One of the best SUVs out there has ditched its third row, for those who don’t want it.
The Mazda CX-70 Turbo S Premium Plus features a smooth and powerful, turbo, six-cylinder engine that moves the vehicle with ease.
This one looks great in what’s officially called “Soul Red Crystal Metallic.”
Inside, it has tan, leather-trimmed seats with faux suede accents all over the interior.
There’s also the Driver Personalization System, which I’ve reported on before, and which uses facial recognition to remember certain drivers and adjust the car’s settings to their preferences.
Other fanciness includes a windshield wiper deicer and heated second-row seats.
To back up, the CX-70 is basically the vaunted CX-90, but without a third row — and it makes perfect sense.
Third rows in any SUV are often cramped, barely usable and take up precious cargo space when deployed. If you want a good third row, get a minivan.
To the gritty details now: This one does have a spare tire.
J.D. Power puts Mazda as the seventh-best brand in its 2024 Vehicle Dependability Study, while Consumer Reports says Mazda has the sixth-best predicted reliability. The CX-70 also gets top ratings in front and side crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The CX-70 Turbo S Premium Plus (like the one I drove) starts at $57,405, after shipping.