New & Used 2026 Mazda CX-90 for Sale nearWaterloo, IA

Is the 2026 Mazda CX-90 a good car?

Yes — you rate it 5/5, and our experts rate it 6/10. The model scores 8/10 across Look and feel and Safety.

The 2026 Mazda CX-90 is a three-row midsize crossover SUV that leans into a premium look and feel while still aiming to deliver an engaging drive. It also brings solid safety ratings and a standard gasoline powertrain that is fairly fuel efficient, with an available plug-in hybrid powertrain if you want another option.

The trade-offs are clear: the powertrain can feel unrefined, the third row is cramped, and the technology is unintuitive. Even so, the CX-90’s stylish design and strong handling make it appealing if you want a family SUV that feels more upscale and more rewarding to drive than many rivals.

With 40.0% of listings marked as good or great deals, there’s still meaningful market availability for shoppers.

Is the 2026 Mazda CX-90 reliable?

Owners rate it 5/5, a strong signal of long-term satisfaction.

The CX-90 is positioned as a premium-feeling three-row SUV, and its standard gasoline setup is described as fairly fuel efficient. Mazda’s powertrain tuning is also framed as a strength in efficiency terms, especially for a vehicle with this size and capability.

That said, the power delivery can feel uneven, and the stop-start behavior can be irritating in daily use. If you’re shopping used, the main long-term ownership risk is that the same refinement issues that show up in testing may continue to affect your experience over time.

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

Accident-free inventory is excellent at 93.1% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.

You should still run a vehicle history report and prioritize a thorough pre-purchase inspection, even with a strong clean-inventory rate. Focus on how the powertrain behaves at low speeds and after startup, since the transmission and engine response can feel clunky or delayed. You should also pay close attention to cabin usability, because the technology and controls are a major part of the ownership experience.

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 larger 12.3-inch screen, wireless smartphone integration, and wireless charging. If you want the most complete feature set, the upper trims are the ones to target.
• Powertrain: You can choose among a turbocharged 3.3-liter inline-six, a more powerful Turbo S version, or a plug-in hybrid setup. The standard gas models are paired with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, and the plug-in hybrid adds electric-only driving capability.
• Safety package: 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. 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, while other trims get a 12.3-inch screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus wireless charging. The larger display is touch-sensitive only when you’re using smartphone integration.
• Fuel efficiency: The standard gas models are rated at 25 mpg combined, and the plug-in hybrid has an electric-only range of 26 miles. In testing, the Turbo S returned 25.5 mpg on one loop and 20.3 mpg on a more demanding route.

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, Select, Preferred, Premium Sport, Premium Plus, Preferred, Premium Sport, Premium Plus.

Here's the short version:

• Select: This is the entry point, and it gives you the core CX-90 experience with the smaller 10.25-inch infotainment display, wired smartphone integration, and the standard safety suite. It makes sense if you want the lowest-cost way into the lineup, but it leaves out several convenience and tech upgrades.
• Preferred: This trim adds more comfort and convenience than Select while staying within the more affordable part of the lineup. It’s the better value if you want a nicer daily driver without jumping too far up the price ladder.
• Premium Sport: This is the first trim that adds the more advanced safety and driver-assistance content, including active blind-spot monitors, head-on traffic avoidance steering assist, Cruising & Traffic Support, and post-collision braking. It’s the trim to target if safety tech matters most.
• Premium Plus: This is the most complete version, adding front cross-traffic alert, automatic intersection braking, automatic rear braking with pedestrian detection, and a surround-view camera system. If you want the fullest feature set, this is the one to buy.

The safety package gets more advanced as you move up the lineup, with Premium Sport and higher trims bringing meaningful driver-assistance upgrades.

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

It’s a buyer-friendly market if you’re shopping the CX-90 right now.

• Deal availability: 40.0% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Inventory: There are 1,924 listings available.
• Clean inventory: 93.1% of listings are accident-free.

Is the 2026 Mazda CX-90 safe?

The 2026 Mazda CX-90 earned the highest Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and it earns a five-star overall rating from NHTSA, with four-star ratings for driver and front passenger protection in a frontal-impact collision.

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

The standard safety suite 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 capability. All but the base Select trim also get front and rear parking sensors.

Higher trims add more capability, including active blind-spot monitors, head-on traffic avoidance steering assist, Cruising & Traffic Support, post-collision braking, 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 especially sophisticated, so they don’t handle every scenario as well as some rivals.

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:

• 40.0% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Accident-free inventory is excellent at 93.1% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.
• Owners rate it 5/5 — a strong satisfaction signal.
• The 2026 updates are minor, limited to wheel, color, and trim changes that unify the lineup.

Consider the 2025 if:

• It offers unusual powertrain choices and a premium interior with strong safety appeal.

The bottom line: If you want the latest version and you’re comfortable with the CX-90’s trade-offs, the 2026 is the straightforward pick. If you’re shopping mainly on price, the 2025 is worth a look because it delivers much of the same core appeal and may be the better value if you find a stronger deal.

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from September 22, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.