Practical AND attractive
Aside from the Miata, I’d never driven any other Mazda before the 2025 CX-70 PHEV Premium Plus AWD was delivered from the fleet company. My first impression was that it was quite large for only a two-row SUV, had very curvy and funky styling, and had one of my favorite shades of red on the inside. Not too bright like a Lexus F-Sport, and not too dull—it was a nice break from the typical monochromatic black interior that comes in most family-oriented SUVs. At $57,450 MSRP, it’s no cheap pony, but it’s not a dull one, either.
Kristen Brown
After reviewing several SUVs from various manufacturers, a trip to Costco illuminated a light bulb in my head. Out of all of them so far, including the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Subaru Outback Touring XT, the Mazda CX-70 has some features that, surprisingly, put it at the very top of the list of my favorite family haulers. Let’s get into why.
1. The large doors have a wide opening for easy access
When speaking with other reviewers, most complained about the size of the doors and how wide they need to open before you can fully access the rear seats. So, I went into this review a little skeptical. However, when I swung those massive doors open and noticed how incredibly easy that made installing my toddler daughters’ car seats, it became a perk rather than a nuisance. After they installed, getting my daughters in and out of their seats, which are both rear and front-facing, was even easier.
The lower anchors and upper tethers were easy to access and secure, too. It was one of the quickest installs to date, thanks to removable covers on the seats. You have to find a safe place to keep the covers when the car seats aren’t in use. I just put them in the center console. The seat’s bottoms were right at my hips, bringing my toddlers to my chest, so there was no bending over involved at all.
Kristen Brown
The only thing that was mildly annoying about it was parking in downtown Bend. When I had to park in tighter spaces, I noticed it was a challenge getting in and out. So, you just have to be mindful about where you park, which you should be regardless of what you’re driving. But when it’s parked in the driveway or at stores with large spots, like Costco, it’s one of my favorite features. I can see it being amazing for dog owners, too.
2. The visibility was excellent, especially for rear passengers
My oldest daughter, who just turned three, was a huge fan of the panoramic sunroof and the large, tinted windows. She loved being able to see everything and was alert to everything around her. My youngest, who’s still rear-facing, was able to see her world in 4k, too. And she’s usually staring at the back of her seat, only enjoying what’s outside of her window from the baby mirror I always install on the headrest. She, too, was giddy to ride in the Mazda CX-70, and looked forward to every drive—even if it was just to our nearest Dutch Brothers.
Kristen Brown
The A and B pillars weren’t obscenely large like they were in other SUVs I’ve tested, making checking over my shoulder or seeing over the mirrors so much easier. The large rear windows helped me see my blind spot (even though there were blind spot monitors and alerts on the windows) while merging, which to me is a huge perk.
3. Not having a third row was actually a perk
Most people I know who have reviewed the CX-70 thought it was unusual that an SUV of that size didn’t have a third row of seats. But as a person who moved states away from their family, doesn’t have any friends locally, and only has two children, not having a third row was nice. It meant a more cohesive and very large trunk, which came in handy during my Costco run. It was able to fit a whole box of diapers, wipes, two toddlers’ Stanley pressure washer toys, and the impulse buy of a folding camping couch.
Kristen Brown
I also bought three dinners’ worth of food, snacks for the girls, and milk. And the trunk was able to accommodate everything with plenty of room left. My girls don’t use a stroller anymore once they learned how to walk, but everything I bought would have easily fit in the CX-70’s trunk with a stroller—or even a double stroller—without breaking a sweat.
If you don’t have kids but have a dog, your dog would adore the space it has, as well as the large windows in the rear. Putting a barrier between the rear seats and the trunk would be easy too, and your dog would have plenty of room to move.
4. Being a PHEV made daily tasks guilt-free
Everything in Bend is close by, so having an EV range of about 25 miles was perfect for getting my daily errands done without using a drop of gas. Going to get coffee, bringing my husband some lunch, hitting the grocery store, and then heading back home was all done in EV mode. When I was done for the day, I’d back the Mazda into my driveway, leave the garage door ajar, and plug er’ in with the factory charger.
Kristen Brown
Within about 16 hours, the CX-70 PHEV was fully charged, and that was without any kind of EV charger installed in my garage. Will it run up your electricity bill? Maybe, but you can always bypass that by charging publicly or having a Level 2 charger installed. I just enjoyed having the choice to not do either one, as I’m the biggest hater of public charging.
When not in EV mode, I enjoyed how much power was in the CX-70. A 68kw battery is attached to a 2.5-liter turbo four, making 323 horsepower combined (189 from the gas engine, 173 from the battery). The power division is smooth and effortless, and it gave the heifer of an SUV a little more oomph when it was needed most, like passing large trucks on the highway. Even after the battery drained, I was getting around 25 mpg combined, because of Mazda’s intelligent AWD system that is rear-biased when slipping isn’t detected. When it’s switched into “Off-Road” mode, “Snow” mode, or slipping is detected, it will automatically and evenly distribute power to both sets of tires.
5. The interior is classy, but not ostentatious
Mazda’s interiors were always fairly minimalistic, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I can name about 15 people in my life who feel very overwhelmed by how many screens there are in new cars. The CX-70’s interior has technology, but it’s not in your face like Hyundai, Kia, or even Subaru cars are nowadays. The screen was the perfect size to use for navigation (which was easy thanks to wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay), and easy to use once it was set up. Every other driver control was a button or a knob, which is a welcomed design for most. Myself included.
Kristen Brown
Mazda’s native OS is very easy to use, but it’s also very antiquated. It’s only a touch screen when a phone mirroring software is being used. Otherwise, you have to use a dial that doubles as a button to flip through settings. I never had to customize anything on the screen, except for when I was charging it, so that would be something you have to get used to. But it wasn’t all that terrible.
The red leather that was in my tester is only for the Premium Plus model, but I’d definitely pay for it. It helped make the “budget” SUV feel a lot more premium, and pairs very well with any exterior color you choose, though I’m a sucker for that gray color.
6. It felt much more expensive than it was
The Premium Plus model is obviously more expensive than the standard CX-70 PHEV, but looking at the design, the red leather interior, the rear passenger features, the creature comforts, sound system, the size of it, and the simple yet intuitive interior, I assumed it costs closer to $80,000 than $60,000. The Premium Plus model has an MSRP of $57,450, which isn’t cheap, but it should definitely make the Volvo XC-90 PHEV, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, and the Kia Sorento PHEV very nervous.
Kristen Brown
For the long list of features, it felt the price was more than fair. Especially since our of all the vehicles listed, Mazda is well-known for its reliability, durability, and affordability. The CX-70 PHEV I tested was certainly not an exception to that rule..
7. My mom-brain appreciated the long list of standard safety features
Logging onto the IIHS’s website, the CX-70 PHEV was rated as one of the safest full-sized SUVs, and that helped make me more confident while driving my girls around. Even at that price point, it came with all the features most modern cars do, like lane assist, a camera, rear and cross traffic alerts, blind spot monitoring, and more—but knowing the IIHS rated it as a Top Safety Pick Plus helped relax me. I’ll admit, all that glass in the rear made me skeptical, but that rating simply sealed the deal. Every single category was a bright green “G.”
Kristen Brown
Final thoughts
The CX-70 PHEV was a great way to introduce me to Mazda outside of the Miata MX-5. It looked, felt, and drove like a luxury car, but had a much more attainable MSRP to SUVs that come close to the styling, driving feel, and ease-of-use that I experienced in the CX-70. The technology packed inside was easy to become acquainted with, even easier to use, and incredibly easy to love. I couldn’t think of a single person who wouldn’t find something to love about it, aside from maybe a single person without pets or children.
Aside from a minivan, the CX-70 was one of the easiest cars to get my kids and their car seats in or out of, and that was something I didn’t see coming. To this day, I always recommend it to my friends with one or two children, car seat-bound or otherwise.
About the author
Kristen Brown
Contributing Writer, Autoblog