I didn’t know that Mazda made a 3-row SUV and I don’t remember seeing the Mazda CX-90 at the Seattle car show in November, so when Mazda reached out to see if I wanted to try one out for a week during this past spring break I was curious to see how it would drive.
First impressions of the Mazda CX-90
The Mazda CX-90 is a nice looking vehicle inside and out. I immediately noticed the sleekness of the center console and I appreciated the moon roof feature in the model I drove too. The interior of this vehicle is roomy and thoughtfully styled. I prefer two captain’s seats to the middle row bench that was in the car we tested (but you can option for the captain’s seats if you are buying your own).
How would the CX-90 work for a family of four?
We could have easily fit our teens comfortably in this vehicle for this trip too but they ended up driving to Seabrook on their own with friends this time and met us there (please don’t get me started on teenagers’ sports and school activity schedules these days). But also with the way the seats and everything folded up, we fit all the food and supplies we needed for this getaway with a bunch of teenagers and still have a lot of room.
I wish we had this car when my guys were younger, especially when we were involved in soccer carpools though nowadays with captains chairs in the middle row this would work nicely for when the four of us go places together too (and still have room for extra stuff). I read that Mazda was named the #1 Safest New-Car Brand by Consumer Reports in February 2026 (and when we are car shopping or shopping for most big purchases what Consumer Reports says does factor in to our decision making process.)
And after driving the Mazda CX-90 for a week?
I enjoyed driving the Mazda CX-90’s for its energetic feel and the multi view backup camera. I also really liked the interior design-it feels very purposeful and clean. For driving in Seattle where parking can be difficult especially near random sized curbs, I couldn’t figure out how to put the front camera on when driving up to a curb, but found that if I backed up a bit it would turn the cameras on so this would be something I’d probably get used to over time. I appreciated the active blind spot assist in the side mirrors. Growing up driving without these types of features, I love how helpful these aids are for parking and driving and having them makes me feel more comfortable with my teens driving a car like this as well.
When my husband drove, I really enjoyed the comfort of the passenger seat. I felt like it was comfortable to transport our family too. It also feels like we were getting decent gas mileage on our trip (but this was anecdotal, I’d research this if this is a factor you are looking into if you are considering this car). If I was looking to purchase a 3-row vehicle right now the Mazda CX-90 is one I definitely would look into.
I’m really thankful we had a chance to try out the Mazda CX-90 and I’m glad I know about it now. The model I drove was a 2026 CX-90 Premium Plus in Polymetal Gray Metallic/Black with AWD. (And we actually do have a Mazda at home that we are very happy with- it’s a Mazda Miata and it’s just for the two grownups in the family now that the teenagers in the family are driving our other cars.)
(PS. Seabrook is a popular vacation spot just under a 3 hours drive from Seattle where we’ve spent a lot of time over the past 6 years. It’s family-friendly, dog-friendly and multi-generational family trip friendly because there are a lot of different house rental options and it was a perfect location to test-drive the Mazda CX-90 for a roadtrip from Seattle)
(PPS. our teenagers were not able to try this vehicle so this is a review from my point of view only.)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)
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