Mazda CX-80 Review 2025: Price, specs & boot space

Company car drivers will be interested in the Mazda CX-80 2.5 Skyactiv PHEV for its low emissions. However, it does miss out on the lower Benefit in Kind rate due to its sub-40-mile EV driving range. If you want a classy seven-seat large SUV, that might be a small price worth paying.

Far fewer will be willing to pay for the 3.3D version of the CX-80, which has a useful towing capacity. The smooth diesel engine is pleasing to use, but it's also out of step with most buyers' thinking in today's world.

Much as we like the smooth, effortless urge of the 3.3-litre six-cylinder turbodiesel engine, it's hard to look past the 2.5-litre PHEV model with its low emissions and impressive combined economy figure. This model also handles more nimbly and rides bumps with greater refinement than its diesel counterpart. As for trim, the Homura offers a lengthy equipment list and decent value.

There is no shortage of excellent cars in the large SUV sector, starting with the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia's Sorento and EV9 models. You should also consider the Skoda Kodiaq and Peugeot 5008, while a little further upmarket the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Volvo XC90 hold plenty of appeal.

We tried, we really did, but we couldn't find a single rough edge or sliver of sharp plastic anywhere in the Mazda CX-80's cabin. It truly is finished to a standard that elevates the CX-80 into the premier league in this respect.

All of the materials, with one exception, feel wonderfully solid and plush, and all of the controls with with Mazda's usual click-click regularity.

That one exception? It's the padded roll that runs across the upper stretch of the dash between the steering wheel on the right and passenger door on the left. It's neatly stitched but the padding feels just a little sparse and the material itself isn't as thickly lush as you might think it should be. Overall, though, there is a huge amount to like and admire in the way the CX-80 has been put together.

Whichever trim of Mazda CX-80 you pick, they all come with an excellent 12.3-inch colour display. It can be used as a touchscreen when the car is at a standstill, but on the move you have to use the rotary controller on the centre tunnel. Far from being inconvenient, we quickly came to use this as our only interface with the main screen as it's so simple and precise.

The screen itself has pin sharp graphics, logical menus that will be familiar to anyone used to a modern Mazda, and there's also Alexa voice commands if you want to go down that route.

With Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Google Maps and Play Music, plus a fine Bose sound system with 12 speakers (in all but the base Exclusive-Line that has eight speakers), you are very well looked after with tech and sound clarity.

It's a pity, though, that only the top spec Takumi Plus model has wireless phone charging fitted as standard at this price point.

One of the reasons many drivers choose a large SUV is for the passenger space and versatility these cars offer. The Mazda CX-80 is bang on for this class as there is more than ample room for anyone sitting in the second row of seats. That applies to those in the outer two seats or whoever ends up in the middle.

You can also have the CX-80 with two seats in the second row, which only adds to the feeling of more than generous room for passengers.

Access to the third row seats is through the long rear doors that open wide, which will only be a problem in tightly packed parking spaces. The middle row of seats slide and tip forward, so there's enough space for an adult to climb into the back row.

Once installed in the third row, there is a lot of headroom, but the raised floor means knees end up being higher than is comfy for long journeys. Kids, though, won't have an issue and Mazda provides third row occupants with their own air vents and cupholders.

With the third row occupied, there's 258-litres of boot space on offer. It's not huge, but you will get a few shopping bags in there. Drop the rear-most seats and you can free up to 687-litres of cargo room. With all of the back seats tipped down, the CX-80 conjures up a maximum of 1971-litres of holdall space, though this does include the underfloor storage area in its calculation.

The load sill is not high and sits flush with the boot floor, but the tailgate opening is not as wide as we'd like. However, Mazda does offer its Trailer Hitch View camera to help with reversing up to a trailer. There is also a dedicated towing mode for the drivetrain to help when lugging a trailer.

As you'll have noted by now, there are two clear lines of Mazda CX-80 - the 2.5 Skyactiv PHEV petrol-hybrid and the 3.3D turbodiesel.

The diesel has some hybrid assistance, but you won't notice it as the car doesn't have any capacity to run on EV power alone. What you will notice when you press hard on the throttle is the smooth, unwavering power provided by the diesel. Its 0-62mph time of 8.4 seconds is not much to write home about, but this sells the engine short as it's all about how it just keeps on delivering without ever being harsh. It is an old-school experience in today's world, but it does feel effortlessly easy.

Switch into the Mazda CX-80 2.5 PHEV and it's a good deal quicker off the mark, covering 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds. That sounds much more like it, but you will have to suffer the noisy petrol motor's roar until you settle into a cruise. Then, the PHEV is at its happiest. You can also drive it in EV mode when there's sufficient charge in the battery and it will cover up to a claimed 38 miles on electricity.

Both versions of the Mazda CX-80 use the same eight-speed automatic gearbox, which is the only transmission on offer. It's slick and quick to change gear, while four-wheel drive is also fitted to all CX-80s.

If you want the quiet life in the Mazda CX-80, you need the 3.3-litre turbodiesel engine. It might not be on-trend in today's SUV world, but it is magnificently quiet when the car is trickling through town or cruising the motorway. The only time you will hear it is when you floor the accelerator pedal, and even then you're greeted with a cultured six-cylinder burr.

In the Mazda CX-80 2.5 Skyactiv PHEV, on the other hand, the four-cylinder petrol engine becomes too rowdy for our ears when worked hard. It does settle to an acceptably quiet tone when driven more gently, but it's not nearly as smooth as the diesel. In EV mode, the PHEV is more appealing, so it's a good idea to keep that battery topped up with charge when you can.

Some tyre noise can be heard in both models, which we've tried with 20-inch wheels so far. That aside, there's little wind noise from inside the Mazda CX-80 and it's on a par with rivals such as the Kia Sorento and Skoda Kodiaq for overall refinement.

The Mazda CX-80 had no trouble scoring a five-star rating from Euro NCAP in its crash tests. This came with a superb 92% rating for adult occupant safety, as well an 88% score for child occupant safety and 84% for vulnerable road user protection.

This sort of performance is unsurprising when you learn the CX-80 comes with twin front, side and curtain airbags, as well as one for the driver's knees and a central airbag between the front passengers. This is augmented by lane keep assistance, blind spot assist, and automatic emergency braking on all models.

Every CX-80 also has land departure warning, front and rear cross traffic alert, driver fatigue monitoring, e-Call, traffic sign recognition, and hill descent control.

There is also an optional Convenience and Safety Pack, which is tailored to the PHEV or diesel models. Both come with a 360-degree parking camera and trailer camera, Cruising and Traffic Support, Mazda Radar Cruise Control, and Adaptive LED headlights. To add this costs £200 more for the PHEV than it does for the diesel as the PHEV's pack also includes a 1500W AC socket.

Mazda has a reputation for its cars lasting well, though 15th position in the most recent HonestJohn Satisfaction Survey only puts the company mid-table out of 29 manufacturers.

The CX-80 comes with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, which is fine by far from exceptional when Kia offers seven years and 100,000 miles of cover. However, the plug-in hybrid model's battery is protected by an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty separate from the rest of the car.

If keeping insurance costs is your main concern, a large SUV might not be the car for you. However, for those thinking in this way, the Exclusive-Line trim in either PHEV or diesel forms sits in group 37 (out of a total of 50).

The Homura and Takumi trims reside in group 38, while the Plus versions of these trims edge into group 39 to be the most expensive to get cover for. These are all higher than you'll find for the Kia Sorento.

Thanks to carbon dioxide emissions of between 35- and 36g/km for the Mazda CX-80 2.5 Skyactiv PHEV, you'll pay the reduced rate of £110 for the first year of Vehicle Excise Duty, or road tax to give it the familiar name. You'll also have to pay the £410 surcharge levied on new cars costing more than £40,000, which includes all CX-80s.

The 3.3D version of the CX-80 emits anything from 148g/km to 151g/km. Doesn't sound like much of a difference but means the lower emitting version of the diesel will pay £540 in first-year road tax compared to £1360 for those with higher emissions. And that's on top of the £410 charged for cars costing above £40,000.

In subsequent years, that £410 levy still applies till the Mazda passes its fifth birthday, but annual road tax drops to a standard rate of £195.

There are three basic trim levels on offer for the Mazda CX-80, as well as two Plus bonus levels for the pair of upper model versions. All trims are offered with both the plug-in hybrid and diesel engines.

The range gets going with the Exclusive-Line that comes sitting on 18-inch alloy wheels. It also has all-round parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers and front wiper de-icing, automatic headlights, roof rails, reversing camera, and powered tailgate with remote operation.

On the inside, the Exclusive-Line has black leather upholstery, grey roof liner, manually adjusted front seats with heating, and the 12.3-inch infotainment screen with rotary controller. There's also cruise and climate controls, and a head-up driver's display, while the PHEV models come with AC charging cables.

Next in line is the Homura that has black-painted 20-inch alloy wheels, piano black front grille and door cap covers, and wheelarch and side mouldings in body colour. The interior has a black headlining, Nappa leather in black, electrically adjusted front seats, electric steering column adjust, ambient lighting, and a 12-speaker Bose stereo. There's also the no-cost option of a six-seat configuration with captains chairs in the second row.

For the Homura Plus, you gain a 360-degree camera, adaptive LED headlights, panoramic glass roof, and rear privacy glass. This trim also has illuminated door pockets, wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise control, and Mazda's Cruising and Traffic Support.

The Takuma trim has 20-inch diamond cut alloy wheels, heated outer seats in the second row, White Maple leather upholstery and matching wood trim. Go for the Takumi Plus and you get all this as well as the same extra kit fitted to the Homura Plus.