The 2023 Mazda CX-9 embodied the best and the worst characteristics in a flagship three-row SUV offering. One the one hand it featured an impressive amount of luxury, a sporty shape, and a hearty amount of performance from its engine lineup. On the other hand, the CX-9 also suffered from terrible electronics, horrible blind spots, and a third row that could barely haul people. The CX-9 also infamously lost to the Nissan Pathfinder when we subjected it to our television hauling test. The Japanese automaker claims that it has finally addressed these items and more with the 2024 Mazda CX-90. But has all of the improvements and tweaks Mazda made have finally produced a winner in the three row SUV wars?
CX-90 Shines Like a Bejeweled Diamond
To find out, Mazda invited us to San Francisco, California to spend some time with the SUV and learn more about what it has to offer buyers. The 2024 CX-90 is built on an all-new chassis which adopts a longitudinal engine layout and helps the CX-90 be longer than the model it replaces. This length plays nicely with the styling which doubles down on elegance. The front fascia retains Mazda’s continuing commitment towards design simplicity with the CX-90 going for a smoother look with more pieces of chrome trim and a sharper beak-shaped front grille.
The headlights are larger but the taillights adopt a slimmer look which allows the CX-90 to have proportions that are muscular and silky smooth. The San Francisco weather was on our side this time around with the sunshine revealing some of the pop that Mazda has baked into some of its paint colors including a new shade called Artisan Red. This red is a more mature play on Soul Red Metallic and it proved to be a natural compliment to stray rays of sunshine. A sleek set of 19-inch wheels are standard on lower trims but climb into a range-topping Turbo or Turbo S model and they grow to 21-inch hoops with gloss black inserts and wide 275 tires on them. Mazda is also highlighting the sheer amount of personalization that’s available to buyers with 11 different configurations for them to choose from.
Our lone gripes center on the finer details with Mazda using a fake side-mounted vent that also serves as an identifier to which engine it has. We wish that they could’ve either used a real vent or a trim piece especially with the $60,000 plus price tag that some models possess. While we’re at it, we wish that the designers could’ve fleshed out the rear end a bit more with the taillights clashing with the bland tailgate piece. That said, the Mazda’s suit of clothes is certainly an improvement over the Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer and even the Kia Telluride.
Mazda Aims For Germans With CX-90 Interior, But Have They Actually Bagged A Bigger Prize?
Slip inside the 2024 Mazda CX-90 and it became evident that Mazda interior designers were targeting Europe’s best with the cabin. Both the PHEV and Turbo S models come with high quality interior materials and higher trims even add butter smooth leather seating and real-wood trim. The dashboard of these models even features a hanging stitch which is reminiscent of traditional Japanese book binding. Needless to say, my wife (and professional book reviewer) Emily was pleased to hear about that particular detail when she had a chance to hear about it after our return back to the office.
Throughout our stay we heard some of our colleagues and even Mazda reps themselves mention that they were aiming for BMW when it came to crafting the cabin. However, in our eyes we think that they managed to bag a bigger target, Jaguar. Jaguar cabins have always been known for their tasteful blend of style, wood trim, and sportiness. That said, glitchy electronics are also a part of the experience in many newer Jaguar models. We’re glad to say that the CX-90 even manages to outshine the F-Pace and the traditional version of the Land Rover Range Rover. While the Brits have superior furniture for their seating and the Range Rover is a segment size bigger, the Mazda shines in not only offering a better sense of simplicity to SUV buyers, but also electronics that don’t require multiple trips to the owners manual to use.
That includes the standard 10.0-inch and optional 12.3-inch infotainment system with the latter now incorporating touch capability for the first time. However, you’ll have to do a bit of digging to find it, with the default Mazda setting being operated exclusively by the large control knob. But, if you choose to mirror your phone to the SUV with either Android Auto or Apple CarPlay that’s when the touch controls appear. The second-row seats offer plenty of room to stretch out and relax. Our tester didn’t have the center console but buyers will be able to add that to the CX-90 when they go into full scale production. Headroom in the second-row is impeded slightly by the large panoramic sunroof but unlike some of its rivals it’s not a deal breaker. The third row seats are best meant for children but adults can fit back there for short rips. Taller passengers will have their head rub slightly against the headliner but knee room is pretty good. The lone flaw back here is foot room, with our large hooves managing to get stuck on several occasions when moving in and out.
PHEV Prefers The Quiet Life, Turbo S Wows With Performance
The 2024 Mazda CX-90 will be offered with two different engines to choose from. The plug-in hybrid model is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that’s paired with a single electric motor to help produce a combined system output of 323-hp when fed premium gas. Our first half of our driving day was spent with the PHEV and while Mazda claims that the performance on hand is similar to the rowdier Turbo S, we quickly discovered that the engine was more than eager to go off-script and go about things in its own manner. Mashing the accelerator to the floor reveals acceleration that’s strong but has a slight delay before the engine moves into its comfort zone. While this prevents the PHEV from perfectly matching the driving experience offered by its more powerful sibling, we discovered that the CX-90 PHEV delivers seamless transitions between EV and gasoline driving modes with our example handling the challenging San Francisco commute with little drama.
After we made the trek to Sonoma and the elegant wine country in Napa Valley we made the switch into a Turbo S. These models are equipped with the all-new 3.3-liter turbocharged inline-six with this engine making 340-hp when fed with premium gas. This inline-six is the first time Mazda has used it in a production model and we’re glad that Mazda decided to roll the dice with this engine. The Turbo S channels BMW vibes when being pushed through its paces with the engine delivering ample performance and power all over the rev band. Find the sweet spot and the Turbo S can make the sprint to 60 mph in under 6 seconds.
Mazda will also offer a tamer 280-hp version of the 3.3-liter but we recommend skipping it in favor of the more powerful tune. Both models come equipped with an eight-speed automatic but unlike some of its rivals, Mazda developed their unit entirely in house and even replaced the torque convertor with a multi-plate wet-clutch. Shifts were smooth and while the new large platform and longitudinal engine layout suggests a rear-wheel drive bias, all CX-90 models will come with standard all-wheel drive. That all-wheel drive system, Kinetic posture control and a firm set of springs allowed our Turbo S to make short work of the challenging switchbacks that dotted our tour of wine country and the brakes even proved their stuff on two occasions when stray wildlife forced two emergency stops on our way back to the hustle and bustle of San Francisco. If there was ever a vehicular candidate for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars we would put our vote in for the Mazda hands down.
Value Quotient
Pricing for the 2024 Mazda CX-90 lineup starts at $39,595 for a base Turbo Select model with the 280-hp version of the 3.3-liter engine with Turbo Premium Plus models starting over $53,000. Meanwhile, Turbo S models like the one we experienced start at $51,750 with range-topping Premium Plus models starting at just over $60,000 after the destination charge is factored in.
Meanwhile the PHEV model starts at $47,445 for the Preferred model with the Premium and Premium Plus models starting at $52,900 and $56,950 respectively. This pricing ladder may seem steep at first glance, but it’s important to note that rivals like the Ford Explorer Platinum and King Ranch can cross the $65,000 barrier when fully equipped. However, the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade are a much closer match to the Mazda with the Palisade Calligraphy presenting a very formidable challenge to the CX-90 in terms of cabin design. At the end of the day though, it remains to be seen if the 2024 Mazda CX-90 will be able to pierce the three-row SUV ranks with the inline-six being a bold gamble for the company. However, we think that the recipe is present and can appeal to the right customer looking for luxury and fun in their family hauling experience.
