Mazda CX-60 hybrid long-term test

Mazda continues to offer non-turbo, straightforward petrol engines for its cars and SUVs years after rivals have adopted turbocharged or hybrid tech. Why? Because at higher speeds, on longer drives, you can put the effort into cleaner burning, more economical designs. Regulations demand lower CO2 however, so Mazda’s gone all-in on complexity for the CX-60; it’s a powerful plug in-hybrid that aims for efficiency and fun.

Reports by Richard Kilpatrick and Tom Wiltshire

Emissions ratings favour hybrids because of the short distances and slow speeds during testing; Mazda’s approach aims to work for real world users, but it doesn’t look very green on paper. Therefore Mazda’s new SUV, the CX-60, launched in 2022 with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder plug-in hybrid version (though there’s a six-cylinder diesel model as well).

Being Mazda, it’s not a cut and paste clone of rival cars. The technology is a little different – so I’m running one for Parkers to find out if the other brands are ‘doing it wrong’

You can keep scrolling to read the full long-term test in order of updates, or use the links below to jump to the part you’re interested in. If you want to know what the car is like in general, read our in-depth review of the Mazda CX-60 range as well.

Jump to:

• Why buy a Mazda CX-60 PHEV?
• Does the technology work?
• Is the CX-60 good value (and which CX-60 is the best value)?
• What’s the CX-60 best at – SUV and the City, or Escape to the Country?
• A second opinion on the Mazda CX-60

Update 1: Mazda CX-60 – Welcome

It’s another plug-in family SUV with over 300hp around £50,000; why bother?

As the review mentions, the Mazda CX-60 launches into a market that is simultaneously ‘rather niche’, and ‘saturated’. A couple of test cars back I had a Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4, we’ve looked at the Suzuki Across and related Toyota RAV4, and one of my more memorable drives in 2022 was discovering a Jeep Renegade hybrid only has a range of 200 miles – on the North Yorkshire Moors at 3am.

The cars mentioned above all share a very similar layout, and very similar behaviours, in that the rear wheels are driven by an electric motor to provide all-wheel drive, and the layout is otherwise a big heavy FWD hatchback scaled up. None of them deliver a fast-car ‘thrill’ to match the expectations of a brochure shouting ‘300hp four-wheel drive family car’.

Some can’t even deliver the eco-smugness of doing a decent distance without the engine starting.

The CX-60’s first impressions begin with it being the first of these oddly powerful, somewhat expensive yet low-BIK family cars that actually feels like it has all that power to play with and can use it properly. In short, it’s the one where paying £50K for lots of torque isn’t all talk.

For kerbside appeal the CX-60 is quite bling-free (I’m not a fan of the black wheels), but most comments I’ve had about it refer to the sheer imposing size of it and bluff front. That flat, tall body is a little like driving a scaled-down Bentley Bentayga, and the near 4.8m length messes with your expectations for boot space. Passengers do benefit from the extra bulk, but there’s no escaping the amount of length wasted ahead of the engine and front axle when you look under the bonnet.

Show-offs might be a bit miffed that it looks a little too similar to the CX-5 for the extra cash, but as a fan of ‘stealthy performance’ I’m quite happy that this car doesn’t shout about the cost or ability. It feels very grown up, but not grown old.

Why the Mazda CX-60 appeals to someone who enjoys driving

Mazda’s taken the approach of starting with an inherently ‘sporty’ platform. It’s all new, yet to be shared with anything other than the US-market CX-90,  and it’s when you think of the size of the American market that it makes more sense creating a bespoke platform.

With an in-line engine and gearbox layout, the suspension and weight distribution are optimised for handling rather than packaging. In creating the plug-in version Mazda opted  for a traditional 4×4 setup, keeping the batteries low and centred as well – unlike rivals where you notice some of the boot has gone missing. At a time where many SUVs feel like stretched smaller models, Mazda’s done things by the book for an involving, safe and fun car

You could borrow that book in the library, but I assure you BMW and Jaguar have been fighting over it for years. Thing is, Mazda could have written it; this is the company that made the MX-5 and the ‘90s pin-up RX-7. There’s plenty of in-house expertise. On a test drive, on good roads, the CX-60 delivers on that promise.

Cost: the other reason to buy the CX-60

Of this genre, the CX-60’s £45,000 makes it one of the cheaper models. Choose a diesel and it costs even less, but has less power and these days, fewer alternatives. That price gets you the small-wheeled Exclusive Line but even the most expensive Takumi model is under £50,000.

Standard equipment is generous, and highlights of the Homura with Convenience and Driver Assistance Pack include:

• Heated and ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats
• A large, multi-functional head up display
• Electric front seats and steering wheel, with face recognition for recommended settings and multiple driver profiles
• Adaptive cruise control with lane keeping
• Two 220V AC outlets and a large Qi wireless charging pad
• Adaptive headlights, and a 360-degree surround camera
• 12-speaker Bose audio with surround sound

Bear in mind this is a large, four-wheel drive SUV that can sprint to 62mph in much less than six seconds. It’s well-equipped, too. For the technology and engineering on offer, it looks like a bargain. We’ll find out if that’s true over the next six months, of course.

Update 2: Technology, reliability and refinement

Many AWD PHEVs are a pantomime horse; the CX-60 is an accomplished juggler

There are two branches of tech in the CX-60. Of most significance is the powertrain itself and you’ll have gathered I’m a fan of the theory – combine your hybrid power and feed it into a traditional transmission setup for authentic reactions. Every plug-in I’ve driven has a weakness, though, and the CX-60 is not immune.

After a few thousand miles I’m finding specific, predictable traits that are beginning to get on my nerves, but they are for the most part avoidable.

The CX-60 is in its element on the open-road, where handling and performance count. It really is a delight on flowing countryside routes, with excellent feedback and crucially, confidence-inspiring braking. On wet roads the CX-60’s torque and traction feel trustworthy and safe, and while the ride is a little bouncy, small children and adults alike have yet to report any motion sickness.

It’s not all B-road heroics, either – adaptive cruise with effective lane keeping and effortless torque mean it’s well suited to Britain’s motorways, unworried by puddles and stress-free in congestion or roadworks.

Urban traffic: where the juggler gets distracted

In the intro I mentioned the CX-60’s use of a single motor, but all-wheel drive. Plug-in hybrids rely heavily on regenerative energy to recharge the battery without increasing fuel consumption, and the Mazda’s ‘motor as a torque converter’ design juggles three headline tasks while coordinating its performance with an eight-speed gearbox as well.

By comparison, the ‘typical’ AWD PHEV layout is a pantomime horse, with front legs of engine and motor often doing lots of motive work, and the back legs either coasting, pushing for traction in EV mode, or being pulled along to charge the battery.

At times the CX-60 can get caught out starting to regenerate when coasting just as traffic flow gently speeds up. You’ll notice this as the power/charge needle flicks across the instruments and there’s an ungainly ‘thump’ from the gearbox. Occurring mostly around 40-50mph, it can become intrusive in typical rush-hour suburban traffic. To avoid it, I tend to put the car into EV charge mode, but that impacts fuel consumption.

Less welcome is a very occasional ‘surge’ from the motor when the car’s unsure what the sensors are showing. Driving with a generous gap, but approaching a roundabout or lights and braking gently, the brake warning can flash up and the motor seems to try the rev-matching trick but instead causes a small acceleration feeling. Since it only seems to happen when you’re not tailgating or nose-to-tail it isn’t dangerous, but it feels very odd.

Enthusiastic drivers will appreciate the CX-60 braking system, though

The points above are an evaluation of how refined and clever the PHEV technology is, but compared to other plug-in hybrids the Mazda is still well ahead of the pack. One of the most frustrating aspects of this class of car is ‘unpredictable pedal feel’, and the CX-60’s accelerator and brake are easy to judge and remarkably consistent. You never get the weird step-change in braking effort, and the floor-hinged throttle is comfortable for extended drives, with a long travel.

Complementing the direct and communicative steering, it’s clear that the foundations for the CX-60 being very good indeed are in place – it just needs some calibration of those changeover points for the motor and gearbox to suit UK patterns.

Infotainment: tactile goes beyond the steering feel

We cover the infotainment in the review, but my personal take of the CX-60’s system is ‘I love it’. Where it has voice control beyond Apple CarPlay/Siri behaviour I’ve yet to find it useful, but the driver recall and greeting (which retrieves settings and seat/wheel adjustment via face recognition) makes me smile every time it greets me, and the wheel and buttons interface on the centre console is easy to operate by touch, without leaning forward to reach a screen or taking eyes off the road.

The wireless charging pad – and wireless CarPlay – support an iPhone well even in some Magsafe cases, and the head up display includes CarPlay’s nav instructions. Mazda’s own navigation is good; you don’t need a phone to get the best of the CX-60’s tech. Connected services are quite minimal, but you can view vehicle status and pre-condition the cabin even when not plugged in, as long as you have some charge in the battery.

Reliability: paying attention helps…

One of the downsides of a plug-in hybrid is that you can get into the habit of not putting fuel in when you’re doing a lot of short journeys. A glitch on my CX-60 meant it failed to refresh the fuel gauge, which gets squashed to one side when it is in adaptive cruise mode, and without a low fuel warning, I ended up running out of fuel and the car needing recovery. It retained enough reserve power to have reached a petrol station on battery – if I’d realised that was the problem!

Mazda’s assistance and subsequent dealer experience (with Donalds of Peterborough) was swift and top-notch, but as a brand-new and all-new model it needed thoroughly checking over, so I spent some time driving the lower-specification Exclusive-Line.

And a Mazda 2 (which made a good impression – I’d recommend trying one if you’re worried about the Ford Fiesta going out of production and want a hands-on, fun small car).

While the car did report an incorrect fuel level, thus failing to warn me of low fuel, it turned out that I’d driven 500 miles since filling it. When a typical tank plus charge yields 300 miles it speaks volumes about how usable the car is as an EV when plugged in.

And how easy it is to lose track of how far you’re driving.

With mass-produced, complex machines someone, somewhere is going to get a small fault or glitch, and what matters to me is how well the dealer handles it. In this case, I’ve no complaints at all, and it echoes the service I had from a completely different dealer when I owned an RX-8.

Update 3: Cost, equipment and value for money

Even if a £50,000 SUV is a bargain, why on earth do normal people need a £50,000 SUV?

Earlier on I mentioned the £50,000 price. As a Gen-Xer with a history of £2,500 bangers, that’s a number that I still struggle with, but the truth is, this is the price of a moderately upmarket capable car in 2023.

A decade ago your ‘basic entry-level’ car was around £10,000 and by the time you got to the big, company-director style, 4×4, or luxury models they were almost four times the cost, approaching £40,000. Now that entry level is £18,000, and what you get for less than three times that amount is considerably better equipped, higher-quality and more advanced than even seven year old designs.

These fast PHEVs are the equivalent of an Audi 100 Avant Quattro when I was growing up; effortlessly quick, family-friendly, devastatingly capable and cutting edge. The only difference is, many brands are making things along the same lines, and in relative terms they are all much cheaper than that ‘80s status symbol.

Of this group of ‘mainstream brand’ plug-ins, the CX-60 has three key stats to note. It starts at £45,000 for the Exclusive Line, and even the most expensive Takumi model is under £50,000, and it has an electric-only range of 39 miles.

That cost advantage is tempered slightly by the option packs; my car’s spec includes the driver and convenience pack which adds £2,100, breaking the £50K barrier. This is a change from the launch pricing, but it’s been a challenging year, so Mazda’s apparent choice to make some kit optional, rather than push prices ever higher seems fair.

No second-class option

Every model of CX-60 PHEV has the same core abilities, the same power, same grip, same driving modes. As such, my time with the Exclusive-Line was eye-opening. All I really missed were the adaptive headlights and adaptive cruise, and the smaller wheels were actually nicer on neglected roads – visually they’re not as appealing, but from behind the wheel I would prefer them on the higher-spec car.

Details down to the trim are similar except in the Takumi, which has pale leather and extra wood and cork accents. The key differences are in seat adjustment (electric adjustment is optional on Exclusive Line), wheel style, and advanced assistance such as adaptive headlights and lane-keeping cruise control. Even the base model has a head up display, for example.

So far from being a ‘stripped back’ cheaper option, the Exclusive-Line is the one to have if you want to enjoy the handling and performance on rural roads.

Update 4: Is the CX-60 the Subaru replacement you’ve been waiting for?

Rural agility, 4×4 security and family-friendly – with better economy

At 4.8m long and with a wide, slab-sided body, the CX-60 feels rather ungainly in town, though not unreasonably so. Because the styling is so close to the smaller CX-5 it’s easy to overlook the passenger space until you pop child seats or adults in the back, at which point the wide door openings and ample space suddenly become decadent luxury.

Muddy boots and filthy car? Of course it has an electric tailgate, though a really filthy winter of farm roads makes me wish everyone copied the way Mercedes hides the reversing camera unless it’s needed. Flat and upright, the back seems very prone to muck from spray, and leaves bumper marks on trousers when reaching for the charging cables.

No need to bend down to pop the kids into their seats at least (and the doors protect the step above a tucked-in sill), though it’s a bit of a climb up if they want to get in the car themselves. Even so, if you’re driving this in a typical town or city the footprint it occupies in a parking space can add a different level of inconvenience. That isn’t a problem unique to the CX-60 by any means, but most cars this size are more luxurious and expensive, so less likely to be pushed into daily family duty – or they’re bigger inside and more utilitarian.

In less congested areas it’s in its element, and it reminds me of a different Japanese 4×4 – one that’s become a bit of a niche player now, but once dominated the out-of-town retail parks, village schools and backroads of rural Borders, Northumberland and Welsh roads.

Subaru’s attempts to quench the boxer engine’s thirst have not gone well. We’ll agree to forget the diesel, but hybrid efforts have fallen short as well. If you want something that gives a bit of the thrill of your old Outback or Forester, or serves as a replacement Tribeca with the advantage of not having the only one in a 50 mile radius, the Mazda CX-60 is just the thing.

Under pressure the all-wheel drive system feels very Subaru-like, and below 60mph it’s got the familiar shove, if not the ASBO soundtrack of a flat-four turbo. The suspension is firm and consistent, and yet it’s not harsh like a wannabe rally car. It’ll even tow 2,500kg, without needing a low-range box.

It will take a while for the CX-60 to build an identity or reputation among buyers, just as the legendary ‘Scooby’ aura persisted long after the cars went off the boil, but the combination of abilities is remarkably similar. I can see these being a very popular used car in rural or more remote areas.

There’s only one area where the CX-60 falls short of my much-missed Legacy 4Cam Turbo Estate, and that’s the boot. Passenger space comes at the expense of a fairly average cargo area, and I had to borrow Tom Webster’s Dacia Jogger to retrieve a 1.9 metre long table.

Update 5: A change of ownership (and of mood)

Tom Wiltshire takes over custody of the CX-60, and has fairly unmixed feelings about doing so

If ever there was evidence that opinions do make a difference even among professional car reviewers, this should be it. While Richard’s previous reports on the CX-60 have been reasonably positive, I’ve now taken custody of it – and quickly found that I disagree on almost every front.

I’ve now spent plenty of time in the CX-60 on a variety or roads, including driving it to Brussels from Peterborough for the Brussels Motor Show and lots of time on the Fenland roads around my home. And with every mile, I’ve become more convinced that the CX-60 is best described by a series of really ungenerous words – half-baked, unfinished, and in places unacceptably bad.

Worst of all, it’s broken a clean streak of Mazda models that I’ve really liked and enjoyed driving. Just how could Mazda get it so wrong?

Where to begin?

I’ve a whole laundry list of problems with the CX-60 but I’ll try to keep it reasonably brief by concentrating on just a couple here. I’ll start with the powertrain. Start the CX-60 with a fully charged battery and a full tank of fuel and you’ll see a total range displayed of just over 350 miles – not a great start, given the 50-litre tank capacity and 17.4kWh battery.

Even setting off under electric power isn’t as seamless as it should be. By positioning the motor ahead of the gearbox, you still have distinct ‘shifts’ in the electric torque, which are genuinely disconcerting when you’re expecting a smooth, effortless electric takeoff.

The power shuffles around quite unobtrusively between petrol and electric while you’re on the move, but just when you’re lulled into a sense of security – you get booted in the back as the powertrain shunts for seemingly no reason. Not particularly reassuring.

Bouncy, bouncy

But there are plenty of cars with bad powertrains out there – often, they can be passable if they’re matched up to a sweet-driving chassis. This is perhaps where I diverge most from Richard’s views – I find the CX-60 awkward and uncomfortable to drive, with a suspension setup that borders on atrocious.

The steering, though nicely weighted for a flowing B-road is desperately twitchy on the motorway, requiring constant vigilance and endless corrections. The worst part, though, is what happens when you hit a bumpy road. The CX-60’s suspension is stiff and the rear axle incredibly poorly controlled, so you bounce around like a rubber ball.

On the Fenland roads surrounding my house, with sudden hills and crests, the CX-60’s rear wheels frequently come off the road even when my speed is relatively modest. My bum leaves the seat with shocking regularity, even over bumps that numerous, much sportier cars shake off with no ill effects.

It’s almost unbelievable that Mazda, a company that champions driving pleasure and who’s cars could be relied upon to handle sweetly and ride well for the last decade and beyond, could mess up this badly with what’s meant to be their flagship model.

I’m so disappointed with the CX-60 that I’ve found myself avoiding driving it wherever possible. Luckily, plenty of my colleagues have taken up the mantle – the next report will collect their opinions to see if it’s just a me problem.