Is the 2026 Mazda CX-90 a good car?

Yes — 5/5 from owners and 6.00/10 from experts. The model scores 8/10 across Look and feel and Safety.

The 2026 Mazda CX-90 is a three-row midsize crossover SUV that aims to give you family-friendly space without giving up a premium look and feel. It is also aimed at you if you want something practical that still feels rewarding to drive, and its handling is one of its clearest strengths.

The trade-offs are real: the powertrain can feel unrefined, the third row is cramped, and the technology can be unintuitive. Even so, the CX-90’s upscale design and solid safety ratings make it a compelling choice if you want a family SUV with more personality than the usual mainstream pick.

With 32.7% of listings marked as good or great deals, there is still meaningful market opportunity if you shop carefully.

Is the 2026 Mazda CX-90 reliable?

Owners rate it 5/5, a strong signal of long-term satisfaction. The CX-90 is described as a vehicle that delivers a premium feel, strong safety, and good fuel economy, which all support confidence in everyday ownership.

Its standard gasoline powertrain is described as fairly fuel efficient, and the plug-in hybrid adds another efficiency-focused option. The performance notes also point to a powertrain that can feel clunky and uneven, especially shortly after startup and in chilly weather.

If you buy used, the main long-term ownership risk is that the drivetrain and tech may be more frustrating than the rest of the vehicle’s polished package.

What should I look for when buying a used 2026 Mazda CX-90?

Accident-free inventory is excellent at 94.5% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.

You should still run a history report, prioritize a thorough test drive, and inspect the cabin and controls closely. Pay special attention to how the powertrain behaves at startup, how the infotainment system responds, and whether the third row and ride quality fit your needs.

Key things to evaluate:

• Trim level: The base Select trim gets a 10.25-inch infotainment display, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa compatibility, while higher trims move to a 12.3-inch screen, wireless smartphone integration, and wireless charging. If you want the most complete cabin experience, the higher trims are the ones to focus on.
• Powertrain: You can choose between a turbocharged 3.3-liter inline-six with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system or a plug-in hybrid setup with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and electric motor. The standard gas version is fairly fuel efficient, and the PHEV adds electric-only driving capability.
• Safety package: Standard equipment includes forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert, safe-exit warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go. Premium Sport and higher trims add active blind-spot monitors, head-on traffic avoidance steering assist, Cruising & Traffic Support, and post-collision braking, while Premium Plus adds front cross-traffic alert, automatic intersection braking, automatic rear braking with pedestrian detection, and a surround-view camera system.
• Infotainment: The base trim uses a 10.25-inch display with wired smartphone integration. Higher trims get a 12.3-inch screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and wireless charging. The larger display is touch-sensitive only when you are using smartphone integration.
• Fuel efficiency: The standard gas powertrain is rated at 25 mpg combined, and the plug-in hybrid has an electric-only range of 26 miles.

Which 2026 Mazda CX-90 trim should I buy?

The 2026 Mazda CX-90 is offered in 10 trim levels: Select, Preferred, Premium Sport, Premium Plus, Premium Sport, Premium Plus, Preferred, Premium Sport, Premium Plus, and Premium Plus.

Here's the short version:

• Select: This is the entry point, and it gives you the core CX-90 experience with the base infotainment setup and standard driver-assistance features. It makes sense if you want the lowest starting point and can live without the larger screen and extra convenience features.
• Preferred: This is the better everyday choice if you want a more complete feature set without jumping too far up the price ladder. It adds the nicer tech and convenience upgrades that make the CX-90 feel more polished.
• Premium Sport: This is the best-value trim if you want a stronger mix of equipment and safety upgrades. It adds active blind-spot monitors, lane-keep assist, head-on traffic avoidance steering assist, Cruising & Traffic Support, and post-collision braking.
• Premium Plus: This is the trim to target if you want the most advanced safety and camera features, including front cross-traffic alert, automatic intersection braking, automatic rear braking with pedestrian detection, and the surround-view camera system.

Is now a good time to buy a used 2026 Mazda CX-90?

This looks like a moderate, selective buyer’s market, so you can shop with some leverage if you are patient.

• Deal availability: 32.7% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Inventory: There are 1,695 listings available.
• Clean inventory: 94.5% of listings are accident-free.

If you find a listing below $40,994.72, that's toward the low end of the year-round range and worth acting on quickly.

Is the 2026 Mazda CX-90 safe?

The CX-90 earned the highest Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave it a five-star overall rating, but with four-star ratings for driver and front passenger protection in a frontal-impact collision.

It earns a 8/10 safety score from our experts.

Standard driver-assistance features include forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert, safe-exit warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability. All but the base Select trim have front and rear parking sensors.

Premium Sport and higher trims also add active blind-spot monitors, lane-keep assist, head-on traffic avoidance steering assist, Cruising & Traffic Support, and post-collision braking. Premium Plus adds front cross-traffic alert, automatic intersection braking, automatic rear braking with pedestrian detection, and a surround-view camera system with see-through and trailer-hitch views.

One caveat is that the steering-assist features are not very sophisticated, and they do not work well in some situations where similar systems in other vehicles do better.

Should I buy a 2026 Mazda CX-90 or consider a different year?

If you're weighing the 2026 against nearby model years, here's how to think about it:

Choose the 2026 if:

• 32.7% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Accident-free inventory is excellent at 94.5% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.
• Owners rate it 5/5 — a strong satisfaction signal.
• The 2026 update is light, with wheel, color, and trim changes that unify the lineup.

Consider the 2025 if:

• It offers unusual powertrain choices and a premium interior at a distinctive family-SUV price point.

The bottom line: If you want the freshest version of the CX-90 with the current-year market context, the 2026 is the better default. If you are price-sensitive, the 2025 can still make sense because it delivers much of the same core appeal, especially if you find a cleaner or cheaper example.

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from August 28, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.