Hi All: I’m new to the sub and would like some feedback on the Mazda CX-90. We’re buying my wife a new SUV and it caught my eye, but I’ve never owned a Mazda before so I was hoping for some advice on what you like/don’t like, etc. Thank you!
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Is it a disel ?
Handling is brilliant. Cayenne is the only thing in the market that comes close. The car is most fun in the Turbo S model with a throaty growl and plenty of power on tap. If sporty driving isn’t your thing then the Turbo model will suffice for most people. The car is quite long but doesn’t feel like it when driving or parking. The dogleg shifter puts some people off but isn’t a huge deal once you get used to it. The interiors are beautiful and comfortable. There are currently extraordinarily good deals on the plugin hybrids. Those can feel a bit underpowered with the four cylinder but if you have somewhere to plug them in at home and at work they are very efficient and save a ton of money on fuel. The common thread between them all is brilliant handling and fun to drive. Full disclosure I work at a Mazda dealership in Columbus, Ohio, but have also worked at competing brands. I’d be happy to answer any other questions you may have even if you live in another part of the country. Feel free to DM me. Good luck in your car search.
According to Car and Driver: “The PHEV reaches 60 mph in 5.9 seconds, beating its 340-hp six-cylinder sibling by 0.4 seconds.”
So the hybrid is actually faster than the turbo, despite being 350 pounds heavier and getting way better average fuel economy. I see no case for the Turbo 6 myself when the PHEV has significant subsidies on the price.
Source: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a44872256/2024-mazda-cx-90-phev-test/
The PHEV seems to use resistive heat for cabin heat. This makes your electric range tank in winter, and it isn’t hard for it to then make driving on the ICE cheaper (heat is free then).
I think the PHEV is an interesting offering, but I don’t think any variant is always better suited for people’s likes.
We have a Turbo 3.3 CX-90, and I really disliked the slow acceleration on EV only power (it felt north of 11-12 sec 0-60), and the 4 cylinder clutch in was pretty rough by modern PHEV standards. The turbo I6 isn’t super quick off the line as it’s a turbo ICE, but it feels much smoother than the I4 ever does and has more midrange torque to my butt dyno.
I also found the piped in 2nd harmonic digital I4 engine noise to be offensive and grating, but some people like it apparently. The I6 turbo sounds and lower digital engine noise volume felt much more pleasant in the I6. I still wish you could turn it off (stupid miss on Mazda’s part.)
We’ve really enjoyed ours so far, and get 24-26 mpg in mixed, mostly city driving.
The PHEV is better 0-60, but the Turbo has a better quarter mile time. It has more power for passing on the highway but yes from a dig the electric assistance will always win in a 0-60.
I’d take the turbo just for the fun factor, and the lower maintenance costs and better reliability.
I’m gonna say the jury is out on lower maintenance costs. Yes it’s an additional system for the hybrid. But no turbo.
Either way this car looks like a bit of a beast to work on, packaging wise.
I see the other points.
Agree; generally speaking, maintenance costs on EVs are lower than ICE vehicles.
Right. But most people are not drag racing something that is a foot longer than a Lincoln Town Car. And driving like that would drain the battery in only a few miles of driving. So the rational comparison if you want a car that actually has high horsepower and torque that is useable in real world circumstances is not a comparison of the 4 cylinder hybrid CX-90, but with similar turbocharged gas engine SUVs.
Top trim levels are only available in turbo S premium Plus.
I went to the Mazda CX90 promotional drive test event at a local mall. They had both variants available to drive and set up a traffic cone test track in the parking lot to show off various capabilities. We were allowed and encouraged to drive hard.
My opinion is that I definitely felt the extra 350 lbs: in cornering and braking especially. You’re right that I didn’t feel a lag in the hard acceleration, but the quieter sound of the PHEV made it feel less exhilarating. The turbo version was fantastic to drive hard and the sound was beautiful. With that being said, I think I would still buy the PHEV because I’d use a CX90 as a daily and I’d want to save gas. If I wanted to have fun I’d just have a Miata for the weekend. I can’t stress how impressed I was of the interior design and materials. They’ve become so very premium. I dare say I’d pick a Mazda interior over a BMW or Porsche any day.
Bro lmao. A weekend driver Miata and a 60k daily? No offense. Loved the review, spot on, but the comparison of having a daily and a weekend car missed me by like 25 years. How could anyone imagine 2 cars for 1 person. That’s like 80-90s thinking.
Obviously money comes into play, but if you can afford it, why not? You have different shoes for lesser reasons, and Miata’s are relatively affordable compared to other vehicular toys.
Shoes cost 120$ haha but ok
Thank you for this! The detail is very helpful!
There are currently extraordinarily good deals on the plugin hybrids.
Any tips on finding said deals?
Watch a bunch of YouTube videos from review channels and make the decision for yourself.
I’ve read engineer reviews on the Inline 6 engine, and I’ve watched multiple videos. I came to this sub to get user/owner experience and feedback. There’s no part of this post that implies I will not be making a decision for myself. This request for feedback was a part of that process, but I guess you missed that.
One of the weird things I’m still getting used to with my new Mazda is the I-stop function. To save gas, the vehicle will actually turn off the engine when it detects that you’ve stopped for a long time. I think it determines that by how long and how heavily you’ve been stepping on the brake pedal. You can turn this functionality off but you need to do it every time you start the car at the beginning of a trip. You can’t permanently turn it off.
Other than that, I really like the build quality and overall feel of my Mazda. It’s not a CX-90 though but I know most of the Mazdas have I-stop.
You can get a OBD2 device that disables iStop. It works for the CX-50, CX-30, Mazda 3 and more but I’m not sure about the CX-90. Personally I would like to be able to turn that feature off but my Mazda3 is year/trim where they didn’t use iStop.
My understanding is that the auto stop feature you talk about is a federally mandated feature - maybe not Canada specifically but US regs which just automatically get adopted here in Canada (and elsewhere around the world).
Manufacturers are required to/ encouraged to have it.
So all companies and the compatible competition have the same function/feature and it always requires a button push to disable on each drive.
Start stop is not mandated per se, but having it affects the city fuel economy test number. Anything like that that affects the fuel economy test has to turn on every time the car turns on. It’s why most vehicles default to normal or eco even if you had sport mode on when you parked
I was looking for a new vehicle and was highly considering the cx90. Test drove telluride, pallisade, honda pilot. After reading lots a review and going back to mazda for a second test drive of the cx90, I personally was not too impressed with the drive of the cx90. Palisade and telluride were nice but too made bad reviews about them. Honda pilot way too overpriced for what you get. So I test drove 2023 cx9 and really liked but could find the trim that i wanted so settle for mazda cx9 2021 gt. I have a friend who has a cx90 and they love it and maybe it takes a little getting use to a new car or so. Hope this helps.
Actually I am in the same situation. I got my 2023 CX 9 touring plus when I was thinking CX 90 is too big. However I am not regret by getting the CX 9 at all. Also I don’t buy anything first generation. Let Mazda iron out any bugs for at least 3 generations first.
3 years you mean.
I think he is eying up the 2040 CX-90
I did a similar comparison back in 2020 and ended up with a 2021 GT. Like it, but did since test drive the VW Atlas which is quite similar in price, but has noticeably more interior space - especially in the rear seats.
The tailgate also opens higher on the VW Atlas - on the Mazda CX9 I still bang my head from time to time because it doesn’t open very high. I’m 5’11”.
As a parent, I am envious of friends with the Atlas.
The extra interior space comes from the shorter hood/front end. The Mazda looks great, but its front end takes up roughly 1 foot more space / length than the VW. The VW puts this space to use in the interior cabin - rear seat space and third row
It does. Thank you so much.
Avoid the PHEV.
Why?
It drives great in my opinion. Nothing wrong with it in my time driving it.
Granted I’m picky given I occasionally work in vehicle development, and have been reviewing cars since the late 80s. But here’s the review of a friend of mine I usually spend Thanksgiving with I think describes my concern, and why we are leaning 3.3 should we get one.
They will sort it out. They have to.
“Con: Mazda CX-90 Plug-In Hybrid powertrain lurches
A hybrid should feature a smooth powertrain. Toyota’s hybrids are as smooth as a warm knife slicing through butter. Mazda’s plug-in powertrain is more like using a butter knife to cut through a lamb shank. Even in electric-only mode the 8-speed automatic shifts in order to keep the gas engine at the ready. Those shifts make the entire CX-90 judder. When the juice runs out or the system calls for power from the gas engine, the transitions come with a lurch. At times the powertrain gets indecisive and can’t decide what it’s going to do. It feels more like a prototype than a production car.”
I mean, I’m lemoning my CX-5 for a suspension pop/clunk Mazda and other people say is normal. I’m hyper aware of vehicles I drive and how they respond/feel and I thought both the 2.5PHEV and 3.3T were great in the collective month I spent in them as dealer loaners.
If I were in that price range, I’d just get a CPO Volvo XC90 PHEV with their unlimited mileage warranty, extend it, and have a far nicer vehicle.
That review shows a lack of understanding of how various PHEV models work. The Mazda doesn’t shift to keep the engine ready, it shifts because the motor is in front of the transmission. It keeps the electric motor in its desired rpm range and multiplies torque.
The 90 isn’t Toyota hybrid smooth, but it is on par with any other through a real transmission model and feels far less squishy than a Toyota hybrid (other than new Hybrid Max models that use a real transmission)
My write-up comment from another page regarding current Mazdas, including the CX-90.
Fantastic car, but feels a tad cheap in certain areas.
“I own a 2022 CX-5 Turbo Signature and I have driven the newer generation Mazda3/CX-30/CX-50/CX-90 as dealer loaners extensively over the last year and a half (~40+ days as my CX-5 has been in/out of my dealership around eight times for various issues). While Mazda has made great strides towards becoming “luxury”, they have not lost their “sporty” streak entirely. I would change the word “luxury” to “premium”, as Mazda does not have the brand heritage or pedigree to contend in the luxury market directly. Mazda is a luxury alternative, they are not a luxury replacement.
For the FWD-based vehicles, Mazda has neutered their platforms with cost-cutting by using a torsion beam rear end in the 3/CX-30/CX-50. I also find that the overall apparent/perceived quality has gone downhill compared to the prior generation Mazda3/Mazda6/CX-5/CX-9. For example, shutting the doors sounds extremely hollow, like a tin can, on newer models; and, tapping on them with your finger results in a terrible hollow sound as well. Interior quality, while it looks nice, does not feel as well-made as the prior generation models. It’s not “bad’ per-se; but, it just feels cheap and not as solid. Additionally, the overall balance of ride/handling has been compromised with models like the Mazda3, CX-30 and CX-50 - a torsion beam will never, no matter what the marketing “engineers” tell you, ride and handle as well as a multilink rear end does and it is just for cost-cutting. This is very evident when pushing the cars hard, driving over broken pavement with the rear end just skipping/hopping, entering steep driveways where a wheel will leave the ground.
I recently had a CX-90 3.3T Premium as a dealer loaner and I also have had a 2.5 PHEV Premium Plus as well. To me, shutting the door on these cars is appalling, the entire lower black plastic cladding rattles and it sounds like the door is flimsy and cheap as hell. The interior, again while nice, has very hollow silver plastics where metal and wood once was present in the CX-9. The “nappa leather” in the CX-90 PHEV felt nowhere near as supple and buttery as it does in my CX-5 Signature or in a loaner CX-9 Signature I have driven prior. I will say the same for the Mazda3, CX-30, and CX-50 too; I just don’t care for them as much as I do the CX-5. Sure, they’re more modern looking on the inside, but they feel cheaper as a whole.
I can’t fault Mazda on the 3.3T and the 2.5PHEV though, I think that’s where a large majority of the R&D and quality went. I find them to be excellent engines in conjunction with the 8AT, which, contrary to reviewers (and in my opinion as someone who has driven many manual, dual clutch, and traditional torque converter transmissions), is very good for the type of transmission it is. It’s akin to a BMW SMG as there is no torque converter, but rather there is an electric motor in its place. It is a little jerky sometimes at parking lot speeds, more so in the PHEV model IMO, but much better than most DCTs I have experienced. The ride and handling is excellent for the CX-90, too, especially considering it’s a 200”+, 5,000+, 3-row SUV. It has no right riding and handling as well as it does. It truly feels like a poor man’s X7.
TL;DR? So, in Mazda’s quest to “luxury”, which I would really define as “premium” (think Acura, Infiniti, and those sort of “in between” manufacturers), I think they have succeeded. Obviously, there is a price point that Mazda has to meet, so while their “premium products” on a whole are good cars, there is some cost-cutting if you actually look under a magnifying glass and really look below the surface. Mazda has done an outstanding job considering they’re a rather “small” player in the manufacturing realm, especially developing new ICE powertrains in a world that is shuttering production of ICE vehicles. I believe that the current CX-5 and outgoing Mazda6 and CX-9 were Mazda’s “best” products by far. Sure, they’re FWD-based and there was only “so much” they could do with them; but, the quality and refinement found in those models is just generally lacking in the newer models when you look below the surface.”
I was taking you seriously until you recommended the Volvo. You talk about a 2 L turbo/supercharger that his had some massive issues you’re all but guaranteed to dump it after the warranty.
https://www.reddit.com/r/mazda/s/qFEwVjK1qc
My personal car search journey.
I have owned high end Mercedes Benz’s, Jaguars and BMWs. My last 2 luxury cars were a S550 and E450 cabriolet. You will NOT be disappointed with a Mazda. I have driven the Cx90 and drives European to me! I’ve seen many 3.3 turbo models have issues and less issues with the PHEV model. I would personally get a phev model, it’s 1st year production and it will most likely have issues. Fortunately, most first year production Mercedes and BMWs usually didn’t cause any problems for us.
I can’t comment on the CX90 specifically, but I will comment that of all the makes I’ve owned (Ford, Toyota, Honda, Dodge, Renault, GM, VW, Mazda), my Mazda ownership experience has by far been the best one. They are really lovely vehicles to own and drive.
Mazda is affordable luxury and durable cars
Couple days late to the party but wanted to add my 2 cents. Had my PHEV Prem Plus for over a month now.
Overall, it’s a great vehicle. You’ll love it if you prioritize handling, aesthetics (inside and out), seating for 6+ people, and exclusivity (won’t see yourself coming and going in every parking lot like a Honda or K/H twins). It’s comfortable and quiet on the inside and the 3rd row works for 2 adults or 3 children. The PHEV works well for our driving habits. We WFH and go out mostly for school drop off/pick up and to run errands with occasional short trips of