Can Mazda's CX-90 Deliver BMW Luxury For Thousands Less? Our Road Test Tells All

Back in 2023, Mazda replaced its biggest family crossover, the CX-9, with the CX-90. The change was more than just adding a zero to the name, as the SUV rode upon a new, rear-biased all-wheel drive platform influenced by similar platforms offered by BMW and Land Rover, and crowned by a turbocharged inline-six. The newest player in the three-row SUV category, it faced down the likes of the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride and the Toyota Grand Highlander. We even wondered if Mazda had taken on more than it could handle with this new entry in our review last year for the 2024 model.

As it turned out, the CX-90 brought plenty to the table, even in the face of such strong competition. Of course, the real test is how a three-row SUV can handle family adventures, and so when a 2025 CX-90 in the top-tier 3.3 Turbo S Premium Plus trim arrived at my home in Southwestern Virginia, I had a mission in mind. Roll out to my dad's house in Louisville, Kentucky, then bring my dad, my stepmom, and a few relatives along for a Saturday of bourbon and steaks. Could this family-friendly performance machine deliver when loaded up with adults, and was it a legitimate competitor to the biggest names in luxury?

Full disclosure: Mazda sent me a couple of gift cards to pay for this road trip, as well as helped book both the distillery tour at Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky and dinner at Steak & Bourbon in Louisville's East End. The automaker had no input into our coverage.

There are many ways to get there from my Virginia home, though the preferred way for me is through the West Virginia Turnpike. Unfortunately, two of the three service stops northbound are currently closed for a total rebuild as of this writing, and won't open again to motorists until some time this coming winter.

Thus, my next option would be a mixed route of interstate, U.S. highway, and state route travel from Virginia up through Eastern and Central Kentucky leading to my dad's house in Louisville. This route would take about the same amount of time and mileage as the West Virginia Turnpike option (six hours without stopping, 400 miles).

At around noon on Halloween, I left my home to jump onto I-81 South, thinking the route I chose would guide me onto U.S. 460 West leading into Kentucky. Alas, I can't remember the exact roads I took, only that I trusted the Aussie lady in Apple Maps would lead the way. That trust was tested about 25 miles into the journey when the wireless Apple CarPlay completely disconnected from the 12.3-inch touchscreen atop the dashboard, and wouldn't reconnect. As soon as I could, I pulled off the interstate to a nearby gas station and turned off the Mazda. I plugged my iPhone into one of the two USB-C ports in the center armrest, then restarted the SUV, which restored functionality. Thus, for the rest of the trip and one I made to and from Moneta for another assignment, my phone would remain plugged in.

By around 8 pm, I had reached Louisville Metro, passing through rain storms in Kentucky along way. All had been well with the adaptive cruise control until the last few miles to my dad's house. Upon exiting I-64 to hop onto I-265 (the outer ring road of Louisville Metro), the system — which combines lane-keeping and speed control — stopped working.

The cause? Something had obscured the sensors in the Mazda grille badge; I never did find what that was, though the likely culprit might've been the road grime. That said, turning the CX-90 off and on again once my trip was done rebooted the adaptive cruise control, so who knows what gremlin latched on for the ride.

In an ideal world, I could've switched to regular cruise control. Sadly, I was the cruise control for the rest of the way. Unlike in recent Toyota models, where you can easily switch between regular and adaptive cruise control, that option wasn't immediately obvious in the CX-90. I'd argue it's something Mazda needs to implement in all of its models as soon as possible — especially as the automaker pursues the luxury vehicle market — because, if the CX-90 did have regular cruise, I certainly wasn't going to figure out how to turn it on while on the interstate in the dark.

The next day, I took the CX-90 out to the car wash to clean off the rain and get the Falkens' sidewalls glossed back up for the SUV's introduction to some of my relatives Saturday morning. My tires didn't get the shine they needed from the wash despite me paying for a full package, but that was a minor frustration compared to what I discovered about this particular Mazda's seating arrangement.

I knew this particular car wouldn't seat eight, as some lower trims of the CX-90 will. I'd assumed, though, that it would at least seat seven; in fact, I had reservations for seven for the bourbon distillery tour and the dinner at the steakhouse Saturday evening. Instead, upon folding the second-row captain's chair down and moving it forward to do some vacuuming of the third row, I discovered to my surprise that the top trim for the 2025 CX-90 only seats six. Unlike a number of three-row SUVs, the Mazda's 50/50-split rearmost bench was only designed to hold two passengers. 

It means the 3.3 Turbo S Premium Plus — the flagship of six trims available — falls in line with the likes of the 2025 BMW X7, which also seats six. The Land Rover lineup can seat between seven and eight passengers, though, depending on model and configuration. While the center console between the second row seats is useful, having more seating flexibility without sacrificing the other top spec benefits is arguably more so. Either way, it was going to be a cozier outing than planned for Saturday with the family. At least my dad and uncle would feel comfortable riding in that third row.

As with my journey into Louisville, the trip to Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky with my dad's side of the family would be a mix of interstate, U.S. highway and state routes, just on a smaller scale of travel at just an hour and 14 minutes. Now was the chance for the CX-90 to make a great impression on my relatives, who drive cars ranging from a mid-2000s Toyota Camry and a 2010s Ford Taurus to a sixth-gen Chevy Camaro and a late C3 era Corvette (which you saw in my review of the C8 era 2024 Corvette Stingray Convertible).

They had no idea what was about to hit them, beginning with the 3.3-liter turbocharged inline-six under the Mazda's long hood. This engine and its 340 horses not only can go toe-to-toe with the BMW X7's 3.0-liter turbo-six and the 375 hp it makes, but it's a great-sounding engine, too. They had no idea that this big SUV could not only haul, but that it could also handle the two-lane roads as though it had aspirations of being an MX-5. 

From behind the wheel, I felt its heft around some turns — it's not really a sports car or a roadster, after all — yet this was the right SUV to take down to Central Kentucky, as I don't think a Hyundai Palisade or a Kia Telluride would bring a similar experience to the table (even if they can seat one or two more occupants at their top trim levels).

The 2025 Mazda CX-90 delivered as a high-end family hauler. But, did it also deliver on its aspirations as a lower-cost competitor to its luxury influences? I believe Mazda is off to a good start with this replacement for the CX-9. Switching to a rear-biased all-wheel drive platform with a north/south-oriented inline-six helps its cause, along with the handling prowess Mazda is known for with its lineup, and the choice of materials like quilted leather, suede, and gloss piano black plastics. 

For an as-tested price of $58,500 with $1,455 destination, the CX-90 brings that luxury experience to the masses for thousands of dollars less than BMW's X7, and on par price-wise with various trims of Land Rover's own lineup.

However, I did say this was a good start. Mazda has a way to go with its aspirations. The tech gremlins I experienced need to be addressed, and perhaps, at least the option to increase the seating numbers for the top-tier trim level would be welcomed. Nonetheless, what Mazda has with its CX-90 should be celebrated, especially since the automaker — unlike the Japanese Big Three of Toyota, Nissan, and Honda — doesn't have its own luxury brand. Instead it forges on alone, and perhaps one day, BMW, Mercedes, and Land Rover will be looking over their shoulders, seeing Hiroshima's best charging quickly by the Teutonic and Anglo titans of luxury.