Long-term report: Our Mazda CX-80 shows it’s a true all-rounder

The Mazda CX-80 is really earning its keep as the perfect long-distance cruiser, soaking up thousands of miles since my last report. But while it’s refreshing to have a car that laps up long journeys, it means that the CX-80 is the number one choice among my colleagues should they want to go on holiday.

Since my first report, the CX-80 has been used for various long weekends away, including a colleague’s week-long jaunt on the Isle of Man. But more recently, I’ve been able to take the car for a city break in York, and just as I expected it to be, the CX-80 was pretty much perfect.

Key to the big Mazda’s lolloping character is its engine. The Japanese carmaker caused eyebrows to raise a couple of years ago when it proudly revealed a new powerplant for its large SUVs. While rival carmakers are fast-tracking EV development, Mazda’s new headline powerplant was an engine – more than that, it was a 3.3-litre turbocharged straight-six diesel. That’s right – a totally brand new diesel engine in a world of batteries and motors. It’s almost like a Sony Walkman in a Spotify world.

Actually, that’s unfair, as far from being an outdated form of technology, the diesel engine still makes a lot of sense if you travel vast distances, crave both performance and excellent fuel economy, and if you tow. I shall come back to the latter of those in a future report, but modern-day diesel engines are so good that it makes you think that EVs still need to come a long way in offering similar levels of convenience.

Don’t worry, I do love EVs, but in certain circumstances I also do love a big diesel engine. The massive 74-litre tank gives a reading of 600 miles once brimmed, and this was really put to the test on this city break.

With York being a 250-mile jaunt from my house in Hampshire, I could theoretically complete the journey there and back with 100 miles to spare in the tank. In reality, I had around 50 miles left in the tank (thanks to a detour through the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors), and, despite some tyre noise filtering into the cabin, it was a very pleasant, luxurious and stress-free round-trip.

Not only is the large lump sitting under the CX-80’s long, flowing bonnet remarkably fuel efficient, it’s also punchy. This new engine is almost as smooth as BMW’s much-loved six-cylinder diesels, and just quietly burbles away in the background. With 251bhp and 550Nm of torque, there’s some real muscle to the engine, particularly in the mid-range, and it emits a lovely growl as the needle flies round to the rev limiter. The eight-speed gearbox is very well-suited to the engine, too, although I haven’t yet used the paddle-shifters on the steering wheel – such a sporty feature doesn’t match the CX-80’s refined character in my mind.

Over the past few months, I have taken the CX-80 on some more dynamic roads, too. A car launch in mid-Wales allowed me to discover if the CX-80 was simply a comfortable motorway cruiser, and the answer was a resolute ‘no’. The roads around the Elan Valley are a test for the very best sports cars, and I have to say, the CX-80 impressed.

At 1.89 metres wide and nearly five metres long, the CX-80 isn’t really designed to offer a sporty driving experience. But Mazda has injected some of its fabled sporting character into the car, and it can be hustled along very nicely. The steering is quick and accurate, and the stiff suspension gives excellent body control; I was even tempted to use the paddle-shifters.

I have a fully stacked diary of trips over the next couple of months, and the CX-80 will likely be the car I use. Time will tell if the CX-80 continues to impress.