2024 Mazda CX-90 3.3 Turbo Premium Plus - Big enough for the whole family

 

As luck would have it I had the 2024 Mazda CX-90 3.3 Turbo Premium Plus for a family get-together in Tahoe, CA. The seven-seater came in handy.

The CX-90 uses Mazda's wonderful inline 6-cylinder. The 3.3-liter engine is rated from 280 hp to 340 depending on regular or premium fuel, and tune. The version I drove had 280 hp, and 322 lb-ft of torque regardless of fuel type. The power goes out to all four wheels (AWD) through an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Car and Driver's test shows the 340 hp version gets to 60 in 6.3 seconds; I would expect the 280 hp to be around 7.0 seconds. 

A CX-90 weighs between about 4,700 lbs. and 5,300 lbs., and as tested it can tow up to 5,000 lbs. 

As you can see in the photo taken when our trip was over, the CX-90 returned 28.2-mpg of mainly highway driving against the EPA's figures of 25 combined, 24 city, and 28 highway. I am impressed.

White seats do look nice but it isn't for me. Although the test CX-90 is rated as a 7-seater there were only six in it while I had it. The third row was fairly easy for the grand-kids to get in and out of, no adults made the attempt. 

There was plenty of room for all our stuff with half of the split rear seat down. There is 14.9 cubic feet behind the third row, 40 c.f. with the third row down, and a whopping 74.2 c.f. with the middle seat down. 

The controls were fairly straightforward, there's even a gearshift lever. But let's face it, with today's vehicles there is just so much going on, so many buttons, dials, and whatever that it is slightly overwhelming. 

Many years ago TV screens could not be within the line of sight of the driver. And I think with good reason. They are a distraction, especially the ones where you need to access them to do mundane tasks, like adjust the climate control, change the radio station. The CX-90 had a separate panel (shown about) for the climate control, and steering wheel buttons for the  sound system.

The CX-90 would normally be too big for me but it fit the need at the time. Years ago families made do with a sedan or station wagon. There weren't all the safety laws back then, seat belts were a rarity and kids often road along with the luggage in the back of a station wagon. I grew up in a family of five and thankfully we all made it through those years. But I stll think some of the huge SUVs are overkill. 

I liked the CX-90, I like the straight six. The fuel economy was where it needed to be, and the power was very good.

Although the test CX-90 was a 2024, I'll give you 2025 prices from mazdausa.com. The base 3.3 Select Turbo starts at $37,845, a 3.3 Turbo Premium Plus is $49,400, and the top 3.3 Turbo S Premium Plus (a 340 hp version) at $56,450. Check it out at your local Mazda dealer.