2025 Mazda CX-90 PHEV: Built For Family Road Trips?

It has become a summer tradition over the years to hit the road with the family. Every year in the middle of July, my wife, our two boys, and I set off to explore—or rediscover—a randomly chosen region of Québec or sometimes even further, as neighbouring provinces have gradually made their way into our list of destinations over the years.

And since being an automotive journalist sometimes involves longer drives, it felt reasonable to leave the family car behind to take the wheel of something roomier, more comfortable, and even more fuel-efficient. Yes, even though my personal Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen is great on gas, it’s possible to do better with a larger vehicle. This year, the 2025 Mazda CX-90 PHEV served as our transporter for the summer road trip. Here’s what we learned from this extended road test.

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The journey

We had booked a cozy cottage on the Saguenay River banks, about 15 kilometres north of Tadoussac, at the edge of the Côte-Nord region. The trip, calculated at just over 560 km, seemed easily feasible on a single tank of fuel. Let’s not forget, the CX-90 PHEV can travel up to 789 kilometres under optimal conditions. Looking at the plan, I quickly concluded that two full tanks would be enough for the entire journey.

But before reaching the ferry connecting Baie-Sainte-Catherine to Tadoussac (about 20 minutes from our final stop), we made a detour to towards Québec City to enjoy the European charm of the provincial capital. It was there, on the city’s streets, that the CX-90’s hybrid system added a few extra kilometres to the original route. All in all, a total of 54 additional kilometres were added to the odometer during our short stop in Québec City.

And since we were in full vacation mode, we didn’t bother hunting down a Level 2 charging station. The PHEV variant can travel up to 42 kilometres in electric mode, which, admittedly, is a short range compared to other plug-in SUVs. So, to reach our destination, we relied solely on the gas tank after using up our electric range right from home.

As expected, the drive to Sacré-Cœur went off without a hitch and refuelled our CX-90 in that village. But to stretch the PHEV SUV’s range a little further, the cottage became our slow-charging station for a few days. Thanks to the built-in charger, the CX-90 PHEV could regain its electric range using a standard 120-volt wall outlet. It’s a painfully slow process, but at least these daily bursts of charge when stationary at the cabin allowed us to drive in full electric mode—even with the steep hills of that part of the country. You do need to be careful with the accelerator, though, because a heavy foot will engage the gas engine to assist the electric motor.

7.9 litres per 100 km

Mazda claims the CX-90 can average as low as 4.2 L/100 km in combined city/highway driving conditions, but that assumes an ideal driving style and a lot of time spent in full electric mode—which just wasn’t the case during this summer trip. Plus, with the scorching heat, we used the air conditioning extensively.

Our average of 7.9 L/100 km was achieved mostly on the highway, often at speeds over 100 km/h. Had we spent more time in the city or on secondary roads with lower speed limits (under 70 km/h), we could have gotten closer to that 4.2 mark.

That said, the CX-90 PHEV still outperformed many non-hybrid compact cars on the market—despite being fully loaded with luggage and carrying four passengers (two adults and two teens). That’s definitely satisfying. And since most PHEVs drive electrically six days a week, the CX-90 PHEV—the more fuel-efficient version (a turbocharged inline-6 is also available)—proves to be a smart choice for families who can align their daily routines with the capabilities of a plug-in hybrid SUV like this one.

Far from an MX-5, but...

Mazda doesn’t claim the CX-90 revolutionizes the three-row SUV segment. After all, it’s as big and heavy as the others. But Mazda engineers’ stubborn dedication to above-average driving dynamics can still be felt in the CX-90 PHEV. Sure, the 6-cylinder engine sounds more appealing – it’s an extremely smooth and powerful powertrain. But if you can look past the “rougher” character of the naturally aspirated 4-cylinder, the PHEV version still delivers excellent handling without compromising comfort.

Most drivers will leave the drive mode selector in Normal mode to save fuel, but for a more spirited experience, Sport mode brings more punch to the table. With both powertrains working in tandem, the CX-90 PHEV feels more responsive, especially the 8-speed automatic that carries longer gears. This makes a difference when climbing hills—and the Charlevoix region has no shortage of those.

The steering remains on the heavy side, but with a rigid chassis and firm suspension, the SUV feels solid and reassuring—even at highway speeds above the legal limit.

Final thoughts

Ironically, we spotted several CX-90 PHEV models during our 1,000+ km trip. A happy coincidence, perhaps—but also a strong sign that the CX-9’s successor is already winning over buyers in Québec and Ontario (many of the ones we saw had Ontario plates).

The driving experience is solid, sometimes even sporty, and passenger comfort is clearly a priority, even if the CX-90 isn’t the softest in its class.

As for its higher-than-advertised fuel consumption—let’s just say that not charging it during the trip certainly didn’t help. But when a large SUV like the CX-90 can stay under 8 L/100 km without the driver making much effort to optimize range, that’s already a win for consumers and their families.