My Week with the 2024 Mazda CX-90 Turbo S

I spend a week with the 2024 Mazda CX-90 Turbo S to see what it's like to live with. While I was really impressed with the CX-90 on my first drive, there was one potential achilles heel: the transmission. In this video I discuss my updated thoughts on the CX-90, my real-world fuel economy, and other things I noticed after a week. What do you think about the CX90? Thanks to Mazda for providing this vehicle to review!
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @mattmaranmotoring
Don't miss an upload! Hit the bell and subscribe if you haven't already! Link: kzbin.info...
Twitter @mattmaran
Instagram @mattmaranmotoring
Facebook: / mattmaranmotoring
Shirts and other merch: teespring.com/...
Camera gear used (commissions earned): www.amazon.com...
Business inquires can be directed to mattmaranmotoring (at) gmail (dot) com
Matt Maran Motoring is a participant in the Amazon Influencer Program.

[@aceofspades6667]

Test drove the 3.3 turbo premium plus non S for $53k it’s quite the attractive package.

[@nicetrydick]

A great car! But the turbo s has way more features

[@2W3X4YZ5]

So far not convinced to trade my 16 model CX-9 Signature. At 80k it is still flawless, and is one of the best cars I have ever owned. I don’t care for the flattening of the front and rear body parts on the CX-90. It leaves the overall design looking like it is missing something.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Nothing wrong with sticking with a car you love! Contentment is a great (and to some people, elusive) feeling haha.

[@WorksOnMyComputer]

The new car isn't as attractive in my opinion and it's also very much a version one car. All new driveline and chassis, so it's going to have rough edges. The car will undoubtedly be much better in a few years after Mazda has had time to refine it. Sticking with your CX-9 sounds like a very sensible idea and its not like you are roughing it.

[@ANSWERTHECALLOFJESUSCHRIST]

I think the '16 CX-9 looks so much better than the new CX-90. I like that it has concept car-ish design to it.

[@brandyssafelock-ey3xh]

Own a Turbo S Premium and love it! ❤️

[@lennoxruiz1193]

Was the transmission an issue?

[@williamraley2657]

I've got the non S premium plus and have not had issues so far.

[@SkylineLofe]

@@lennoxruiz1193 I test drove a Turbo S Premium Plus and didn't have the issue that apparently others are. And that was with me test driving it through both ripping through my local back roads and in constant stop and go city traffic

[@Seriously140]

Mazda went 99 yards and fumbled at the goal line with this vehicle. It needs unlock sensors on the back door handles, a much better stereo on the premium trims, a longer bottom seat cushion, and massaging front seats. The door handle sensors are especially maddening. About 80% of the time I use my vehicle I am putting something in the back seats first. All of these are very easy, and relatively inexpensive fixes. For them to develop a new platform and engine, then cheap out on these touch points that you notice in daily use is lunacy. They want to compete with the Germans but forgot that luxury separates you from that which annoys you.

[@tdkleffman]

Hopefully Mazda will be able to iron out, electronically or mechanically, that wet clutch link with the electric motor/tranny. Otherwise the vehicle looks really nice. It's certainly a much better value proposition in the lower trims.

[@klasseact6663]

I bet the more you drive it it will learn and smooth out...looks outstanding, both inside and out, WOW❗️❗️❗️

[@benhaze1010]

No it won't; it is inherent with its mechanical design.

[@Suction_]

Every mazda i've owned (7) drove pretty weird the first 5-7k miles. Once I'm at the second oil change or so most the quirks are out and it's adapted to how you drive. Hell, the highlander I have now is doing the same thing.

[@jaketanner109]

great point. many new vehicles perform the same, where the first 5-7K miles are still breaking in the transmission and become smoother after. Wish the reviewers would mention the mileage they test at...makes a big difference for sure.

[@Suction_]

@@jaketanner109 most of the review samples are broken in the hard way. Most of them beat the crap out of them for their testing. But yea, obviously you’re not going to do anything like what those review units go through

[@jaketanner109]

@@Suction_ This is my fear when purchasing a new car also...am I buying a car that's been misused because it has NOT been properly broken in when people test drive it? Especially true for something like an Explorer ST, where everyone is going to want to floor it.

[@briangarfield9753]

Good review, I like to hear from someone that's driven for more than a few minutes. I drove this same model for about 30 minutes in all scenarios and was impressed. Didn't personally give a second thought to the transmission, and while you're careful about describing how critical you are, some people still take it too seriously. The transmission is fine and will also adapt to your driving style over time (all modern ones do). As a hypermiler and someone that watches MPG like a hawk in all my vehicles, any idling in an ICE will ruin your true MPG average, if that's what you're trying to demonstrate. I don't know how long you were idling for your interior bit, but it wouldn't surprise me if you easily could have surpassed the 25mpg average had you not been idling. You reference this a little, but you may have been better off adding how long you idled. Keep it up!

[@AMehta-ok5pf]

Yes, if he was idling for 45 minutes it would will kill your MPG.

[@user-jw6ul9dq5x]

Thanks for the great review 😎 I have the same trim with the white interior and really just love the look, how amazing the car handles and the ultra quiet ride. Ditto on the transmission, although after owning and driving the car for the last 45 days it is getting smoother each time and I do mostly city driving with plenty of speed humps and traffic circles.

[@myemailiscool]

No rear door proximity sensors is a big deal, as you said if you have kids you're often going to the back doors first. On a $60k car, a strange place to cut costs. Good callout.

[@eamonnmcdermott1939]

This is not a big deal, it is a massive deal. Why should you have to move your arm slightly forward to touch the proximity sensor on the front door in order to open the entire car. It's simply horrific that you have to put in so much effort trying to open the rear doors. I could strain my shoulder or arm reaching less than one metre. I just cannot believe Mazda expects people to have to put so much effort into opening the vehicle. My life is tough enough as it is without having the complexity of this issue. I just cannot see how people could consider buying this vehicle when there is such a massive amount of effort required to open the vehicle. This has ruined my entire year, Good callout.

[@myemailiscool]

@@eamonnmcdermott1939 For $60,000 it's a basic feature, it's a small quality of life improvement. If we all had your mentality we'd all be in cars with roll up windows and manual AC. Enjoy your 4 speed 2001 toyota camry sir.

[@eamonnmcdermott1939]

@@myemailiscool a sad reflection on modern life

[@LemonsJ]

I want one so bad.

[@curtistaylor1311]

Same. I've owned 2 Mazda6's. Currently own a 19' 330i. But want an SUV. I've always had a soft spot for Mazda. Wish they didn't discontinued the Mazda 6. But I love the new CX-90

[@kdomster9141]

It is amazing , I drove it and tranny "issue" is blown out of proportion ...i drove X3 M40i and it also had hesitation from start and no one mentions it

[@georgepolak3647]

Really surprised about the described hesitancy of the transmission from dead stop and low speeds. That's where the 48V mild hybrid system should shine giving it the initial boost and enough time for the trans to figure things out.

[@franzvanjulio5523]

Yeah…the transmission is a big a deal. Mazda should have not released it without addressing the issue. Looking forward to your Friday show! Thanks, Matt!!

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Thanks Franz!

[@realbigtuna667]

Up side, just software. I'm sure they will release several updates over the next few years.

[@sameer4526]

The front lower end looks weirdly off

[@XX-166]

Thanks Ray Charles.

[@falxonPSN]

This is the Turbo S for those of us too poor to shell out $275k on a 911 Turbo S. 😂

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Lol!

[@brandonbergeron4668]

Thank you for calling out these things that do need to be addressed especially for this price. The door thing bugs me on the CX-5 at half the price, it would make me hate this car for 60k.

[@tedadamgreen]

Another good review Matt !

[@Vlican]

great job picking up on the transmission problem! i've watched a ton of reviews on this vehicle and about half the reviewers also mentioned the same thing. this is a deal breaker because an unresponsive transmission is no fun to drive

[@differencemaker242]

Mazda has made compromises to compete. They used to obsess over the weight of their vehicles. That is no longer the case. So theyve thrown some things away and adopted other things to grow. Is this for better or for worse?

[@benhaze1010]

Great review! Not quite sure why a company like Mazda with limited resources decide to try to design a new transmission on top of doing a new engine. It would be a top contender with the ZF 8-speed transmission but I am afraid it will not have great success with what it is trying to compete with.

[@yelloandy]

Cuz it’s gonna be the foundation to many other vehicles. In one interview Mazda’s Dave Coleman said there’s so many things we can do with this new platform.

[@im_an_alvani]

Beautiful car for sure, but 60 stacks for a Mazda is definitely a sign of the times.

[@hardchemist]

Own an '08 Mercedes diesel SUV, not the 3 row but weighs about the same. Chipped it early on, prolly hits 60 in around 7 seconds. I average 25MPG, but can get closer to 30 if I try. Air suspension is tits. Just shy of a quarter million miles, original owner. Hope to put another quarter million on it before I leave this place. Great review, Matt!

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Thanks! Kudos to you for racking up that kind of mileage and sticking with it!

[@hardchemist]

@@MattMaranMotoring Thanks, Matt! Everything still works including radar cruise control, I replaced the head unit with wireless Apple CarPlay that looks utterly stock, ordered it with MB-Tex which means no "worn leather" issues, engine has never been cracked open (knock on wood); even the original turbo, radiator, and A/C. Amazing vehicle. Not to say there have not been issues, like the air suspension had a few struts replaced over the years, and a seal between the engine and transmission that is leaking and requires some serious labor hours to replace, but it's all good. I love it with all my heart. It's black, and has been further murdered out with everything black including running boards and alloys. Hope to get a weekend drive new BMW M2 or a '24 Mustang GT after house expenditures are addressed. Cheers! Have a great weekend.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Thanks, you too! Glad to hear it's been pretty solid for you!

[@jsfbay1]

Matt, I'm a bit concerned that you had the same transmission issue with the Pilot where sometimes there was a delay when starting from a dead stop. Did you talk about this in your Pilot drive? I'm going to go watch that (again) but I'm happy to hear you compare the behavior of the two vehicles when starting from a stop.

[@PhillyFan20]

Love the video, Matt. My wife and I have a 2017 CX-9 with over 75K miles and the transmission is smooth as butter. Lately, we've been thinking of upgrading and Mazda will be our first choice. However, the problems with the 8 speed transmission is concerning to me. The same issue plagues the CX-60, which was released a year prior to the CX-90. Hopefully there's a TSB soon for this. It seems like a software issue. Toyota had a similar issue with their 8 speed AT when they introduced it in the 2017 Highlander. That eventually got corrected.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked the video! Yeah hopefully Mazda can refine it a bit sooner rather than later.

[@kdomster9141]

Thanks to you Matt we will get better deal on great CX90 as dealers lots are filling in with stocks and incentives will follow 😉😊

[@CanadianMax]

Thank you for the great review. Did you have the same experience with the gearbox in the CX90 PHEV?

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Thanks for watching! It likely will have the same issue since the PHEV still puts all the power through the same transmission, but I need to spend more time with the PHEV version. On my first drive, I didn’t do much inching up in traffic while driving the PHEV.

[@KuyaArbee]

the transmission and lack of true active safety features... sucks that the transmission isn't as seamless as it could be....

[@franzvanjulio5523]

Oh geeez…your description reminds me of my ‘18 Odyssey which is not the most confidence inspiring or enjoyable.

[@spacefras]

Does the phev have the same transmission issue?

[@MattMaranMotoring]

From my first drive, it appears to, yeah. It still has to run all the power through the transmission.

[@spacefras]

@@MattMaranMotoring damn, I thought it might have a different transmission since it was a phev. I wonder if it’s worse than my ford Explorer st.

[@danabrown1047]

I wonder if Mazda can improve the smoothness of the transmission via software, or if it is a mechanical fix. I would take a 2023 CX-9 over a 2024 CX-90.

[@beavisbutthead2058]

What’s the hp rating on this configuration ? And which has more hp hybrid plugin option or without it ?

[@MattMaranMotoring]

340 hp. Plug-in has slightly less but matches it on torque. All covered in my original review: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4nPdZdoebmpfZI

[@ned8249]

I’ve been waiting for this review. Most reviews are mixed but on the negative end. I personally would wait for the CX-70 but with all the negative reviews I’m a no.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

I'd at least test drive one to see how it feels to you. Like I said in the video, everyone has different standards for what's acceptable.

[@ned8249]

@@MattMaranMotoring good point. Keep up the good work. 😊👍

[@paulira7407]

Matt, so what’s your final verdict on the all-new 8-speed tranny? Pass on the CX-70 until maybe the next model year to see if Mazda can work out the kinks on it? Zach and Andrea from Motormouth just released a second review of the CX-70 and it seemed that’s the way they were leaning because of the lack of refinement of the tranny in low-speed conditions.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

I give my final verdict on it in this video. Beyond those thoughts, if they come out with a revision for the transmission I'm assuming it'll just be software so any previously-built CX-90 could get flashed to have the new transmission programming, if they ever decided to do such a thing. I recommend anyone still give it a test drive and see how it feels to you personally.

[@paulira7407]

@@MattMaranMotoringthanks for the reply, Matt. I have a 2021 Rav4 Prime and I was thinking about selling it for the upcoming 2024 CX-70 PHEV model. The superior interior quality & engaging driving dynamics are the two main reasons why I was thinking about jumping ship from the Prime to the CX-70 PHEV. I guess I will have to wait to test drive one in the future to see if the tranny is something I could live with. 👍

[@reneguerrero4657]

I dont see any reviews hy motormouth for the cx70. It’s not out yet.

[@mbenton6]

You can unlock the door from the passenger door. It unlocks all 5 door s from the passenger door

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Right, but it's still an extra effort to grab the passenger handle and then the back one.

[@yournightmare9999]

Hi IQ people use key fob

[@davidlaskowski9529]

❤

[@supremewhip]

You spent 3/4 of the video complaining…

[@Niles-Guy]

$60K for a Mazda is a tough pill 💊 to swallow. Might as well get the new Lexus TX

[@chenmenis]

right only if you can actually get one for 60k 😂

[@DJL78]

A fully equipped TX is expected to have an MSRP of $85,000

[@yournightmare9999]

Lexus is overpriced trash

[@AD-lf9ck]

Hahaa. I got a quote for nx premium for $51k. Good luck getting TX for $60k

[@kdomster9141]

Thanks for overall nagging rout and taking one or two issues and blowing them into disqualifing level proportions , in comparison spending very little time on all other great aspects ...it will help to sell more Kia or Honda that is so much cheesier and way inferior in comparison on so many levels . Knowing Mazda they will update TCM / PCM and rework the tranny work . I personally think that electric motor in between engine and tranny gives it that bit of hesitation while in transition...and is something that could be redone , maybe by switching to Sport should remove electric assist and give it more direct feel. I drove Turbo S for 20 minutes , highway , city and country road and issue was barely noticeable and is blown out of proportion here and in few other reviews almost if these reviewers watch each other's clips and repeat same observation 😉 Mazda is judged to much different standard than Sunburn or Kia , i guess Mazda needs to improve their sponsor fund and treat these so called reviewers or magazine writers with more sponsorship 😉 If this Was Kia it would be called the best in the world and on the moon and in whole solar system🤣😂

[@peterkoe5044]

Ok Mr Dork,....If you want instantaneous down shift,...thats why they gave you the PADDLE SHIFTERS.....*&^%$$#@!!!! Yes the PHEV does not have an of the issues you spoke of with the Turbo S.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Lol other crossovers in this segment don't make you wait like that. And yes the PHEV will have the transmission issue, it still runs the same transmission and all the power still has to go through it. But go ahead and keep making excuses because you like the Mazda the best...

[@peterkoe5044]

@@MattMaranMotoring From my test drives the PHEV has no hesitation like the under powered mild hybrid. The big electric motor is much better suited to a smooth ,immediate acceleration. Thats why I bought the PHEV over the Turbo S

[@bbbt8090]

I want to like the plug in version but I don't, it's not fast enough for $60+k. Luxury wise, it seems to ok

[@MattMaranMotoring]

What 3-row is faster for $60k?

[@bbbt8090]

@@MattMaranMotoring My 2018 Acura MDX Hybrid

[@GothRocker7]

@@MattMaranMotoringMatt, When I was at The Lincoln dealer getting my Continental serviced, The Lincoln Aviator I test drove a couple years back, I believe the 0 to 60 is 5.4 seconds. The Aviator starts at 53 grand, and loaded is around 80 grand, so Mazda does have a cheaper starting price, but at 60 grand Aviator is really nice, comfortable, and smooth.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Your 2018 Acura MDX Hybrid has 80 less lb/ft of torque than this, so no it's not faster than the CX-90 lol.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

@GothRocker7 True, the Aviator is definitely a solid performer if you're okay giving up some niceties. Cooled 2nd row and upgraded stereo aren't available as options on the base trim, but loading up a base trim with the other options to make it comparable to this CX-90 still brings it up to a $61k price tag. But it is a true luxury brand so for some people that may make it the better choice. Great point, thanks!

[@robertbabic80]

Mazda is updating their products on annual basis...

[@soheilmortezaeifar8125]

Shame on Mazda that they haven't been able to make a simple transmission. Even my CX5 doesn't have a good transmission or tune.

[@geoffwilliams5699]

You just turned me off this vehicle Geoff Australia

[@varsity2845]

They really called it a Turbo S. And really made it look nearly like an X7

[@whiteandnerdytuba]

How does Mazda justify the downgrade? I’d rather just have a cvt for the mileage

[@Slimothy]

TLDR: Skip this one, it's unrefined.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Not what I said at all.

[@syoung3602]

60k plus for a crappy transmission? No thanks

[@jpmackin]

Mazda, will be out of business soon anyway…

[@usergvhhyu1223]

They've been saying that since the 80's. Mazda is like Nintendo, they always find a way to reinvent the brand. Great cars overall.

[@jpmackin]

It is not the 80’s my friend…if they do not partner with another company, they will meet their end in five years.

[@David_Journey]

@@jpmackinyou mean the joint venture Alabama manufacturing plant with Toyota where CX-50 is manufactured? Facts no longer matter, do they?

[@geoffwilliams5699]

You just turned me off this vehicle Geoff Australia