More info on the 2024 Mazda CX-90 Turbo Preferred Plus here:
Ratings and test results on every car CR purchases and tests:
Mazda is aiming upscale with the 2024 CX-90, creating an all-new three-row SUV that separates itself from mainstream models like the Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, and Ford Explorer, with aspirations toward luxury brands such as Acura, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. The CX-90 Turbo Preferred Plus we purchased anonymously for our test program is built on a brand-new platform, and boasts Mazda’s first-ever inline six-cylinder engine mated to the brand's own eight-speed automatic transmission. But will all the new changes be enough to impress buyers within the highly competitive market? We also explain CR's testing process, from the moment we purchase a vehicle to when we publish our conclusions in our Road Test report.
SHOW NOTES
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00:00 – Introduction
00:15 – 2024 Mazda CX-90 first impressions
01:19 – What is new about the CX-90
03:02 – The Mazda Buyer
04:39 – How It Drives
07:19 – The Ride
08:10 – Can Mazda pull off a 60K SUV?
10:19 – Interior Fit and Finish
12:05 – Controls
14:37 – Rear Seats
15:52 – Question 1: From the time CR purchases a vehicle for the test program how long does it take for the full review to be posted on the website?
20:50 – Question 2: Why does it seem impossible to lease an EV at MSRP and get the EV credit back as lease cash?
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All-New 2024 Mazda CX-90 Aims Up-and Makes A Direst Hit
2024 Mazda CX-90
Most Reliable and Fuel-Efficient New Midsize SUVs
New Cars on the Horizon
How Leasing an EV Can Save You Money
Leasing vs. Buying a New Car
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Missed Gabe from the show!! He knows his stuff 🙂
+1 .. Straight Six inline configurations are hip, the way to go. The inline 3.0 Six turbo from Mercedes (in our ’23 E-450 Wagon) has a glorious exhaust sound at the top of the RPM range. .. Way To Go Mazda!
Mazda has a good reputation, their name has always been associated with fun to drive dynamics and great reliability. I don’t think it will be that difficult for people to buy into it as a premium brand. I would argue that Mazda already has better brand cachet than Infiniti maybe even Acura to some degree. I also think Mazda will be the final blow to Infiniti. On another note can we chill with the nitpicks and get more nuanced feedback about the cars?
As someone who’s lived with this shifter for the last 2 months, two things: (1) I got used to it quickly, and (2) its major advantage is that it allows me to make 3-point turns without having to look down to make sure I’m not accidentally shifting into Park.
Exactly thats what i thought as well when i test drove it, basically you can maneuver gears without looking once you get use to it
I would say this shifter is like the old school gated shifter, whose P R and D form a triangle
I learned it by the end of the second day driving mine. I love how simple and intuitive it is.
I’ve been driving for over 30yrs using traditional automatic shifters and have never ever shifted it to Park by mistake when reversing!🤦♂️
These comments clearly show that the reviewers in this video and the press have not spent much time in this vehicle.
I actually like the shifter. I thought it was pretty cool and felt great
Big kudos to Mazda for developing a in-line six cylinder engine with A mild hybrid, in a three row crossover, everyone else has gotten rid of the Six cylinder.The The Mazda CX 90 PHEV is definitely a unique Vehicle, it is not like a Toyota Highlander it is a drivers car! Does the Toyota Highlander hybrid get better mileage of course it does, but I am way more interested in a drivers SUV than a ECVT.I am so glad that Mazda still makes driving fun even in a three row SUV!❤ on top of it it still gets 28 miles per gallon on the highway if you drive it non-aggressively if you drive it like you stole it of course you’re not going to get that kind of mileage. I just love when someone test drives it and said they’re only getting 20 to 23 combined, well of course it’s got power and you’re gonna use it so don’t expect to get the best mileage if you drive it that way.Yes the Mazda does have some strange corks to it, but it is fun to drive! #ZoomZoom
The dash and center console look great. If the dash is soft touch and not molded plastic, then it would be very nice. My 4th gen Prius has gloss black and gloss white. The gloss black always looks dirty. The gloss white on the steering wheel looks like a Stormtrooper’s codpiece (ugh). After an actor was run over/killed by his Jeep which I think had a monostable shifter several years ago, many people including CR harshly criticized monostable shifters. Now the CR guy in the wire-rim glasses is criticizing this for NOT having a monostable shifter. I agree that it should not go P->R->D.
The command knob is fantastic. You can do all your commands with muscle memory, never take your eyes off the road and eliminate smudging the touchscreen.
With as many cars as CR buys I think you owe it to everyone to not pay over MSRP. If the dealers you buy from play that game you walk and look for dealers that don’t. It is easier than ever thru online platforms to find cars with just a little homework. You should put yourselves in the typical buyers shoes and negotiate every last penny and not be taken advantage of by overpaying.
I’ve owned 4 Honda’s, and converted to Mazda on my last car. It’s competitive in price, but definitely feels more premium compared to a Honda or Toyota.
I’m really looking forward to the cx 70. I feel like there is alot of us that just want a 5 seater with ample room. The cx5 is just kinda dinky
Agree! Hope it’s available end of 2024 latest :p
Me Too!
Yeah, CX5 just a bit too small
Mazda up to now has been moving upscale since the launch in 2017 of the CX-5, now and still the top selling Mazda. The CX-50 took it incremental more upscale. The CX-30 did the same. Now the CX-90 is moving much more in the upscale direction with a new powertrain that is fully modern (8 speed automatic instead of 6 speed, inline 6 instead of inline 4). I think as long as their reliability holds up they will continue to do well. It is like Subaru was years ago – a small company that appeals to performance drivers for a cheaper price than the European imports. Really appreciate the background on how they test the cars over 8 weeks pending weather and then discuss, and write the 5000 word story. Very interesting!
I bought a 2017 XT5 with the electronic shifter. It took me a day to get used to it. I love it now. I’m buying a CX 90, and the shifter is not an issue.
BTW, I am not a CR fan. I don’t think they do a great job of evaluating anything…
“Giving financial aid to rich people is probably not something we should advocate” Thank you Gabe! Would you run for Congress?
Read SamShuk’s comment and learn.
I have owned two Mazdas purchased new: A 1990 626 with manual transmission and my current 2014 Mazda 6 Sport also with a manual transmission. The 2014 now has 109K miles and is capable of returning 35mpg @ 80 mph. I have had absolutely no mechanical issues and do my own routine maintenance. The Skyactive technology is pretty impressive. I am waiting to see what the real world mpg on the Preferred Plus will be in your testing. We do not need the 3rd seat all the time, but could use the extra space with the 3rd seat down. We also have owned 2 Subaru Foresters from new. A 2011 base trim with auto and our current 2016 base with CVT. The Foresters have been reliable, but I am not a fan of the CVT or engine revs trying to maintain highway speeds on moderate hills. I would appreciate a vehicle with a more relaxed feel for long distance, better driving dynamics and above average fuel mileage for the class. If the CX90 delivers on all of this I am seriously interested.
The estimate of 8 weeks delay after testing to the actual road report is optimistic in some cases. The BMW X1 report took six months.
I could see it coming that someone on this panel was going to complain about the lack of a touch screen. The automotive press is constantly clueless on this issue with Mazda. Sure, I guess maybe some people prefer a touch screen, but as far as I’m concerned the fact that Mazda is focused on the control dial instead is WONDERFUL!! It is super easy to operate by feel alone, which is great while driving, and you don’t get a bunch of ugly smudge marks all over your screen that you have to constantly clean. Please Mazda, keep the control wheel and don’t give in to the pressure of a touch screen!
I will get a Mazda! I’m waiting on a impressive mpg with hybrid option. Right now, 23 city ain’t cutting it. Mazda is promising, so I’ll wait!
First, the transmission shifting glitches can/will be cured with future software updates. Secondly, it’s worth pointing out that the CX90 is 100% made in Hofu Japan. None of the other models mentioned here are made in Japan. Lastly, the core attributes of the CX90, (rear wheel biased, AWD, inline six, true plug in model, etc) are not found in the models it competes against.
Fit and finish not up to par Keith? I’ve looked them over and sat in a couple, and they are beautiful and seem perfect. I’ve also seen a few videos where they say fit and finish is top notch and probably better than luxury brand Japanese brands.