Winter Living

Lower-than-expected range and odd behavior notwithstanding, our CX-90 PHEV has otherwise been a steady winter warrior. With a fresh set of Vredestein Wintrac Pro winter tires fitted ($1,262.72, courtesy of Tire Rack) for safety, food, presents, and warm clothes were piled into our Mazda for our holiday journey north.

We left the dry streets of Detroit and six hours later we were crossing into Canada. To our surprise, the streets were clear there too. No white Christmas this year—still a merry one, though. With the second- and third-row seats folded down, we were able to get two Christmas trees that we had cut down into the back and safely transported to the house for decorating. A wooden kitchen table and three chairs fit in the CX-90 for transport back home after the holidays.

Though it was an uneventful trip, winter isn't over yet. So far we are finding that while the hybrid component of the CX-90 doesn't like winter, its AWD system is up to the task.

More on Our 2024 Mazda CX-90 Long-Termer:

MotorTrend's 2024 Mazda CX-90 PHEV
Service Life	5 mo/10,483 mi
Base/as Tested Price	$58,325/$59,975
Options	Trailer hitch and wiring harness ($700), Destination accessory set with cargo cover, net, crossbars, and first aid kit ($625); upgraded carpet ($325)
EPA CTY/HWY/CMB FUEL ECON; CMB RANGE	24/27/25 mpg; 53/61/56 mpg-e; 490 miles
Average Fuel ECON, AVERAGE MILES/KWH	23.4 mpg-e; 0.70 mi/kWh
Energy Cost Per Mile	$0.20
Maintenance and Wear	$197.34 (12/11: oil change, $77.34; winter tire swap, $120.00)
Damages	$900.48 (9/23: Emergency replacement tire, $385.25; 10/23: correct replacement tire, $270.46; 11/23 cosmetic repair for damaged wheel, $154.50; 12/11: replacement tire pressure sensor and materials, $99.27)
Days Out of Service/Without Loaner	None
Delights	Lovely interior; large infotainment screen, having a spare tire
Annoyances	Jerky transmission, refinement, stiff ride,
Recalls	Pair of OBD II recalls, one involving transmission solenoid detection and the other for AC refrigerant detection; they may be emissions related service campaigns. Both were fixed by reprogramming computers.