2024 Mazda CX-90 PHEV Review: A Luxurious SUV, But Not the Best Option

I love that Mazda tried its hand at a plug-in hybrid. But I’m not sure it’s the SUV I’d buy.

Published June 27, 2023

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In recent years, Mazda has been overhauling its SUV lineup. The new SUVs aim to offer more than the same Kodo design language, Soul Red Crystal paint, torque-y engines and excellent driving dynamics Mazda is know for at different size points — not that anything was wrong with that — but also offer their own individual characters. We’ve driven the excellent CX-30 and the new CX-50, Mazda’s take on the Subaru Outback. Next on the list is Mazda’s new flagship, the CX-90.

The CX-90 sounded like perfection on paper: an even grander CX-9 with more space and an enhanced engine lineup offering more oomph and better fuel economy. And I happily accepted Mazda’s offer to loan me a Premium Plus version of the new plug-in hybrid for a few days to use as my family car. It proved both a typical and atypical Mazda experience.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 PHEV: What We Think

The Premium Plus CX-90 looks and feels like an SUV that can command a nearly $60,000 price tag. And I loved that Mazda attempted a plug-in hybrid. But I’m not sold on the PHEV being the one to buy. The powertrain is tricky to work with, and the regular three-row family car use pattern won’t get you the optimal efficiency to make the PHEV worthwhile.

I have not driven the combustion CX-90 with the new inline-six engine yet. But by all accounts I’ve read, it’s excellent. It’s also efficient by three-row family hauler standards, earning 25 mpg combined and 28 mpg on the highway. If I were buying a new CX-90, I might stick with the gas model (or check out a Toyota Grand Highlander) I didn’t have to plug in.

mazda cx90 — The Mazda CX-90 certainly looks the part of a premium flagship SUV topping out at nearly $60,000.

I struggled to find my Jinba Ittai with the CX-90 PHEV

Mazda emphasizes its Jinba Ittai philosophy for car design — trying to create oneness between horse and rider, or, in Mazda’s application, car and driver. Key components for creating that are simplicity and predictability. Achieving that is much easier with a combustion engine than with a plug-in hybrid.

I never found a strong rhythm driving the CX-90 PHEV. The gas engine cuts in to assist the electric motor, but it didn’t happen consistently. The powertrain seemed to respond differently every time I pushed down the pedal. The only mode I found predictable was EV mode, where virtually nothing would happen if you tried to get your “Zoom Zoom” on.

The CX-90 PHEV handled well otherwise, even with the hybrid’s extra weight. It stayed composed in corners and provided spurts of power and sportiness. It was just hard to proceed confidently when I didn’t know what the motor would do and when. You may find your Jinba Ittai with time. But Mazdas do not usually require a learning curve.

mazda cx90 from the side — Mazdas are typically straightforward to drive. But the CX-90’s PHEV system was hard to get a handle on.

The CX-90 doesn’t have the best plug-in hybrid tech out there

The CX-90 offers 26 miles of EV range on a full charge on paper (it felt like a bit less in my driving). In theory, that’s enough range to drive substantially on EV power. You can drop your kids off at school, do a short to moderate commute to work, then do the same in reverse.

Of course, like the typical CX-90 owner, I have multiple children in the suburbs. And things were never that cut and dried. I spent evenings picking up kids in separate locations and driving them to swim lessons, grandparents’ houses and baseball games. My wife let me sneak off to a late yoga class one night. The miles add up. And when they do, you’ll spend a lot of time on gas power.

And that 26 miles of range presumes you have a full battery. That’s hard to achieve on a Mazda CX-90 without a Level 2 charger. Mazda estimates about 11 hours for a full charge at Level 1 rates, so if you’re bouncing around town in the evening, it’s unlikely you’ll get that full charge. And that presumes you remember to plug it in at night with tired children acting up and a myriad of work- and home-related concerns.

mazda cx90 phev badge — I admire Mazda for trying a PHEV. But other manufacturers do PHEVs better.

The CX-90 interior felt very CX-9-like, for better and worse

Mazda does a magnificent job with interiors. The Premium Plus CX-90 looks and feels premium, with fine leather and features like interior stitching inspired by Japanese bookbinding techniques. The control buttons — yes, I said buttons — are tactile and well-laid-out. Mazda put thought and effort into designing that interior. And once you sit in it, a $60,000 Mazda makes sense. It’s nicer than a fancier brand would provide at that price point.

The downside is that, even after adding 7.5 inches to the wheelbase versus the CX-9, the car doesn’t feel functionally that much bigger. The cargo area behind the rear seat improves to 15.9 cubic feet from 14.4 cubic feet, which is still tiny. As an average-sized adult, I found the third-row claustrophobic, and that was sitting back there for a minute with the car parked. It would likely be worse on a long journey.

The best use case for the CX-9 was a four or five-person family folding down the third row and leaving it down. That’s still the case with the CX-90.

Mazda interiors feel premium, but there’s still just not a lot of space behind the third row in the CX-90.
Tyler Duffy

And, yes, Mazda still uses a click wheel

Mazda may be the most touchscreen-phobic manufacturer. The brand does let you touch the screen now, but only if the vehicle isn’t in motion (which is, uh, most of the time you’re in a car). When that happens, you have to use a click-wheel.

I have discussed this with Mazda owners, who note that the system grows on you. But in my experience, the click wheel is clunky. It doesn’t work well with Apple CarPlay (and for what it’s worth, my new iPhone was also too big for the wireless charge pad). And Mazda’s infotainment system makes simple tasks like changing the SiriusXM station more complicated (and distracting) than needed.

I appreciate Mazda’s critique of the touchscreen. But I wish they’d put more into finding a better way.

mazda cx90 interior click wheel — Mazda’s click wheel doesn’t work well with Apple Carplay. And its charge pad was too small for my iPhone.

What are some Mazda CX-90 PHEV alternatives?

The Mazda CX-90 straddles the mainstream and luxury three-row segments. Ranging from about $40,000 to $60,000, the CX-90 is more expensive (before dealer markups) than the Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade and Honda Pilot. It’s not quite as expensive as vehicles the next rung up, like the Volvo XC90 or Acura MDX.

The CX-90 PHEV’s most direct rival is probably the new Toyota Grand Highlander. Both vehicles overlap in price. The Grand Highlander offers two conventional hybrids instead of a PHEV. One, more Prius-like, is oriented toward efficiency; the other offers more high performance. Neither is a plug-in.