Year 2 CX-90 changes?

[MichalP]

Official media news from Mazda for 2025 CX-90:
Canada: https://en.media.mazda.ca/2024-07-31-2025-Mazda-CX-90-Pricing-and-Packaging
US: https://news.mazdausa.com/2024-07-30-2025-Mazda-CX-90-Pricing-and-Packaging

The biggest change is addition of the 2nd row bench to almost all trims except the top one and in Canada at least 12.3 inches infotainment screen starts with basic GT trim now.

 

[Euroken]

2nd post here

I posted my very non-scientific review here

Reason I'm posting is based on my short time now owning the 2024 CX-90 Preferred and comparing it to my wife's 2021 CX-5 GT.

I mentioned in the other post that CX-90 feels and handles like my wife's CX-5 (if not slightly better).

Here is my experience, just two days ago. Going about 65 mph on a two lane HOV and the Mercedes passing me on the left trailing another car. The car in front of the Mercedes brakes and the Mercedes pops in front of me. I swerve out of the way and back in my lane. If I hadn't, I would have hit his/her passenger side rear fender. I'm not a race car driver, just a daily commuter without any 'training' other than just years of driving normally (My wife would contest that...but that's for another time).

The point is that in that emergency moment, the CX-90 absolutely handled the situation without a hiccup. No skidding, no slipping, nothing. My son was sitting behind me looking on his phone and he was like, 'what was that?' and went right back to looking at the phone. I was sweating bullets for the rest of my ride home.

Again, not a scientific test in anyway, but I'm happy to own this vehicle right now. My old 2015 CX-9 wouldn't have handled this as easily...makes me wonder what would have happened. I do have my qualms about the CX-90 but not on handling...

 

[GTA-CX9]

2nd post here

I posted my very non-scientific review here

Reason I'm posting is based on my short time now owning the 2024 CX-90 Preferred and comparing it to my wife's 2021 CX-5 GT.

I mentioned in the other post that CX-90 feels and handles like my wife's CX-5 (if not slightly better).

Here is my experience, just two days ago. Going about 65 mph on a two lane HOV and the Mercedes passing me on the left trailing another car. The car in front of the Mercedes brakes and the Mercedes pops in front of me. I swerve out of the way and back in my lane. If I hadn't, I would have hit his/her passenger side rear fender. I'm not a race car driver, just a daily commuter without any 'training' other than just years of driving normally (My wife would contest that...but that's for another time).

The point is that in that emergency moment, the CX-90 absolutely handled the situation without a hiccup. No skidding, no slipping, nothing. My son was sitting behind me looking on his phone and he was like, 'what was that?' and went right back to looking at the phone. I was sweating bullets for the rest of my ride home.

Again, not a scientific test in anyway, but I'm happy to own this vehicle right now. My old 2015 CX-9 wouldn't have handled this as easily...makes me wonder what would have happened. I do have my qualms about the CX-90 but not on handling...

This is a point that I find gets missed a lot. You often see people on car forums dismiss driving dynamics in suvs, they'll say Oh who cares no one drives an SUV like a sports car.

But who knows what even a marginal difference in handling can make. It can be the difference between this type of event being just a story you tell vs a more serious collision.

When trying to balance a car's attributes, I def consider driving dynamics as contributing to safety.

 

[Trip CX90]

Totally agree about the comments regarding driving dynamics and SUVs. No, an SUV might not be the right car to drive like Miata, but good handling and road manners are important. Like people have posted, in emergency situations the car will handle that much better. There are a handful of SUVs out there that handle very well and just feel safer to drive, especially on highways. The ones out there that are very floaty, just make me nervous.

 

[heywardjr]

- The matrix LED headlights that are available on the European CX60
- The bench seat spec. issue figured out (not available on upper trims) seems to be deterring folks away from the vehicle. I like the captain chairs but get why others want the bench.
- The transmission issues figured out
- Dark, real wood trim in the tan colour interior option
- Tweak the sunroof design so it opens more
- Make the digital rear view mirror standard in top trim spec. with modest increase in cost of vehicle
- Full touch screen all the time so people would stop complaining about it
- More customizable gauges
- Change in shifter operation so it makes a bit more sense to everyone
- Change the remote start system so it doesn't turn the car off when you first open a door

Some of these are probably easier tweaks than others.

As for the matrix headlights, I am pretty sure the US DOT has not fully approved them yet. It takes awhile. Might be approved for next year models I hear.

 

[heywardjr]

I got the full $7500 credit in October 2023. I does not show up for 24 yet but lots of cars dropped off because they had not applied to the Federal government in time to get the classification. I would check on that if buying in 24 as it's likely Mazda will fix that.

I got the $7500 off my lease in 10/23. They still offer it on leases in 2024 but not sure about purchases. There was a bunch of negotiations with the Feds by the Japanese manufacturers to get exceptions.

 

[GTEyes]

As for the matrix headlights, I am pretty sure the US DOT has not fully approved them yet. It takes awhile. Might be approved for next year models I hear.

That will be cool to see rolled out. Our F150 has them and it's impressive to watch operate.

 

[heywardjr]

I would like the top of the line PHEV to come with the same interior as the top Turbo S. And drop the 280 HP engine.

I would also like the option to turn off the engine noise in the cabin or have it only there in sport mode.

Weird. I cannot hear the engine noise when my PHEV engine kicks in. I do hear it when I have it in Sport mode but it is so negligible I can barely tell.

 

[Trip CX90]

Weird. I cannot hear the engine noise when my PHEV engine kicks in. I do hear it when I have it in Sport mode but it is so negligible I can barely tell.

I’ve heard piped in engine sounds that sound absolutely ridiculous. But Mazda does it in a very subtle way. It’s there in normal mode and definitely more aggressive in sport mode, and mostly it is apparent under hard acceleration, but they are both very subtle. You think that you’re only hearing the engine, but it is really mostly the piped in sound.

 

[SilberFuchs]

I’ve heard piped in engine sounds that sound absolutely ridiculous. But Mazda does it in a very subtle way. It’s there in normal mode and definitely more aggressive in sport mode, and mostly it is apparent under hard acceleration, but they are both very subtle. You think that you’re only hearing the engine, but it is really mostly the piped in sound.

I have read that the CX90's added engine noise is not electronically 'piped in'. Rather it is a sound pipe in the engine compartment that runs near the fire wall. I think I even saw a part number for it on another BB. So, the sound defeat tricks one sees for CX50s and such don't work.

 

[dougal]

So, with the 2025 CX90 just being the 2024 CX90 with some fixes, what do people expect in the 2026 Cx90?

What I would like:

Make it quieter - tire and wind noise is too high.
Cooled rear seats in CX70.
Heated steering wheel - that goes all around.
Better autonomous driving tech.
Highest level trim should come with air dampers.

 

[TimelessMazda]

So, with the 2025 CX90 just being the 2024 CX90 with some fixes, what do people expect in the 2026 Cx90?

What I would like:

Make it quieter - tire and wind noise is too high.
Cooled rear seats in CX70.
Heated steering wheel - that goes all around.
Better autonomous driving tech.
Highest level trim should come with air dampers.

All of that sounds good.

I would add to make it have a better tuning to response to acceleration. From multiple test drives the CX-90 was not nearly as responsive as its competitor from Toyota which is one reason I went with the GHHMAX.

Also having a second row bench option on all trims would be nice.