Feisty three-row Mazda SUV is functional and fast

This review first appeared in the March 2024 edition of the Cruisin' News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

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Sacramento, California --Words you typically don't hear from passengers riding in a full-size, three-row sport-utility vehicle: "Hey, slow down a little bit!"

OK, sorrryyyyy about that.

It's just that this 3.3-liter turbo-6 engine with nearly 300 horses and 332 foot-pounds of torque is such a delight.  And yeah, a rarity on a big sport-ute.

But that's what I had with the tested 2024 Mazda CX-90, a big, white-colored whale with plenty of fire in its belly.

A hard press on the accelerator found me zipping through suburban traffic and darting out of harm's way on Sacramento-area freeways.  Plenty of fun to be had here, not the least of which was seeing stunned looks on the faces of fellow motorists I was blazing past.

For my money, if I'm going to have three seating rows to work with, I want to have some oomph under the hood.

The 2024 CX-90 delivers that, big time. Naturally, there are other charms.

Like room for seven, of course. Room for plentiful cargo, too. And 5,000 pounds of towing capacity.

There are paddle shifters for even more high-speed fun.  Power panoramic moonroof, Nappa leather surfaces and, well, I could go on all night as my ride had the Premium Plus package of features.

Fuel mileage was pretty fair at 24 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg in the highway.

What would you pay for all this?  Sixty- or sixty-five grand, right? And yet the bottom line on the tester's sticker came in at $54,920.

I'm sure I drove the neighbors crazy talking up this white-painted SUV ... especially in a world of super-exotic, feature-laden motor vehicles.

But there was a lesson here that struck me hard: If you search the market thoroughly, you can find fairly priced, large vehicles. And despite the coming electric age, demand for strong, internal-combustion engines is going to remain.

For those in need of such a vehicle, you might want to add the 2024 Mazda CX-90 to your test-drive list.

And if you are shopping around, please note that the CX-90 can be had in 11 different trims and three powertrain options.