Mazda CX-8 2018 Review — Long-term test #4

I don’t remember much from high school economics classes and my bank account bears that out!

But one thing that has stuck with me is the law of diminishing returns. Maybe it’s because it had something to do with ice-cream … and I love ice-cream!

It goes like this: it’s a hot day so you wolf down an ice-cream. So good. In fact, so good you have another one. Yum, pretty good. Better have a third; Mmmm burp, not as enjoyable.

And so on … until you’re groaning… And that’s the law of diminishing returns. Or something like that.

Mazda’s into a similar cycle with its SUVs. CX-9, CX-5, CX-3 and now CX-8. They’re all very good and all pretty tasty.

But while the 9 is rated as a superstar, a lot of people like the 5 and the 3 even though it’s got no boot space, the 8’s kinda just there.

There’s nothing wrong with it – in fact there’s a whole lot that’s right – but we’ve tasted this formula before.

It’s the fourth ice-cream, or the one zillionth, if you consider how many other SUVs are on the market and not just Mazda high-riding wagons.

But if the CX-8 had been the first ice-cream – sorry, Mazda SUV -- then we’d probably have a whole different perspective on it.

The Mazda CX-8 does just about everything well. Literally. It’s well-built, it’s turbo-diesel engine drives well, it handles and rides well. It is well-equipped, especially now that it comes with Apple CarPlay.

It is spacious – six adults can fit in it - if the third row is occupied by vertically challenged individuals and it has lots of storage nooks and crannies. Fold row two and three down and it fits a full-size mountain bike without having to remove the front wheel.

What’s not done so well? The steering is a bit heavy at slow speed, but that’s unlikely to put anyone off. What will do that is the pricing. At more than $60K plus on-roads, the Asaki is darned expensive.

If you don’t need the bells and whistles like 19-inch alloys, front-seat ventilation, a 7.0-inch TFT LCD infotainment screen, a frameless rear-view mirror and LED ambient lighting then the cheaper Sport is a good option at $43,410 (plus on-roads) as a front-wheel drive.

Think of it like an ice-cream without the sprinkles and flake.

Which brings us back to where we started. Sort of. Maybe the CX-8 doesn’t have the broad appeal of some other Mazda SUVs, maybe it’s even a bit vanilla.

But if it’s to your tastes that’s no problem. It’s still ice-cream after all

How much does the 2018 Mazda CX-8 Asaki cost?
Price: $61,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 140kW/450Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 158g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP, 2018)