Mazda gets three rows right with its new CX-90 SUV

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- Mazda has had this crossover sport-utility vehicle thing figured out for some time.

I recently had a week behind the wheel of the vehicle that is now carrying Mazda's SUV banner ... It's carrying it quite well, thank you very much.

The all-new-for-2024 Mazda CX-90 plug-in electric hybrid vehicle -- it replaces the CX-9 -- combined enough luxury, performance, fuel economy, comfort and driving pleasure to justify a $70,000 sticker price. Instead, the bottom line on my ride was an "is-that-really-right?" $58,920.

Yeah, I did a double-take.  This is a state-of-the-art, seven-passenger, hybrid-technology vehicle that also included Mazda's Premium Plus package.  My tester was loaded up with Nappa leather, heated second-row captain's chairs, ventilated rear seats and a 360-degree monitor.

It looked sharp as well. It is not the boxy three-row sport-ute you see elsewhere.  Sleek and smooth over the top, the tester rode high and proud on 21-inch alloy wheels.

Safety/security technology?  Of course, and lots of it. I'm not a huge fan of driver attention-alert systems, but hey, they do make you sit up and pay attention on a long drive.  Can't hurt, right? Traffic sign recognition also comes in handy, especially if you're getting a little too frisky on the CX-90 paddle shifters.

And yes, you can get frisky with this gas-electric powertrain rated at 323 horsepower and 369 foot-pounds of torque.  I routinely zipped it into get-gone gear and found myself blasting around and away from all manner of motor vehicle models.  It was truly enjoyable to drive, and freeway handling manners were excellent.

Being aggressive on the accelerator need not produce a guilt trip, however.  The hybrid system is rated at an equivalent 56 miles per gallon in combined city/highway driving.

In a market loaded with pricey big crossover sport-utes, this new CX-90 deserves serious consideration. I believe it can deliver long-term happiness ... and save buyers a few grand in the short term.