2026 Mazda CX-70 Review: Refusing the 'Enshittification'
2026 Mazda CX-70 At-A-Glance Specs
Price: $40,445 – $56,950 MSRP (depending on trim and powertrain)
Engine Specs:
3.3-Liter e-Skyactiv G Turbocharged Inline-6 (Mild Hybrid)
2.5-Liter e-Skyactiv PHEV 4-Cylinder with Electric Motor
Power:
Standard Turbo Inline-6: 280 hp / 332 lb-ft torque
Turbo S Inline-6: 340 hp / 369 lb-ft torque
PHEV: 323 hp / 369 lb-ft torque
Fuel Efficiency:
3.3L Turbo / Turbo S: EPA-estimated 24 City / 28 Highway / 25 Combined MPG
PHEV: 56 MPGe combined / up to 26–30 miles all-electric range / 25 Combined MPG gas-only
The Rise of "Enshittification" in the Auto Industry
Words: Yousef Alvi :: Photography: Manufacturer
"Enshittification" is a term that has been thrown around a lot lately. If you aren't familiar with it, it describes a process where a once-great product gradually cheapens over time until it becomes a complete bowel movement.
Two main factors drive this phenomenon. The first is the overwhelming influence of Private Equity—squeezing bottom-line costs to extract every single penny of profit and pump up stock prices for executive cash-outs. The second factor is the long-tail ripple effect of COVID-19. For this review, we’ll focus on the latter.
During COVID, severe supply chain crunches played havoc with automakers. Vehicles sat on factory grounds for months on end waiting for microchips. Either directly because of this crisis or as a byproduct of the industry-wide freakout, automakers en masse decided to penny-pinch to the absolute extreme.
The problem was especially amplified across the pond. The German Big Three (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi/VW) took a blowtorch to the classic belief that the interior is what elevates a good car into a luxury car. Everything from door cards and steering wheels to infotainment panels and dash trim was put on a brutal cost-cutting diet.
Their self-deluded fix? Barrage the driver with ambient RGB lighting, strip away tactile physical controls, shove basic functions into clunky touchscreen submenus, add unnecessary touch-adjusted air vents, and install needlessly complex gear selectors—all to distract from the scratchy, thin, and flimsy materials surrounding you.
Where Mazda Bucked the Trend
Fortunately, Japanese automakers held their ground—and Mazda, in particular, did the exact opposite of its rivals.
Instead of cheapening its cabins, Mazda invested heavily in interior design and tactile craftsmanship. The difference is mind-blowing. Cover up the badges, put someone inside a modern Mazda, and then place them inside a modern Audi, and I promise you they’ll think the Mazda is the premium luxury car. In fact, if you asked them, they’d probably guess the Mazda was the Audi.
This isn't an isolated win, either. From the compact CX-30 all the way up to the three-row CX-90, every vehicle in Mazda’s lineup feels like someone genuinely cared when they designed it. You feel like a human behind the wheel rather than a spreadsheet entry.
Styling & Driving Dynamics: European Grace Meets RWD Performance
That care extends to the exterior as well. Mazda styled the 2026 CX-70 with an almost European grace—in fact, it looks more like a classic BMW than most new BMWs do! The overall proportions give the CX-70 a athletic, commanding stance that matches its sporty road manner.
Underneath, the rear-wheel-drive-biased architecture endows the CX-70 with genuine corner-carving agility. The steering is direct—albeit pleasantly heavy—offering dynamic engagement that is completely absent from its direct midsize competitors. You have to jump up in brand prestige to something like the Acura MDX or a German luxury moniker to match the CX-70's driving dynamics.
Where the 2026 CX-70 Falls Short
No vehicle is perfect, and the CX-70 has a few notable flaws:
Low-Speed Transmission Hesitation: The 8-speed automatic transmission feels clunky and hesitant during low-speed crawling and can be slow to execute downshifts when you need sudden passing power.
Cabin Noise at Speed: Wind and tire noise become noticeably intrusive on the highway once you cross 75 mph.
Firm Ride Quality: The suspension tuning is decidedly stiff. If you're cross-shopping against plush, pillow-soft family haulers in this segment, it might feel a bit too firm for daily duty.
The Verdict: Is the 2026 Mazda CX-70 Worth It?
So where does that leave the 2026 Mazda CX-70? Despite its transmission hiccups and firm ride, it remains one of the most soulful, driver-focused, and refreshingly crafted vehicles on the road today. In an era dominated by cost-cutting and screen overload, Mazda proved that real quality still matters.
