Whats the vibe?
The Mazda CX-60 is like the CX-5’s older, fancier sibling. It’s a little longer with a big schnozz, a bit more premium inside and out, and technically still a medium SUV. But yep, you’ll pay for the glow-up. And just FYI: the CX-5 is getting a full refresh next year, so this comparison won’t hold forever. (We hear the new one is also gonna be hot.)
The CX-60 is a five-seat family SUV that feels big and comfy on the inside, and sporty to drive. Like most Mazdas, it’ll age well, and the design inside is so gorgeous. You can pick it up as a petrol or diesel hybrid, or a plug-in hybrid.
We spent a week with the base model – the "Pure" – with the diesel mild-hybrid setup (we'll explain that later). First impression? The drive didn’t win us over. But by the end of the week, we’d kinda adjusted to some of its quirks and found ourselves quite comfortable overall with this one.
Mazda's nailed the design
The inside feels expensive
Kind of fun to drive on windy roads
Weird jerkiness driving at low speeds
A bit harsh over speedbumps
The screen is not a touchscreen!!
As our very first official press car, the CX-60 definitely made an impression. There was a moment late at night when I genuinely wondered if this was some kind of industry test. Like, “Will she be honest about the clunky gear shifts?” (Spoiler: yes. I'm not telling someone to drop 50 big ones without honesty.)
Thankfully, it’s not that deep. And really, there’s a lot to like here. The CX-60 is excellent in so many areas- if you can look past the occasional hesitation and clunk as it thinks through its gear changes.
But if your driving doesn’t involve a heap of stop-start traffic, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. It’s genuinely fun to drive, feels properly luxurious, and has the kind of polished, refined cabin Mazda’s becoming known for as it moves into more premium territory – both in product and price.
The safety tech is helpful but never annoying, which is a huge win, and overall, it just feels properly considered. If you're after comfort, style, and a bit of extra oomph, this one ticks a lot of boxes.
Overall, we would recommend this car if:
You're after a family car with good rear space
You won't do a daily commute in traffic
You want a car that doubles as some fun on the weekends
