2025 Mazda CX-80 D50e Azami review: Ride issues smoothed by classy cabin and excellent fuel economy

The Mazda CX-80 is the most important model in the brand’s premium push, expected to be the biggest seller thanks to the family-friendly flexibility of three rows of seats in an extended mid-size package.  

The scope of Mazda’s ambition is best expressed by the range-topping Azami SP, which trades practicality for luxury with its middle-row captain’s chairs and two-tone interior. Can it tempt those who bought a CX-8 into digging a little deeper into their pockets? 

Price and equipment 

Pricing for the Mazda CX-80 covers a broad spectrum. You can score a petrol CX-80 Pure for $56,990 at the time of writing thanks to a current driveaway offer, while at the other end a plug-in hybrid Azami with the SP package is nudging six figures once on-road costs are applied. 

The flagship Azami grade starts at $74,400 (+ORCs) for the petrol G40e, a figure that compares quite favourably to the $69,560 (+ORCs) Mazda asked for the CX-8 Asaki before it was discontinued in 2023.  

If you want to mirror our test car, however, you need to add $2000 for the diesel engine, another $995 for the Artisan Red paint (though blue, beige and black are available at no cost) and $5000 for the SP package for a total of $82,395 (+ORCs). 

That SP package replaces the three-across middle row with a pair of heated and ventilated separate seats with their own centre console, along with quilted tan Nappa leather seat upholstery, a suede dash, two -tone steering wheel, black 20-inch wheels and blacked-out exterior highlights. Full details of the CX-80 Azami’s feature list can be found below. 

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Pricing

*plus on-road costs 

Mazda CX-80 Azami standard features 

• 20-inch wheels 
• Adaptive LED headlights 
• Body coloured wheelarches, lower cladding and exterior mirrors 
• Courtesy lamps 
• Panoramic sunroof 
• Hands-free power tailgate 
• Keyless entry and start 
• Nappa leather seat upholstery 
• Power adjustable, heated and ventilated front seats 
• Heated outboard rear seats 
• Heated steering wheel 
• Dual-zone climate control 
• Head-up display 
• 150W AC outlet 
• 12.3-inch TFT LCD instrument display 
• 12.3-inch infotainment display 
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 
• AM/FM/DAB+ radio 
• Satellite navigation 
• 12-speaker Bose stereo 
• Wireless phone charger 
• Mazda Connected Services 
• Rear window sunshades 

Safety

The Mazda CX-80 carries a five-star ANCAP rating from 2023 with impressive scores of 92 per cent for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent for child occupant protection, 84 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 83 per cent for safety assist. 

Mazda CX-80 safety features 

• Eight airbags, including third-row curtain 
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection 
• Reverse AEB 
• Front and rear cross-traffic alert 
• Blind-spot monitoring with safe exit warning 
• Adaptive cruise control with steering assist 
• Driver monitoring 
• Emergency lane keeping 
• Lane-keep assist 
• Front and rear parking sensors 
• 360-degree camera with see-through bonnet function 

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Interior, practicality and boot space 

Step inside the Mazda CX-80 Azami SP and the price premium over the previous CX-8 is understandable. It’s a very swish cabin, especially in six-seat guise, with the quilted tan leather, heating and cooling for the front two rows of seats and lashings of suede across the dash and door cards. 

In SP guise those in the middle row will be just as comfortable as those in the front, arguably more so, but even in standard seven-seat form there is plenty of space with a split bench that can also slide forward and aft. 

Access to the third row isn’t too difficult and there is even enough room for adults back there as long as they aren’t too claustrophobic, especially if those in the middle row don’t mind sacrificing a little legroom. 

With all three rows in place there is a quoted 258 litres of storage space, which on the plus side is only measured to the top of the seat backs so it’s enough for quite a few shopping bags, though on the downside the figure includes the underfloor storage space and speaking of which, there is only an inflation kit, not even a space-saver spare. 

Drop that third row and there’s 566 litres of space (once again to the top of the seat back and including underfloor storage) but it’s a sizeable area that even a family trip away may struggle to fill.  

With both rear rows down and measured to the ceiling, there is 1971 litres of storage which is pretty gargantuan, but note in SP guise the rear centre console sticks up and prevents the floor being flat, limiting practicality. 

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Performance and fuel economy 

Mazda’s new inline six-cylinder turbodiesel is a good way to satisfy both the heart and the head. With a healthy 187kW/550Nm it has impressive performance with a relatively cultured growl under hard acceleration, yet its combined fuel consumption claim is just 5.2L/100km. 

Real-world use isn’t far off, either, the figure oscillating between 5.5-5.7L/100km over a week of varied driving. What’s interesting is that this is around 20 per cent better than the larger but identically engined CX-70 driven the week prior. 

Despite revisions, however, the eight-speed automatic transmission, which uses a multi-plate clutch arrangement in place of a typical torque converter, still suffers from indecision in selecting gears and poor refinement when it figures it out.  

Kudos to Mazda for its engineering ambition in creating its own bespoke gearbox, but an off-the-shelf unit from ZF or similar would make for a smoother, more premium experience. 

Mazda also touts the CX-80 range as all-hybrid, but it’s important to note the turbocharged petrol and diesel models are 48-volt mild hybrids. 

On the road 

There’s a bit to unpack when discussing the Mazda CX-80’s on-road behaviour. Like most Mazdas, it’s clearly been developed by people who enjoy driving, evidenced by the meaty steering, impressive balance and accuracy for an SUV, and the rear-biased all-wheel drive system. Whether intentional or not, there’s a clear BMW influence in the way it drives. 

Unfortunately, the good is overshadowed by the flaws now associated with this platform. Typically, wheelbase and tyre profile all aid ride quality, so how a car with a 3120mm wheelbase and 50-profile tyres can be this fidgety and unsettled is quite a mystery.  

Like the smaller CX-60, the CX-80 has undergone extensive suspension revisions, including the removal of the rear anti-roll bar, upgraded subframe bushings, softer rear springs with greater travel and firmer shocks, and its behaviour over larger bumps is compliant and well controlled, but it also constantly feeds road imperfections back to the occupants in a way that pokes holes in Mazda’s premium aspirations.  

However, there is a caveat here. Without wishing to excuse the car’s flaws, I do wonder how many of the target market will know and/or care? Those who value a car’s dynamics – Wheels readers, in other words – will take issue, but your typical family SUV buyer will probably be too enamoured with the premium presentation of the interior and exterior to focus on such foibles.  

Service and warranty 

Warranty coverage for the Mazda CX-80 Azami is five years or unlimited kilometres and the same applies to roadside assistance. Service intervals are shorter than usual at 12 months or 10,000km and it is expensive, costing a hefty $3367 over the first five years or 50,000km. 

To provide some context, the Hyundai Santa Fe has identical intervals but costs $2425 over the same period, the Kia Sorento has 12 month/15,000km intervals and costs $2637 while the Toyota Kluger has the longer intervals and costs just $1400 over the first five visits. 

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Verdict: should I buy a Mazda CX-80 D50e Azami? 

There’s a lot to like about the Mazda CX-80 Azami. If you discount the SP package, which looks quite nice with the tan leather but is of questionable value to family buyers, the price hasn’t actually risen that much compared to the old CX-8 but you get a six-cylinder engine, much better dynamics, a premium interior and the latest tech. 

Unfortunately, the ride quality and transmission refinement are still not up to par, but it’s probably worth a test drive to see if you find them too objectionable. 

The CX-80’s biggest rival may come from within. From the CX-80 Azami D50e’s base price of $76,400 (+ORCs), another $3400 scores the larger CX-90 GT, which loses a little bit of equipment but counters with more space and a better (though still firm) ride.  

Otherwise, if you’re prepared to sacrifice a bit of glitz, a CX-80 GT D50e scores you a frugal, practical, well-equipped and (generally) polished family SUV that still rewards the keen driver. 

Specifications

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