2024 Mazda CX-90 Review: The 3-Row SUV for Parents Who Enjoy Driving

When I first read the spec sheet for the 2024 Mazda CX-90, it felt like Mazda tailor-made an SUV just for me. With its handsome but understated good looks, three rows of seating, an affordable price, and an all-new straight-six engine, the CX-90 seems like my perfect daily driver. But that’s actually sort of a problem for Mazda because if it’s perfect for me, it’s probably not great for the vast majority of American SUV customers. So despite liking the CX-90 a lot, I unfortunately don’t know who’s going to buy it.

I am absolutely not the stereotypical SUV buyer in America. What I value is not what the average customer values: power, performance, steering feel, and handling dynamics. I’d sacrifice a bit of cabin space, practicality, and even some reliability for a car to feel sportier and more exciting. However, SUV customers typically favor the opposite traits. They want something that’s spacious, comfortable, high-tech, and stylish. The CX-90 is more for customers like me.

I’m not quite sure I’ve ever driven an SUV, especially one as big as the CX-90, that handled as well. And I absolutely adore the new engine. But I fear that Mazda is going to sell about 12 of them, while Honda, Toyota, and Chevy sell literal boatloads of Pilots, Highlanders, and Traverses. This is disappointing because Mazda should be celebrated for making the CX-90, a car that tries to show the world that SUVs don’t have to be so boring and sensible.

The Basics

The CX-90 is a brand-new car for Mazda, as it had previously only made the CX-9, a car that’s still sold alongside its new sibling—for now, at least. With the CX-90, Mazda tried to get a bit more premium and exciting than it had ever done before. And you can tell, as it looks and feels more expensive than any other Mazda product I’ve ever driven. It still isn’t on par with premium brands like Lexus or Mercedes but I’d argue that it’s on par with most Acuras.

As fancy as it is, one of its biggest issues to me is its design. The CX-90 certainly isn’t an ugly car but it is a boring one. I like that, though, because I’m a dorky introvert and like subtle, under-the-radar designs. However, when you look at cars like the stylish Acura MDX, Kia Telluride, or even the new Chevy Traverse, the big Mazda is almost invisible. My test car’s Artisan Red paint also felt a bit geriatric and I think it looks better in more vibrant colors like Soul Red or Deep Crystal Blue. I still don’t like its front end, either, as I don’t think its tiny headlights that merge with its grille look good.

Inside, it’s a similar story. The design is tame and sophisticated but the materials are high quality and feel expensive to the touch. That said, it’s also home to the CX-90's biggest issue: tech. There’s no getting around it, Mazda’s cabin tech is beyond dated. It feels at least two generations behind, with its dainty rotary dial controller on the center console, narrow infotainment screen, and ultra-basic functionality. It feels like Mazda benchmarked BMW’s iDrive 6 for its infotainment. Of course, this won’t be much of a problem if you just use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto like a sane human being, but, for what it’s worth, the built-in systems from GM, Toyota, and Hyundai are all more advanced.

Where the CX-90 separates itself from the segment, and where Mazda differentiates itself as a brand, is its powertrain. Ain’t no puny four-pot in this big Mazda. No, friend, the CX-90 packs a twin-turbocharged 3.3-liter straight-six engine and it’s kick-ass. As someone who’s owned several straight-six-powered cars, the fact that Mazda brought a brand-new one to market warmed my heart. It’s a good one, too, with a silky smooth power delivery and plenty of punch. It certainly feels more expensive than the four-cylinder engines you get in almost every one of its competitors.

Driving the Mazda CX-90

Mazda will wax poetic in commercials about the CX-90’s driving dynamics and it’s all true. The CX-90 handles better than any other three-row SUV in its class. The only three-row SUVs that can top it have “M” or “AMG” badges on them and cost nearly triple what the CX-90 does. And still, I’d argue that the Mazda’s steering and balance are better. It flows down the road and snakes through corners with a fluidity that almost nothing else its size can match. It’s a lovely thing to drive.

That said, it isn’t perfect. Its eight-speed automatic transmission felt a bit confused at times and it never really shifted with the urgency and immediacy that I expected it to, given the grunt of its engine and responsiveness of its steering. It’s OK but it isn’t as good as the eight-speed units you’ll find in most of its German rivals. Its brakes were also unpredictable at low speeds, which made braking smoothly more difficult than it should be. And its ride is choppy, likely as a result of firm suspension tuning that’s trying to be sporty while dealing with its mass and 21-inch wheels.