When our hybrid Toyota Sienna and all-electric Kia EV6 left, our long-term test room lost all of its usefulness and efficiency. We looked for new, useful, and environmentally friendly machines, and the 2024 Mazda CX-90 Plug-In Hybrid was one of our faves. It has three rows of seats and more space for cargo. It is also an important vehicle for Mazda, both in a practical and symbolic sense.
The shorter CX-60 is sold in other countries, but the CX-90 is the first model in the US to have Mazda’s innovative rear-wheel-drive system. In the years since the early 1990s, Mazda has only made racing cars with rear-wheel drive. In addition, it has new powertrains. There are different types of turbocharged straight-six engines in the base and top-level models. Plug-in hybrid cars are in the middle. The company’s first plug-in hybrid powertrain in the US is powered by a well-known 2.5-liter four-cylinder normally aspirated engine. An electric motor is placed between the engine and its eight-speed automatic transmission, which is another feature that isn’t common for Mazda cars. The hybrid produces 323 hp and 369 lb-ft. It’s Mazda’s second-most powerful production car, after the very fuel-efficient six-cylinder CX-90. Its 17.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack lets it go about 26 miles on electricity alone.
We were first impressed by how useful and flexible this new platform seemed, but now we know it might not be as roomy as we thought. Because of this, we have a lot of questions about this huge Mazda, like whether it will be as efficient and useful as we think it will be and whether we will still enjoy driving it in the future.
How we got it
As we already said, we’d like to spend more time driving the Miata, which is Mazda’s only other rear-drive car available here. We also picked the plug-in hybrid because it is Mazda’s most electric model since the stupid and badly handled MX-30 electric car. This is what we did to make our fleet better for the earth. We want to know if this plug-in hybrid is good value for money and works well. We also want to know if this gas-electric mix works well and stays reliable over time. Adding the electric motor and new gearbox has made the system a lot more complicated, even though the gas engine is a reliable system on its own. These powertrains have given other companies trouble.
We’d also like to see how useful this car is. It did better in our luggage test than high-end choices, even though it had less space behind the third row than competitors from mainstream brands.
So, is this really a high-end rival like Mazda says it is? The company has made it clear that it wants to become a more high-end competitor, like Acura. The company is taking a step in the right direction by adding a normal rear-drive base with longitudinal powertrains to its already luxurious interior. But will this last?
What did we get?
Because we picked the Premium Plus trim level, we can use all of the CX-90 PHEV’s features. There is a 12.3-inch touchscreen for entertainment instead of the standard 10.25-inch screen that doesn’t have touch controls. There is also an extra 150-watt power outlet in addition to the 12-volt and 1,500-watt outlets. Other features include:
- A 360-degree camera system.
- Power-folding side mirrors with auto-dimming on the driver’s side.
- Nappa leather upholstery.
- Heated and ventilated front seats.
- Heated second-row seats.
- A heated steering wheel.
- Rear window shades.
The 1-inch wheels, power liftgate, three-zone automatic climate control, Bose sound system, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alert. They are also available at lower trim levels. The above features are also included at higher trim levels.
The only thing that could be changed about the most high-tech PHEV was its color. For an extra $595, you can get Rhodium White Premium paint. You can also choose a black leather interior with brown details and contrast stitching. The total price of our CX-90 was $59,420, which includes the $1,375 delivery fee. That costs more than $10,000 more than the standard CX-90 PHEV. As we get used to the big Mazda, new updates will be released every Friday. They will also be released for our regular Subaru WRX.
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