CX-90 Drag race

[dunhillmc]

Here is my 0.02c after roughly a week of ownership.

Pros
Plenty of power and torque, no real discernible turbo lag, power is linear (flat torque curve beyond the peak). The little bit I got on it during the test drive has 25-75 in fast enough for a 3-row suv. If the power could be put down without de-tuning / limiting in the low gears, I would believe the 5.2/5.8 0-60. Especially if you could start out in 2nd gear as the first two gears are noticeably shorter then the rest of the gear ratio spreads. Depending on the compressor sizing there could be plenty of un-tapped power in the platform, but at 12:1 compression, there likely isn't a ton of efficient/ safe power in the oem turbo. My hope is that the turbo S has an upgraded turbo / cooling from the base turbo engine that accommodates the increased power. I understand from the ease standpoint you would want as many things shared between the two engine trim levels, but for longevity sake, more robust cooling and a turbo compressor that can support the higher airflow would be nice.

My commute is 60/40 hwy/city driving, and I could see myself easily averaging 28-30 mpg driving normally. We shall see how well efficiency improves as things break in, but this may be a case where real-world numbers are better then EPA estimates if you aren't going 75-80 mph.

The engine sound itself is awesome. Super quiet, until you get on it, then the I6 growls to life. You can hear some turbo induction noise when going full throttle too, which is always welcome. I am not sure how much of this is faked (played through speakers), but with the windows down you can tell that its not all an amplification trick.

Again vehicle feels planted and confident, I haven't pushed the handling side yet but thus far very happy with the overall driving feel. Vehicle feels more like a wagon / shooting brake then an SUV.

Cons

Thankfully I think more of my critiques are with the infotainment system / display layout, and will hopefully be cleaned up with software updates. There should be a general vehicle status page you can put up that lists everything the car has sensors for (in a configurable manner) (fuel efficiency, tire pressure/ oil pressure, coolant temp, manifold pressure, Gs meter if one exists, torque split front/rear etc.).

There is a singular page for fuel efficiency (which is fine), and if you hunt around to the maintenance page you can find the tire air pressure readout, but that is really all I could find in terms of getting vehicle status. With the way the UI is setup, it seems like they intended for things to be added down the road.

The combination of regenerative braking / clutch-pack transmission is a little jerky, but I am hopeful that will smooth out as things break in.

Good report
Do you know about the kick-plate in the pedal? After you floor it, that's not all it goes. Step harder and you'll feel a click. That will get you the full engine power

 

[ccspeedsix]

Good report
Do you know about the kick-plate in the pedal? After you floor it, that's not all it goes. Step harder and you'll feel a click. That will get you the full engine power

Yeah I felt it the one time I tested things from a roll. I am curious to see what the owners manual says about the kick down trigger. I havent had time to dig into the manual for it.

 

[babs86]

Try to launch with off road mode and istop off.

 

[babs86]

Try to launch with off road mode and istop off.

 

[babs86]

From cx60 video in Europe

Off road mode is 0.6s faster than sport mode.

Mazda CX-60 2.5 PHEV Beschleunigung 0-100 km/h EV / Normal / Offroad / Sport | Schuster Automobile

Kraftstoffverbrauch nach NEFZ l/100 km kombiniert 2,2; Energieverbrauch kWh Strom/100 km kombiniert 16,0; CO2-Emission g/km kombiniert 48; Effizienzklasse A+...

youtu.be

 

[ccspeedsix]

Try to launch with off road mode and istop off.

That sort of stuff will have to wait until everything is broken in.

 

[roundle1979]

Your MPG report is impressive. My 2018 CX9 has averaged 19.6MPG over the last 10K miles (mixed city and highway).

 

[dougal]

Your MPG report is impressive. My 2018 CX9 has averaged 19.6MPG over the last 10K miles (mixed city and highway).

That is what is amazing with these new engines. The fuel economy looks to be much better. The CX-9 was rated at 20 and 26 with 23 combined. I get 24.4 combined. The CX-90 is rated at 24 and 28 with 25 combined. I bet I could get 26 MPG out of that.

 

[ceric]

The 48V helps low-rpm (city stop/go), while the 8-speed tranny helps the highway driving.

 

[ccspeedsix]

Manual specifically states not to use off-road mode on surfaces with good traction, as it probably is much harder on the center diff / clutch pack assembly (I haven't found any good information how the bias front to rear is controlled). So for those new owners itching to play I would advise against it. Mazda collects driving usage data on you.....

I havent tested it yet, but there appears to be a way to make 2nd gear your starting gear as well. Which would probably help the low end 0-60. What isn't clear is if this mode forces you to be stuck into only second, causing a delay to get into 3rd.

 

[babs86]

Manual specifically states not to use off-road mode on surfaces with good traction, as it probably is much harder on the center diff / clutch pack assembly (I haven't found any good information how the bias front to rear is controlled). So for those new owners itching to play I would advise against it. Mazda collects driving usage data on you.....

I havent tested it yet, but there appears to be a way to make 2nd gear your starting gear as well. Which would probably help the low end 0-60. What isn't clear is if this mode forces you to be stuck into only second, causing a delay to get into 3rd.

Good to know use it one time to see the 0-60mph lol.