- Our team can't stop taking our long-term Mazda CX-90 on road trips.
- We've put nearly 17,000 miles on the odometer so far, and we're not even done.
- So we're taking a look at how the CX-90's done on long hauls.
Our long term 2024 Mazda CX-90 isn't the best version of this particular Mazda. We've already done a deep dive into the powertrain, and it's safe to say we'd much prefer the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six version thanks to its smoother power delivery, more enjoyable engine harmonics, and the lack of complication that really hampers our plug-in hybrid. But even though we've made our minds up about the plug-in hybrid, one thing is for sure:
Our team can't stop driving it
We've put nearly 17,000 miles on the odometer (16,667 as of this writing) in just seven months. For a little perspective, the average American puts about 13,500 miles on their car per year. At this rate we're likely to more than double that by the time our 12 months with the big red Mazda is up. Why? Our CX-90 is, simply put, the road-trip king of our long term fleet at the moment. I say at the moment because, we're always welcoming in new goodness, and you should check out everything we've been running for the last year (or more) right here.
Managing editor Keith Buglewicz sat himself behind the wheel of our CX-90 for 4,000 miles, which means he had plenty of time to deliberate. On his way back from Arkansas where he observed the once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse in March of this year he said "It was when we were heading home after the eclipse that I really appreciated the Mazda's chassis tuning. Arkansas has some absolutely stellar twisty two-lane roads snaking between its towns, and the CX-90 felt right at home. … I don't want to oversell it; it's not like a seven-passenger Miata or something. But for a big vehicle with decent passenger and cargo space, it was surprisingly fun."
CarMax editor Jake Sundstrom has also spent plenty of time in our CX-90, and he too was impressed by the big Mazda's chassis. "On-road comfort is pretty great in the CX-90. I didn't find myself getting uncomfortable on long drives in the seat and the SUV does an admirable job of absorbing potholes and divots on highways." Those on-road impressions are backed up by senior reviews editor Clint Simone's.
"The Mazda’s cabin is well-insulated from outside noises and is generally very quiet. Any extra wind or road noise can be easily covered up by the Bose audio system – one of the car’s best tech features. While seat preferences can vary person to person, we think the CX-90’s seats strike a nice balance between supportive and comfortable. Heating and ventilation functions for the front passengers is also a nice touch," he said.
The ride comfort over nearly any road surface, quality of the materials used inside, the quietude inside the cabin, and its ability to simply make big mileage disappear make the CX-90 a great road-tripper, PHEV or not.
There's room for improvement when it comes to, well, room
But — and there's always a but — though we love the way the Mazda moves down a long stretch of tarmac, the interior lacks the usability we'd like from something with such stout long-distance credentials. Both Sundstrom and Buglewicz noted a lack of interior storage, specifically just how small the door bins are. They're not large enough to accommodate a 32 oz Nalgene, and the center console is too shallow to swallow anything more than a wallet and an extra phone.
Our manager of video, Will Kaufman, took things even further saying "what are the ergonomics of this car? There's so little knee room in the front seat, and the center console is incredibly wide. But it's wider at the top than the bottom, and the gas pedal is kind of recessed under the console. That means I either twist my knee awkwardly to get a foot flat on the pedal, or I plant my heel in front of the brake and pivot my toes over to the gas. It's utterly bizarre." Even though no one else has made the same gripe, it's clear the ergonomics of the cabin won't suit everyone.
What we're all in agreement on, however, is the lack of room in the third row. This was also a gripe our staffers had with the CX-90's predecessor, the CX-9. The third row in that car was borderline unusable, and it's only gotten a little better with the introduction of the new CX-90. There's more room than before, but getting in and out of the third row is still cumbersome and anyone beyond the age of 5 or 6 isn't going to want to be back there for too long.
So is the CX-90 a great road tripper? Yes, just as long as you don't have too many people to carry. You might just want to dedicate that third row to holding things rather than people. Buglewicz put it best, "The CX-90 is not the biggest cargo hauler out there; look to the Kia Telluride or Toyota Grand Highlander if you need max cargo space. But on our road trip we didn't [want] for space once we put the third row down. The Mazda easily swallowed our bags, along with some extra equipment to take pictures of the eclipse," he said.
We're still nowhere near the end of our year with the CX-90, but one thing is clear: it's covered a lot of ground well and will continue to do so until we send it back to Mazda. Be sure to check back in when all is said and done to see just how far we made that odometer go.
from Edmunds.com Car News https://ift.tt/pkHCLt9
