The 2024 Mazda CX-90 Is the Cheapest Straight-Six Car on the Market
The most exciting thing about the new 2024 Mazda CX-90 crossover is its engine. A new rear-drive architecture allows for an inline-six engine, the first ever from Mazda, and the brand's first six-cylinder of any sort in nearly a decade. Mazda announced pricing for the CX-90 Tuesday, and with a $40,970 base price, it's the most affordable straight-six car on the market.
In the base model, the 3.3-liter inline-six is detuned from 340 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque to 280 hp and 332 lb-ft, though that should be plenty to move around 4709 pounds of three-row crossover. To get the full-fat straight-six you'll have to step up to the Turbo S, which costs $53,125. The most expensive CX-90 is the Turbo S Premium Plus, which costs $61,325.
Previously, the cheapest straight-six car on the market was the BMW M240i, which starts at $49,895. After the CX-90, the next most-affordable straight-six crossover is the $61,995 BMW X3 M40i, though it should be noted that car has 100 more horsepower than a base CX-90. While Mazda would happily steal sales from BMW, the CX-90 is aimed more at crossovers like the Acura MDX and Lexus RX, even though its mechanical specification more closely resembles what you get from BMW and Mercedes.
Mazda is also offering the CX-90 as a plug-in hybrid, with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder augmented by an electric motor for 323 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. The CX-90 PHEV starts at $48,820, which is of course a lot more than the base six-cylinder, but it comes standard with the Preferred trim. The six-cylinder CX-90 Preferred is $44,820, so basically, the PHEV costs $4000 more than the base 'six, but $3000 less than the more powerful 'six in the Turbo S.
While we won't make any definitive declarations until we drive the CX-90, this pricing makes it seem like a very compelling crossover. Especially when you consider how Mazda punches above its weight in terms of quality and driving dynamics. Plus, we just like a straight-six.
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