Time Will Tell: The 2026 Mazda CX-90 PHEV Premium Plus

Mike Hagerty
Apr 8
3 min read

As we begin my third review of the Mazda CX-90 in two and a half years, some stipulations are in order.

Yes, it is an impressive and imposing SUV. Some like the styling more than I do, and I still feel this looks a bit puffy and slab-sided compared to its predecessor, the sleek (by SUV standards) CX-9.

But, especially in a shade like Soul Red Crystal Metallic, the CX-90 has an undeniable visual presence.

Further, I will stipulate that the 323 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque produced by the 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder paired with an electric motor is more than sufficient, propelling the CX-90 PHEV from a standing stop to 60 miles per hour in 5.9 seconds. An additional stipulation: The fuel economy is aided by the plug-in feature, which provides 26 miles of pure electric range before the gasoline/electric hybrid kicks in, and if you always charge, the EPA cites a fuel economy estimate of 56 MPGe, as opposed to 26 mpg combined city/highway with the hybrid alone.

On top of all that, I will tell anyone who will listen that handling, for this size class, is impressive because---Mazdas are driver's cars designed by engineers.

It is noted and affirmed that space for people and belongings is beyond adequate, with 14.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seat, 30.4 inches of legroom in that third row (best for kids), and that cargo volume takes a big jump if you fold the wayback, with 40 cubic feet. If you only need the front seats for people, fold the middle row chairs and you've got 74.2 cubic feet to work with.

And the final stipulation---the interiors, especially in upper trim levels, destroy any preconcieved notion of what a Japanese vehicle not carrying the Lexus or Infiniti badges can offer. The materials and the level of fit and finish is at the level Audi used to occupy 20 years ago. I wondered then if anyone would ever catch up to them. And I never thought it would be Mazda.

As Jerry Reed said in a song a long time ago, I said all that to say all this:

The Mazda CX-90 is a desirable car. So desirable that the son-in-law of a dear friend keeps coming back to it as a leading candidate for his wife's new car.

And I can't recommend it. Which I'm sure frustrates him, but it frustrates me just as much.

This fall, I'll have been reviewing cars for 29 years. Throughout that time, not counting the misbegotten, half-hearted and now-gone MX-30 EV, Mazdas have not just been stylish, well-appointed and fun to drive.

They've been flawless.

Until the first CX-90 review. Which actually was a review of two CX-90s---the CX-90 PHEV that had a malfunction, and the CX-90 that was not a PHEV they replaced it with.

The third one, a non-PHEV I reviewed last February, had only one glitch--showing randomly wrong speed limits on the dashboard's traffic sign recognition. And this one, shown here, had that too.

But in the meantime, owner forums continue to document the problems people who've paid good money for a CX-90 are experiencing, the CX-90 has yet to earn back the Consumer Reports recommendation it lost a year ago, and as of this writing, the CX-90 is under federal investigation for a recall that may not have solved a steeering issue.

As the headline read in my first CX-90 review:

Uh-oh.

I get the appeal of the CX-90, but I cannot recommend it to my friend's son-in-law and I can't recommend it to you. Fingers crossed that Mazda gets this straightened out.