My write-up comment from another page regarding current Mazdas, including the CX-90.

Fantastic car, but feels a tad cheap in certain areas.

“I own a 2022 CX-5 Turbo Signature and I have driven the newer generation Mazda3/CX-30/CX-50/CX-90 as dealer loaners extensively over the last year and a half (~40+ days as my CX-5 has been in/out of my dealership around eight times for various issues). While Mazda has made great strides towards becoming “luxury”, they have not lost their “sporty” streak entirely. I would change the word “luxury” to “premium”, as Mazda does not have the brand heritage or pedigree to contend in the luxury market directly. Mazda is a luxury alternative, they are not a luxury replacement.

For the FWD-based vehicles, Mazda has neutered their platforms with cost-cutting by using a torsion beam rear end in the 3/CX-30/CX-50. I also find that the overall apparent/perceived quality has gone downhill compared to the prior generation Mazda3/Mazda6/CX-5/CX-9. For example, shutting the doors sounds extremely hollow, like a tin can, on newer models; and, tapping on them with your finger results in a terrible hollow sound as well. Interior quality, while it looks nice, does not feel as well-made as the prior generation models. It’s not “bad’ per-se; but, it just feels cheap and not as solid. Additionally, the overall balance of ride/handling has been compromised with models like the Mazda3, CX-30 and CX-50 - a torsion beam will never, no matter what the marketing “engineers” tell you, ride and handle as well as a multilink rear end does and it is just for cost-cutting. This is very evident when pushing the cars hard, driving over broken pavement with the rear end just skipping/hopping, entering steep driveways where a wheel will leave the ground.

I recently had a CX-90 3.3T Premium as a dealer loaner and I also have had a 2.5 PHEV Premium Plus as well. To me, shutting the door on these cars is appalling, the entire lower black plastic cladding rattles and it sounds like the door is flimsy and cheap as hell. The interior, again while nice, has very hollow silver plastics where metal and wood once was present in the CX-9. The “nappa leather” in the CX-90 PHEV felt nowhere near as supple and buttery as it does in my CX-5 Signature or in a loaner CX-9 Signature I have driven prior. I will say the same for the Mazda3, CX-30, and CX-50 too; I just don’t care for them as much as I do the CX-5. Sure, they’re more modern looking on the inside, but they feel cheaper as a whole.

I can’t fault Mazda on the 3.3T and the 2.5PHEV though, I think that’s where a large majority of the R&D and quality went. I find them to be excellent engines in conjunction with the 8AT, which, contrary to reviewers (and in my opinion as someone who has driven many manual, dual clutch, and traditional torque converter transmissions), is very good for the type of transmission it is. It’s akin to a BMW SMG as there is no torque converter, but rather there is an electric motor in its place. It is a little jerky sometimes at parking lot speeds, more so in the PHEV model IMO, but much better than most DCTs I have experienced. The ride and handling is excellent for the CX-90, too, especially considering it’s a 200”+, 5,000+, 3-row SUV. It has no right riding and handling as well as it does. It truly feels like a poor man’s X7.

TL;DR? So, in Mazda’s quest to “luxury”, which I would really define as “premium” (think Acura, Infiniti, and those sort of “in between” manufacturers), I think they have succeeded. Obviously, there is a price point that Mazda has to meet, so while their “premium products” on a whole are good cars, there is some cost-cutting if you actually look under a magnifying glass and really look below the surface. Mazda has done an outstanding job considering they’re a rather “small” player in the manufacturing realm, especially developing new ICE powertrains in a world that is shuttering production of ICE vehicles. I believe that the current CX-5 and outgoing Mazda6 and CX-9 were Mazda’s “best” products by far. Sure, they’re FWD-based and there was only “so much” they could do with them; but, the quality and refinement found in those models is just generally lacking in the newer models when you look below the surface.”