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!
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!
Avoid the PHEV.
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)
Why?