Mazda’s Big Gamble: Can the CX-90 Justify Its Premium Price?
When Mazda launched the CX-90 a couple of years ago, it looked like a winner. The goal was to build on the successful formula of the previous CX-9 and push the brand into a more luxurious market. But, in an industry where automakers have managed to provide unprecedented value by making their cars drive and feel more expensive than ever before, how far is too far?
Today’s mainstream cars are exponentially nicer than previous generations, with fancier styling, more standard features, and elevated overall appearance. Mazda has proven how high the bar for upscale appeal can go with a mainstream brand. In fact, Mazda has admitted its desire to become a premium, even near-luxury brand, similar to Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus. However, as Mazda vehicles have gotten nicer, their prices have increased. The fully loaded CX-90, for example, is now more than $10,000 more expensive than the top-spec equivalent of the previous CX-9. Is the world ready to spend $61,000 on a Mazda?
A Closer Look at the CX-90
Chris Chin, a writer at TopSpeed, spent a week with the CX-90 and mostly agreed with his colleagues that the CX-90 is a very good crossover SUV. It offers a third row of seating. “It’s certainly elevated Mazda’s flagship SUV experience over the CX-9,” he says. But Chin couldn’t help but compare its value to that of the older CX-9.
What the CX-90 Gets Right
For car enthusiasts, the Mazda CX-90’s on-road behavior is undeniably impressive. The brand is known for its “zoom-zoom” mantra and has produced some of the best-handling cars on the planet, like the RX sports cars and the Miata. Its chassis and suspension are skillfully developed, making it feel sophisticated, composed, and eager to move. That’s due to features like Mazda’s Kinematic Posture Control, which uses clever suspension geometry, tuning, and brake-based torque vectoring control.
Mazda’s new turbocharged inline-six engine also earns praise. The 3.3-liter straight-six in the CX-90 Turbo S delivers 340 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. However, some reviewers found that the inline-six wasn’t as smooth and refined as some other engines in its class.
Inside, the CX-90 has the nicest Mazda interior ever. The top-of-the-line Turbo S Premium Plus model has luxurious touches, like Nappa leather and Alcantara-wrapped seats, soft leather finishes on the dashboards and door cards, and even some Alcantara on the headliner.
Quality materials are used throughout the cabin. Those attributes help convey the premium and near-luxury theme. The fit and finish are excellent. The obvious quality and attention to detail inside the CX-90 match its sticker price.
Exterior Design
The CX-90 continues Mazda’s KODO “Soul of Motion” design language. It’s an evolution of the old CX-9. The new model is more upright and SUV-like, with a flatter nose and a higher roofline. While not a bad-looking SUV, the previous CX-9, with its sleeker profile, gave the impression of an elongated, lifted wagon.
Ride Quality
While known for handling, Mazda’s previous cars sometimes came with a stiff ride. Fortunately, the CX-90 offers a comfortable ride over most surfaces. However, when the road turns rough, the CX-90’s shortcomings become apparent. The writer states that it “made me yearn for better damping and more suspension travel.” The stiff ride hinders the premium aspirations of the CX-90.
The Price Problem
The main criticism of the CX-90 is its price. The top-of-the-line CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus model has an MSRP of over $61,000. That’s significantly more than the old fully-loaded CX-9. While the CX-90 offers more features, the price is nearing luxury territory. The CX-90’s high price points start competing with models like the Infiniti QX60, Acura MDX, and Lexus TX, along with well-equipped versions of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. In fact, the Genesis GV80 starts at almost $3,000 cheaper than the CX-90. The Audi Q7 is also within reach of the CX-90.
As Chin wonders, Is the world ready for such an expensive Mazda? The brand is known for its affordability. The base CX-90 Turbo Select starts under $40,000 and provides excellent value. If you’re willing to spend over $50,000, value isn’t the appeal, and the CX-90’s competitors offer more value. Other companies, like Hyundai, realized that in order to compete in such spaces, it had to create a luxury subsidiary, resulting in Genesis. Mazda seems to be killing it with sales, and the CX-90 is helping somewhat. But with such a big ask at the higher end of the spectrum, despite the aspirations to big, I just don’t think Mazda is quite there yet.
Ultimately, the question remains: “You spent how much on a Mazda?!”
