select

The 2.5 S Select opens the 2026 CX-50 range at $29,900 MSRP, and unlike most compact SUVs at this price it doesn't make you pay extra for traction: i-Activ all-wheel drive is standard, as are wireless Apple CarPlay, Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Alexa Built-in, wireless phone charging, and the complete i-Activsense safety suite. The seats are black leatherette with gray accents rather than bargain cloth. What you give up versus the Preferred is the power liftgate, power driver's seat, moonroof, and parking sensors, a $2,500 walk covered in that trim's guide. Riley Mazda stocks the Select on Myrtle Ave in Stamford.

Where the entry price actually lands

Under $30,000 for a new all-wheel-drive SUV is increasingly rare air, and Mazda got there without hollowing the car out. The Select runs the same 187-hp 2.5-liter engine, six-speed automatic, and AWD hardware as the $34,900 Premium, posts the same 24 city / 30 highway EPA numbers, and carries the same crash structure that helped the 2026 CX-50 earn its IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award. Radar cruise with stop-and-go capability, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and smart braking all ride along at no charge, which matters more on a Connecticut parkway than any styling flourish.

The cabin skips the flash but not the function: a 10.25-inch center display, wireless CarPlay so the phone stays in your pocket, a charging pad, dual-zone climate, and Alexa on board for hands-free directions and reminders. For a first new car, a commuter, or the household's second vehicle, the equipment list reads like the things people actually use.

What waiting for the Preferred buys you

Three conveniences and one piece of glass: the hands-free rear liftgate, the 8-way power driver's seat with heat, front and rear parking sensors, and the panoramic moonroof that became standard on the Preferred this year. If those four items earn a shrug, the Select is the value play of the entire lineup and leaves nearly $2,500 for a roof rack, a set of winter tires, or the first two years of Connecticut's motor-vehicle tax bills.

A Select-money buyer's experience

Shoppers at this end of the range are usually the most price-alert people in the building, which makes the store's review pattern worth noting. Michael R., a CX-50 buyer: "There was no haggling or negotiating and still ended up with a super good deal on my CX-50." That squares with how the store describes itself; the Riley family has run dealerships in Stamford since 1959 and treats the no-pressure quote as a house rule, not a promotion.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the 2026 CX-50 2.5 S Select?

$29,900 MSRP before the $1,495 destination charge, Connecticut's 6.35% sales tax, registration, and the annual municipal vehicle tax. The pricing & leasing guide stacks it all up, and current offers post to the specials page monthly.

Does the base CX-50 have all-wheel drive?

Yes. Every 2026 CX-50, the Select included, has i-Activ AWD standard. There is no front-drive version to accidentally buy, which simplifies winter shopping in a way few rivals match.

Is the Select missing any safety equipment?

No meaningful piece of it. The i-Activsense suite, including Smart Brake Support, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, and radar cruise, is standard here. Higher trims add convenience aids like the 360-degree camera on the Turbo Premium Plus, not a stronger cage.

Cloth or leather seats?

Neither, strictly: black leatherette with gray accents, which wipes down after wet-dog and beach-day duty better than cloth and costs less to buy than the real leather that arrives on the 2.5 S Premium.

Can the Select tow?

It isn't the towing pick; the 3,500-pound rating belongs to the 2.5 Turbo. If your trailer is a pair of kayaks on the roof instead, the Select's standard roof-rail mounting points and the accessory crossbar program have you covered.

Where can I see one near Stamford?

Check live Select inventory at Riley Mazda, five minutes from downtown. The store also posts current specials across new, used, service, and parts.

The bottom line

The Select is the CX-50's whole argument in its cheapest form: standard AWD, real safety hardware, an interior that survives actual use, and Mazda's chassis manners, all under $30,000 before extras. Buy it with clear eyes about the four features you're skipping, and put the difference toward whatever the roof rails are for.