Mazda CX-70 2025 review: GT D50e long-term | Part 3

Not many cars these days leave me with an “I don’t get it” feeling, but even after three months of daily living with our long-term test car, the Mazda CX-70 GT D50e, I’m still asking myself this question.

This big SUV is great dynamically with a strong and smooth inline six-cylinder diesel engine. It’s also comfortable and it’s luxurious.

The problem is, it’s not easy to drive. With heavy steering, limited visibility and its hulking size (5.1m long and 2.2m wide) it's too large to live with easily in city or inner suburbs. And despite its massive size it has just five seats and the cabin feels cramped.

Mazda says the CX-70 is for those looking for a large SUV, but not in need of a third row.

Our family could be the classic case for such an SUV. We have two kids and we’re always filling up the boot with bulky stuff, from Christmas trees to a gigantic dolls house (we have the pictures to prove it). 

Yet most of the time we didn’t need a boot this big (598L), and we actually found that more often we really needed extra seats for friends and family. There have even been times when we had to take two cars because there were six people. 

The CX-80 would be much more suitable for us. Not only is it smaller than the CX-70, but it has seven seats and a boot which is almost the same size.

It’s also more affordable in the same trim level and same engine by about $7000 - $70,950 compared with the CX-70's $77,970.

Families really need cabin space and practicality. We’ve tested many large SUVs and people movers over almost a decade in our family and the best vehicles make the hustle and unpredictability of family life easier.

And while the CX-70 is a beautiful and powerful beast of an SUV we found we had to adapt ourselves to suit it and not the other way around as it should be.

So with that we bid farewell to Big Red knowing there’s something for everybody, just not this for us.

Acquired: November 2024

Distance travelled this month: 799km

Odometer: 4800km

Average fuel consumption this month: 8.9L/100km (measured at the pump)