Mazda listened to enthusiasts when it designed its newest three-row SUV. With a rear-wheel-drive-based drivetrain, turbocharged inline-six motor, old-school buttons and knobs, and charming good looks, by most standards, the 2025 Mazda CX-90 should be selling like hot cakes.
Predictably, the bulk of car buyers are not enthusiasts, as evidenced by the fact that Mazda sold just 54,676 CX-90s in 2024 while Hyundai sold 110,005 Palisades and Honda 141,245 Pilots. However, sales last year handily surpassed the previous-gen’s best year, which was 34,580 units in 2022.
So the sales needle is moving, which is why more consumers should stop sleeping on this great family hauler.
2025 marks the CX-90’s second model year on sale. Mazda added black trim elements via a new Sport trim and expanded the availability of the second-row bench seat, while making the largest 12.3-inch infotainment screen standard on more trims. In short, Mazda expanded and unlocked some configurations but kept the formula the same.
The design carries over, and that’s a good thing, because the CX-90 is the sharpest, most premium-looking, mainstream three-row SUV on sale today. When the chrome catches the sun, this thing shines. It’s not overwrought, butch, or even complicated. It features nice surfacing with a long dash-to-axle ratio, giving it an athletic stance that the Acura MDX can only dream about. The horizontal lighting elements, particularly in the rear, emphasize width over height.
Inside, the horizontal dashboard design is simple and sits low, providing a good view out the front. The thin A-pillars don’t obstruct the view forward or to the sides. The controls are easy to use, featuring buttons and knobs for the climate control and audio system. The 12.3-inch infotainment screen, which is actually a touchscreen, is clunky to operate because Mazda still relies on an outdated rotary scroll wheel. A few functions in Apple CarPlay are the exception and enable the touchscreen itself, but even using Apple CarPlay can be annoying. You must initiate CarPlay every time the car is started, and it requires two clicks of the scroll wheel to get going. No other car on the market requires CarPlay to be started each time the vehicle is turned on. It’s not good.
The front seat bottoms are a bit short, and I’m only 5-foot-10. The second row is stadium style, with occupants sitting higher than those in front. This is due to the packaging for the plug-in hybrid’s battery, but it carries over for the non-hybrid I tested. The third row isn’t as adult-friendly as in the Jeep Grand Cherokee L or Chevrolet Traverse, but kids will be fine. Just expect complaining and some horse trading for legroom between the back rows. My kids appreciated the second-row center console for snack storage on a road trip, and the second-row heated and ventilated captain chairs were a hit, too. Fit and finish are top-shelf and miles ahead of anything found in a Honda, Kia, Hyundai, or certainly Toyota. None of those competitors have suede or linen-like material with stitching on their dashboards.
The fully loaded Turbo S Premium Plus model I tested had Mazda’s new 3.3-liter turbocharged inline-six with 340 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired to an in-house built and designed eight-speed automatic transmission and sends power to all four wheels. This engine is a gem with its smooth power delivery, windup, and barely a hint of turbo lag. The inline-six has a deeper growl than the ones from Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz, both of which sing at a higher pitch. The transmission is… fine. It’s not as smooth as the ZF-built unit in a Jeep Grand Cherokee L, and at times, the 1-2 or 2-3 shifts stutter while the torque converter locks up when cold. It smooths out once warm.
That turbo-six is also surprisingly efficient with an EPA rating of 23 mpg city, 28 highway, and 25 combined. That bests most of the V6-powered competition, and those ratings are accurate in the real world, too. Over 226 miles of mixed suburban driving, the CX-90 averaged 24.1 mpg. During a 208-mile road trip going over 70 mph, the three-row Mazda averaged 28.6 mpg.
The steering is nicely weighted, providing just enough feedback while going around a cloverleaf to satisfy an enthusiast, and never gets light or overboosted. The double-wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension deliver a firm and controlled ride. If Porsche made a mainstream three-row SUV that started at less than $40,000, it might ride and handle like this. But we don’t live in that timeline.
Driving the CX-90 is quite a pleasure in a sea of sameness and bland three-rows. But there’s one particular annoying bit: the shifter. When the CX-90 is started, the electronic T-shaped gear selector is locked in place for what seems like forever, especially to someone with zero patience. It takes multiple Mississippis for the electronic shifter to wake up and unlock so the driver can shift the transmission.
The 2025 Mazda CX-90 handily punches above the competitive set in terms of driving dynamics, materials, and design. It’s a premium SUV playing in a mainstream segment. But its infotainment is one of the worst in its class, and its packaging isn’t as good as less refined, less dynamically pleasing competitors.
For an enthusiast family of four, it’s hard to overlook or overshadow the CX-90, but mainstream families putting a priority on, well, normal family stuff, might not be won over by Mazda’s sharp dynamics or upscale design.
Mazda has delivered a premium driving experience that’s accessible to the masses.
As Director of Content and Product, Joel draws on over 15 years of newsroom experience and inability to actually stop working to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media.
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