Mazda CX-90 S Turbo Premium Plus Goes All-In On Going All-Luxury.

Key Takeaways

• Mazda’s “Zoom-zoom” campaign, while successful, is being phased out in favor of a more premium brand image.
• The Mazda CX-90 SUV showcases Mazda’s design and craftsmanship with its unique elegance and bold presence.
• Despite being pricey, the Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus offers luxury features and power comparable to established luxury brands.

All brands, no matter the industry, would give anything for a campaign as successful as Mazda’s “Zoom-zoom.” It’s at once simple, memorable, and defines an entire brand identity in just two words. But Mazda would rather you forget that zoom-zoom ever existed.

Full disclosure: during the pandemic I did some freelance creative work for Mazda North America’s ad agency. And during my time there it was drilled into my head that Mazda wanted nothing more than to shake that zoom-zoom image. The Mazda of today, I was repeatedly told, is premium. Born of Japanese hospitality. And eschews the rambunctiousness that that “z” phrase implies.

And to a point, I get it. The brand’s current portfolio exhibits a sense of design and craftsmanship that punches well above its weight class. Its Mazda3, for example, looks like nothing else on the road with a hatchback design that is truly elegant. This considered design sense has been carried to each subsequent model, culminating in what may very well be the vehicle that defines the modern-day Mazda: the all-new Mazda CX-90 three-row SUV.

To borrow a quote from Zoolander: “Three-row crossovers. So hot right now.” While Mazda is no stranger to the three-row family vehicle, the Mazda CX-90 is how the brand goes bold. Goes fully American. And, the brand hopes, goes fully mainstream.

The vehicle you see here, the Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus, is the top-of-the-line, fully loaded variant of the big SUV. It’s a compelling package, but is it also the thing that will bury zoom-zoom in the ground, once and for all?

In order to provide you with an honest and unbiased review, I drove the vehicle reviewed in this article on a daily basis throughout the course of daily life for a period of one week. For detailed insight into testing procedures and data collection, please review
our methodology policy
.

2024 Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus First Impressions

As Mazda senior design manager Ian Hedge tells me, the CX-90 is the ultimate expression of what Mazda calls its “seventh-generation car” – a shorthand for the overall design and engineering philosophy first introduced with the current Mazda3. But where the brand’s other vehicles revel in the smaller details, the CX-90 goes big.

Photographs can’t convey the true size of the CX-90. When viewed in person, it’s imposing, and as Hedge tells me, this presence is intentional. This is a vehicle designed with the North American market in mind, and here, bigger is better. From the expansive grille to the 21-inch alloy wheels, every exterior detail has been upsized to amplify this SUV’s design.

Perhaps more importantly, this crossover looks properly premium. A bit of visual similarity to the BMW X7 in the rear certainly doesn’t hurt, but it’s the curvaceousness of the sheet metal, the tasteful application of brightwork, and the precision of the overall assembly that help this humble Mazda feel right at home alongside its more upscale peers.

Exterior Dimensions

Driving Impressions And Performance

Sport Compact Car was a magazine that not only celebrated all things import performance, it was run by the nerdiest of engineers who brought unparalleled insights into their pursuits of speed. This was the book that coined phrases like “The Dave Point” and “Disco Potato.” And it seems to have been Mazda’s one-stop-shop for hiring the engineers who (perhaps unofficially) put that “zoom-zoom” feel into every modern Mazda.

Mazda powertrain engineer Jay Chen is Sport Compact Car alumni, so he’s great at explaining to me the hows and whys behind the CX-90. Firstly, with Mazda’s desire to go upmarket, it was imperative that the brand have its own “big body” platform, one that exhibited the hallmarks of traditional luxury sedans. So that means a bespoke engine up front sending drive force to the rear wheels.

At 3.3 liters in size and turbocharged, this CX-90’s inline-six outputs 340 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. An 11 kW mild hybrid system provides an additional 16.6 horsepower at 900 rpm and a whopping 113 lb-ft of torque at 200 rpm. Battery size is a paltry 0.33 kWh, but this system is designed to fill those gaps in acceleration, shifting and the like for a slight boost in smoothness and efficiency. With a 4,705 curb weight, I can’t accurately say that “it pulls like a freight train” or whatever. But as those power sources work in concert with a well-spaced 8-speed automatic transmission, accelerating in the six-cylinder Mazda does feel effortless.

Perhaps just as importantly, the CX-90 feels responsive. Beyond the way it reacts to your right foot, it reacts to your intention. It’s a competent highway cruiser, soaking up imperfections while allowing you to turn off your brain as it eats mile after mile. But crank that steering wheel to toss it into a corner, and the chassis will be more than happy to respond to your inputs. Does the CX-90 feel as light and lively as a Miata? Well, no. It’s a three-row SUV, and it still handles as such. But it does feel like a three-row SUV built by the same people who did build the Miata, and that counts for a whole lot.

Performance Specifications

Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus Fuel Economy

The Mazda CX-90 inline 6 is surprisingly good on gas given its size and weight. Official EPA estimates are at 23 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined. With my own mixed driving, the onboard computer is showing my average mpg to sit right around that 25 mpg mark. This thing’s also got a massive 18.5-gallon fuel tank, so I’ve not had the need to refuel things during my press loan. But living in Southern California, with its high fuel prices, my wallet winces at the thought of what it would cost to fill this thing up.

Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus EPA-Estimated Fuel Economy

Interior Design And Comfort

Just as Wu Tang is for the children, Mazda is for the driver. For decades the brand defined its engineering philosophy with the phrase Jinba Ittai, which loosely translates from Japanese as “horse and rider as one.” It’s the tactile, physical connection between horse and rider that allows the two distinct bodies to communicate and move in unison. Each not only knows what the other is doing, but is so in tune with what’s happening, it can intuit future moves and respond accordingly. And it all begins with the sense of touch.

And that’s my long-winded way of saying that the interior of the CX-90, thankfully, is a treasure trove of physical controls. As Hedge tells me, there actually isn’t a huge price difference on the OEM side when choosing touchscreen controls versus tactile ones. And for Mazda, it’s crucial that the driver be able to immediately see the full suite of important vehicle controls, and easily make adjustments by touch alone.

So personally, I delight in using a toggle to adjust the cabin temperature. And I prefer the puck-style infotainment control, which falls easily to hand, versus a direct touch-screen interface—mostly because my fingers grease up the screen as they bounce around trying to find the 15-second skip function during podcast commercials.

This focus on the tactile extends to the rest of the cabin appointments as well. Hedge and team really wanted to highlight the brand’s Japanese roots and looked to traditional Takumi (craftsmen) techniques to create everything from the kimono-inspired fabric inserts to the exposed kakanui book binding-inspired accent stitching. Primary touchpoints, such as the Nappa leather trim, have a premium feel to them. But as this is a vehicle that starts at just $37,845, a closer look reveals the areas where Mazda chose to save money. Tapping the wood trim that surrounds the gear shift lever feels hollow, and some of that metal-look trim feels decidedly plastic.

But this is me really scrutinizing things—I doubt most people will really notice or care. Most will probably focus more on the supportive front seats, or the fact that the second-row captain’s chairs are heated and ventilated. My kid loves the third-row seating, but she’s tiny. Grown-ups won’t love spending a ton of time back there, and I’m of the opinion that they’re best laid flat. (Of course, if you’re going to keep those third-row seats folded, you may as well go for the CX-70.)

Interior Dimensions

Technology And Ease Of Use

This almost sounds like a damning statement, but there’s not much of a tech suite to speak of in the CX-90. This is a car that relies on physical controls, so all your seat heaters, climate controls and so on are shown via button lights or an unobtrusive LCD screen.

That 10.25-inch center screen mostly handles parking camera and infotainment duties. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility come standard, and they mandate that OEMs allow for direct touchscreen controls. Again, I vastly prefer to control things via that big ol’ puck, but if you like to tap, tap, tap your screen—this Mazda’s got you covered. The main gauge binnacle is also all-digital, though Mazda opted to keep things looking like traditional mechanical dials. Nostalgia and the simple fact that I’m old have me wishing that these were true mechanical units, but I’m glad that things are at least clear and easy to read.

Cargo And Storage Space

A large exterior means that there’s plenty of room inside the CX-90. Load this thing up with passengers and you’ll find you won’t have room for much else. With this specific SUV equipped with the two-passenger third-row seat, and with all seats up, you get just 15.9 cubic feet of cargo space. Opt for a CX-90 equipped with a three-passenger third-row seat and that cargo area shrinks to just 14.9 cubic feet of volume. Folding things down makes for a more cargo-friendly vehicle, with 40.1 cubic feet of stuff-carrying room behind the second-row seats. Need even more room? Fold all seats down and this Mazda can easily swallow up to 75.2 cubic feet of stuff.

Mazda CX-90 Cargo Capacity

2024 Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus Vs. Its Competitors

While everyone offers a three-row crossover these days, the Mazda CX-90 sits in that odd space where it feels decidedly more premium than a mass-market brand, but not fancy enough to go head-to-head with the likes of BMW or Mercedes. To me, two luxury-ish three-row crossovers immediately spring to mind: the Lexus TX and Cadillac XT6. You can either credit Mazda for creating something that sits confidently with these established luxury brands, or you can pooh-pooh those brands for making something that’s “just” as nice as a Mazda. Either way, you won’t be wrong.

How The CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus Compares To The Lexus TX 350 Luxury

While the other brands (they know who they are) will strongly disagree, there is just one brand that defines Japanese luxury, and that brand is Lexus. Yes, they started off as fancy Toyotas, but they have an incredible hold on the well-heeled public that wants, well, fancy Toyotas. And the three-row Lexus TX is a fancy Toyota Highlander. That means it doesn’t have a bespoke big-body luxury platform, and its 3.5-liter V6 lacks the performance appeal of a turbocharged inline-6, but you can bet that this thing is as durable as an anvil and as calming as a warm bath. In other words, it’s everything you’d want from a fancy Toyota.

• 	2024 Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus	2024 Lexus TX
  Make	Mazda	Lexus
  Model	CX-90	TX
  Segment	SUVs	Luxury Cars
  Engine/Motor	3.3-liter turbocharged inline six	2.4L Turbo I-4
  Horsepower	340	275 HP
  Torque	369 lb-ft	317 LB-FT
  Drivetrain	Rear-biased AWD	Front Engine, FWD or AWD
  Transmission	8-speed automatic	8-Speed Automatic
  Max towing capacity	5,000 lbs.	5,000 Pounds
  Starting Price (MSRP)	$55,950	$53,700

Even when opting for the “high-performance” F SPORT trim, the TX will never be as engaging as any Mazda. But what the TX offers is room—lots of it. Its third-row seating was designed for full-size adults, and its squared-off lines make its 20.2 cubic feet of storage behind said third row genuinely usable. Pretty much every interior feature is controlled via the large digital touchscreen that feels decidedly modern, and while its Lexus Interface operating system isn’t the most intuitive, it at least uses stick-on physical dials for temperature controls.

The CX-90 is definitely prettier, has more power in turbocharged guise, and comes in about $7k cheaper than the Lexus TX 350 Luxury. But while Mazda has been earning accolades for its design, quality and overall reliability, it still has yet to earn the luxury pedigree of Lexus.

How The CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus Compares To The Cadillac XT6 Premium Luxury

I’ll admit to liking the Cadillac XT6. I like boxy vehicles in general, and I’m of the opinion that this three-row crossover is one handsome box. It has a famous luxury badge and some luxury-minded features, but I’m not sure it’s at the level of the Lexus or Mazda.

I both love and am underwhelmed by the interior. Looking at the shapes alone, it’s got an old-GM feel to it. Its touchscreen display is functional, but looks small and uninspired when compared to the entirety of 2024’s new vehicles, and the stuff not controlled by the touchscreen is handled by the better-than-before — but still kinda wonky—CUE haptic control panel. But the leather-trimmed touchpoints are nice, the accent trim is both modern and elegant (I’m partial to the carbon fiber-look panels in the Sport models), and the seating is comfortable for the most part.

• 	2024 Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus	2024 Cadillac XT6
  Engine/Motor	3.3-liter turbocharged inline six	2.0-Liter Turbo I4 / 3.6-Liter V6
  Horsepower	340	235 – 310 HP
  Torque	369 lb-ft	258 – 271 LB-FT
  Drivetrain	Rear-biased AWD	FWD / AWD
  Transmission	8-speed automatic	9-Speed Automatic
  Max towing capacity	5,000 lbs.	5,000 Pounds
  Starting Price (MSRP)	$55,950	From $48,975

That “for the most part” qualifier applies to the third-row seats, obviously. They’re not terrible — pretty much on-par with the Mazda, to be honest. But keeping those rearmost seatbacks up means that this Cadillac has almost no dedicated “trunk” space. There’s just 12.6 cubic feet of room back there. That’s less cargo volume than a Honda Civic.

But for those who live up front, or possibly the middle, this is an easy SUV to live with. It’s comfortable where it counts, big enough to be truly versatile, yet is still small enough outside for easy urban maneuvering. Sure, its GM 3.6-liter engine isn’t the most refined thing out there, but it’s considered by many to be bulletproof. And if it suddenly goes, replacement engines can be had for pocket change. Not sure that’s a selling point for a $60k vehicle, though.

Final Thoughts

Mazda is a niche player, and it needs to sell product if it wants to survive. The people want a three-row SUV, so Mazda is giving the people a three-row SUV. Thankfully, the CX-90 is fun take on an otherwise pragmatic segment, offering a more emotional design and a more engaging drive, even if that means that it also sacrifices some practicality at the altar of style, and requires a little more attention from its driver.

What we should all want, however, is for the CX-90 to become an unabashed success. After all, more money coming in means more money gets invested in the creation of new models. And maybe then the CX-90’s engine and platform can finally be used to create the big-body luxury sports sedan we’ve long been dreaming of. Going all-in on SUVs certainly saved Porsche; maybe it can do the same for Mazda. And it might also allow Mazda to finally get its zoom-zoom back.