Spring is here, and with it comes the revival of America's national pastime: baseball. Alongside a hopefully warm hot dog and the cracking sound of wood contacting stitched leather, baseball season also marks the return of the tailgate—the age-old tradition of parking the family car within eyesight of the ballpark, swinging open the lawn chairs, cracking some beers, and reveling in the warm(ish) weather.
Putting on a good tailgate requires meeting several criteria. You'll need room for the aforementioned lawn chairs, the coolers, and the camp grill, plus enough space left over for a football, a frisbee, and maybe even a cornhole set. Obviously, you'll need a vehicle capable of hauling both tailgating accoutrements and some family or friends to join in the fun, and a mid-size three-row SUV fits the bill.
The Ford Explorer and the Mazda CX-90 are two such examples that we just so happened to have in our Ann Arbor office as the last freeze warnings faded into memory. Whether you're headed to the ballpark or on your way to Target, these two SUVs offer sufficient levels of power and practicality. Both the Ford and the Mazda offer six-cylinder engines, though in slightly different configurations. Each offers seating for at least six, some tech to make your life easier, and a bit more sporting flair than most mid-size crossovers.
View Price on AmazonOn paper, the CX-90 shows a lot of potential. It succeeds Mazda's old CX-9, a longtime Car and Driver darling, and features a turbocharged inline-six that Mazda proudly touts via prominent badging. Our test model came equipped with modern conveniences such as heated and ventilated front seats, as well as more traditional luxuries such as physical climate controls.
The Explorer hasn't entered a new generation since 2020, but it received a major interior overhaul in 2025. Done up in go-faster ST guise, our test Explorer packs a twin-turbocharged V-6 that provides the Ford with a super-spry nature. While the words "hot rod" generally elicit the mental image of a thoroughly chopped and customized vintage car, we think it's an equally apt term to apply to the Explorer ST.
There's no question that the Mazda is the more luxurious of the two. Our test model's interior came swathed in white leather, offering a refreshing contrast against the car's Deep Crystal Blue Mica paint. The CX-90's dash-mounted infotainment screen feels a bit outdated—it disables the touchscreen function when the car is in motion, but the rotary dial located atop the center console is a viable, if imperfect, replacement.
HIGHS: Silly fast, sonorous powertrain, genuinely fun to drive. LOWS: High sticker price, firm ride, awkward driving position. VERDICT: Muscle-car persona with enough practicality for the whole family.
Unfortunately, while the Ford does offer a hard-to-miss volume knob, several key controls, including temperature and fan speed, are relegated to the infotainment touchscreen. Several editors complained about the Ford's awkward seating position and lack of lateral bolstering, but all were grateful for the massaging front seats, which, together with a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, are part of the $2995 Sun and Sound package.
Source: caranddriver.com
