Mazda CX-80 Review (2024-present)

What is the Mazda CX-80?

The new Mazda CX-80 is a large family SUV that’s offered with seven seats as standard, or can optionally be had with a six-seat layout. It sits on an extended-wheelbase version of the Mazda CX-60 platform (the smaller CX-60 gets the same powertrain offerings as the CX-80), and at just under five metres long is actually roughly 20cm longer than seven-seat SUV alternatives like the Peugeot 5008, Skoda Kodiaq and Hyundai Santa Fe, and is right up there for sheer bulk with the Volvo XC90 and Audi Q7.

Powertrains include a 3.3-litre, six-cylinder turbodiesel that Mazda has engineered from scratch in recent years; something that’s almost unheard of where most manufacturers are whittling down the diesel engine options in model lineups. Still, Mazda has never been afraid to do things differently, and there’s still demand for efficient diesel power despite diminishing options on the market, so Mazda may have done a rather clever thing with a 3.3-litre diesel that manages a rather impressive 50mpg or more on official WLTP figures.

There’s also an emissions-friendly plug-in hybrid powertrain that uses a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 17.8kWh lithium-ion battery for an all-electric range of 38 miles.

How practical is it?

As far as practicality goes, the Mazda CX-80 is impressive. It gets 687 litres of boot space in five-seat mode, and even with third row of seats in use, you still get 258 litres of luggage capacity. In other words, you can get the grandparents and the kids in the car, and still have space for a lightweight buggy and a few bags in the boot. There’s also a nifty space under the boot floor to store the loadbay cover, so you don’t have to trip over that in the utility room whenever you have seven seats in use, or want to get the dogs in the boot.

It's a nicely thought-out interior, with USB-C sockets and cup holders in the third- and second row on every trim, and if you go for the high-spec Homura Plus trim then you get a three-pin plug in the boot for powering your devices. Great for a portable fridge when you’re camping with the family.

As for passenger space, those pop-up seats in the back will be okay for an average-sized adult, with decent shoulder and headroom. You’ll want the middle row seats slid forward a touch, though, and the floor is quite high so your knees will be bent upwards. They’re still absolutely fine for occasional trips, or kids will be absolutely fine back there, especially as access via the tilt-and-slide middle row is pretty decent.

There’s lots of room in the middle-row seats, which split, slide and recline in a 60/40 divide, so even tall adults will be happy back there. One thing to note is that there are no Isofix fittings in the third row; you only get two Isofix fittings in the middle row. There are top-tether anchorage points in the middle- and third-row seats.

Up front, the interior looks and feels spacious and classy – especially if you go for the pale leather and wood finish in the high-end Takumi trims. Together with the six-cylinder diesel, you could make a solid argument for this being a very well-priced rival to the BMW X7, such is the languorous feel of the powertrain and smart interior finish.

To be honest, it’s hard to imagine the CX-80 being too small or impractical for any family; the seats are spacious and the layout versatile. Mind you, the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento, so if you find yourself looking at the CX-80 and thinking that it’s not quite big enough, check out those alternatives. The Skoda Kodiaq has one of the biggest load capacities in the class, but you can’t get it with a plug-in hybrid and seven-seats (it’s standard diesel or petrol options, only).

You can also get a six-seat layout with adjustable ‘captain’s chairs’ for a more executive option in the Mazda CX-80, which speaks to the company’s upmarket intentions.

More likely to be of interest to the average CX-80 buyer is that it can tow a braked trailer of up to 2,500kg, regardless of which powertrain you go for.

What’s it like to drive?

Very pleasant, if a touch unremarkable. Mazda has something of a reputation for producing everyday cars that still handle with a touch of sparkle, as with the Mazda 3 and CX-5. However, the CX-80 might disappoint on that front, as it doesn’t feel very precise; the steering is fairly slow, and there’s quite a bit of body lean as you go round corners.

Having said that, it’s all very progressive and controlled, and in a big SUV like this that’s really all you’re likely to want. It’s got a high-set driving position and the general character of a charmingly old-school SUV, with leisurely pedal responses yet plenty of acceleration if you want it – regardless of which powertrain you go for.

The diesel is, in some ways, actually the more pleasant to drive as it’s a touch more predictable, but the plug-in hybrid is cheaper and a touch more refined – especially in electric mode. Don’t be misled by Mazda’s description of the 3.3-litre diesel as a ‘MHEV’, or mild hybrid. It does have a small electric motor to help with efficiency and to help ensure smooth running of the ‘i-Stop’ system that automatically turns the engine off at a standstill, but it’s not a full hybrid and can’t run on pure electric power, nor can it be plugged in.

The eight-speed automatic gearbox is – as with the rest of the car – endearingly lazy yet blurs its shifts well enough that it doesn’t intrude on your calm, leisurely progress.

Ride quality could be a touch better, is our biggest gripe with the Mazda’s on-road manners. Both our test cars were reasonably high spec and came on 20-inch wheels, which likely didn’t help with the busy, fidgety ride comfort. It’s good over bigger undulations, and smooths out really nicely at higher speeds where it feels supremely confident and comfy, but for a car that feels cushy and laid-back in every other regards, it’s a shame that the suspension makes itself known on patchwork roads.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

There are five trim levels on the Mazda CX-80, and even the entry-level Exclusive-Line will be good enough for most. Every CX-80 gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment screen mounted in the centre console of the dash-top, but unusually it can be controlled via a rotary controller and manual shortcut buttons that you’ll find under the driver’s elbow. This is a great system, and makes it easy to hop accurately between functions when you’re driving, without having to divide your concentration between the road and prodding an icon on the screen.

You also get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Google Maps, Google voice assistant and in-built Alexa voice control, which you can connect to your home Alexa system if you wish. Great for annoying those who are at home by turning the lights on and off remotely while you’re in the car (we’ll come back to you when we figure out the other benefits, beyond decent voice recognition for in-car commands).

It's got all the infotainment features you want, and the menu system is easy to navigate. Our only niggle is that the graphics are a bit grainy and peculiarly old-fashioned; not up to scratch with the systems in BMW and Kia, on that front, although the usability of Mazda’s system is arguably better than those rivals thanks to the rotary controller.

Other features on the Mazda CX-80 Exclusive-Line include black leatherette interior trim, a heated steering wheel, three-zone climate control, a head-up display, and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Homura trim gets black exterior trim, black 20in alloy wheels (watch those kerbs…), an upgrade to soft Nappa leather inside, a Bose sound system and retractable sunshades on the rear windows.

Homura Plus adds a panoramic roof and rear privacy glass, plus extra interior lighting (including in the door pockets and front centre storage compartment).

Takumi is the one to go for if you want luxury rather than sporty looks. It gets white nappa leather, heated and ventilated front seats, heated outer second-row seats and integrated sunblinds in the rear. Takumi Plus adds a 360-degree parking camera and privacy glass, among other extras, but it really does push the price a bit far for the Mazda to justify.

Mazda CX-80 running costs

The Mazda CX-80 isn’t the cheapest option on list price; a Hyundai Santa-Fe, Peugeot 5008 and Kia Sorento are all a bit cheaper on that front. However, Mazda has a good reputation for offering very competitive finance deals, and that’s the important thing for most buyers. Even at launch, there are low interest offers that’ll likely see the CX-80 undercutting or matching rivals that seem cheaper on list price, especially when you factor in the Mazda’s fairly impressive equipment list.

Having said that, we only just managed 30mpg in a fairly moderate town- and motorway run in the diesel CX-80, and 37mpg in the plug-in hybrid, so real world fuel costs may be rather underwhelming – but then again, no different to what you get in the Hyundai Santa Fe. The electric range on the PHEV is nothing special in this class, either (although plug-in hybrids with seven-seats aren’t that common), and we’d expect to see more like 25 to 30 miles of real-world range. That’s worth making the most of, though, as you can get electricity costs down to around 3p per mile if you charge at home on a cheap overnight tariff, while petrol will be more like 20p per mile in the CX-80 PHEV.

Mazda CX-80 reliability

In the UK, the Mazda CX-80 is covered by a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, which is industry standard and the same as you’ll get on the Seat Tarraco, Skoda Kodiaq, Peugeot 5008 and others, but it’s short of the warranties offered by Hyundai, Kia and Toyota.

The high-voltage battery in the CX-80 PHEV is covered for eight years and 100,000 miles. It’s too new to have gathered any real-world reliability data from owners, but the Mazda brand as a whole came 16th out of 32 brands included in the 2024 What Car? used car reliability survey. The Japanese brand did even better in the 2024 Driver Power survey (which factors in new car reliability and customer satisfaction), where Mazda was ranked seventh.