2019 Mazda CX-9 vs. 2019 Honda Pilot

The midsize SUV segment offers you plenty of room for passengers and cargo so that you can take on everyday life and larger adventures.

Below, you can take a closer look at two popular midsize SUVS—the 2019 Mazda CX-9 and the 2019 Honda Pilot. We will compare the exterior, performance, interior, technology features, and safety so that you can determine which of these SUVs is best for you. Check it out!

EXTERIOR

You get a look of elegance and style with the 2019 Mazda CX-9 exterior. This vehicle was designed to show strength, energy, and motion with its KODO “Soul of Motion” design. It has features like an elongated hood and a tapered roofline to make it look sleek and athletic. With exterior color options like Machine Gray Metallic, Soul Red Crystal Metallic, Snowflake White Pearl Mica, Titanium Flash Mica, Deep Crystal Blue Mica, and more, you can customize your exterior to get the look you want.

The Honda Pilot exterior was designed to be stylish and aggressive with a bold front grille and plenty of chrome accents. There is also the Pilot Black Edition available, which offers you features like gloss black exterior accents, 20-inch black alloy wheels, and Black Edition badging.

PERFORMANCE AND ENGINE OPTIONS

Next, let’s take a look at the performance and engine options for these two vehicles. Under the hood of the 2019 Mazda CX-9 is a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine. This engine is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. This vehicle can give you up to 250-horsepower, and it accelerates quickly and is very nimble given its size. The 2019 CX-9 can also tow up to 3,500 pounds. It also gives you one of the highest fuel economy ratings in its class with 22 city and 28 highway miles per gallon.

Under the hood of the 2019 Honda Pilot, you will find a 3.5-liter V6 engine. This engine produces 280-horsepower. It is paired with a standard six-speed automatic transmission, but it can be paired with the optional nine-speed automatic transmission. The 2019 Pilot can also tow up to 3,500 pounds. The Honda Pilot is not as nimble or controlled in terms of handling, and it only gives you 19 city and 27 highway miles per gallon.

INTERIOR AND TECHNOLOGY

The 2019 CX-9 is home to one of the best cabins in this class. The Mazda CX-9 is comfortable and elegant as well as modern and tech-friendly. When you step into this cabin, you have comfortable seating for up to seven people. The second row of seats are spacious, and they have a tilt-slide feature to give you easier access to the third row of seating. This vehicle comes standard with cloth seating and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. You can upgrade the interior to includes features like leather-trimmed seats, premium Nappa leather seats, heated seats, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and more.

When it comes to technology, the 2019 CX-9 is home to the user-friendly Mazda Connect interface. This vehicle also gives you a standard 7-inch touchscreen, USB ports, and Bluetooth. You can upgrade your technology for additional features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a navigation system, a larger 8-inch touchscreen, and a premium Bose audio system.

For cargo space, the CX-9 has 14.4 cubic feet of space behind the third row of seats. The third-row seats can fold down to give you 38.2 cubic feet, and the second row of seats can fold to give you up to 71.2 cubic feet of cargo space. This vehicle also has options like a power liftgate to make loading your cargo easier.

On the inside of the 2019 Pilot, you can find seating for up to eight people. This vehicle has three rows of seating with standard cloth upholstery. If you replace the second-row bench seat with captain’s chairs, you only have seating for seven people. You can upgrade your interior for features like leather upholstery, heated front seats, ventilated front seats, and more.

Standard technology features in the Honda Pilot include a 5-inch display screen, an infotainment system, Bluetooth, and two USB ports. You can upgrade for additional technology that includes wireless phone charging, an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a rear seat entertainment system, wireless smartphone charging, and a navigation system.

When it comes to cargo space, the Honda Pilot gives you 16.5 cubic feet behind its third row of seating. If you fold that third row down, you get 46.8 cubic feet. With both the second and third rows folded down, you get up to 83.9 cubic feet of seating. The Pilot also has an underfloor compartment in the cargo area for hidden storage space.

SAFETY

Finally, let’s take a look at the safety features and technology found in both of these vehicles. There are a lot of great new safety technology features that help keep you and your loved ones safer. Both of these SUVs have some great safety standard and available.

The Mazda CX-9 also has some great safety technology. There are standard safety features like Smart City Brake Support, blind spot monitoring, a rearview camera, and rear cross traffic alert. These features can help keep you safer on every model of the CX-9. There are also some available safety features in this vehicle including pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, and rain-sensing windshield wipers.

The Honda Pilot also offers you some standard safety technology features. This vehicle gives you standard features like a rearview camera, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. You can also upgrade to get additional safety features like blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and parking sensors.

Both the 2019 Mazda CX-9 and the 2019 Honda Pilot have a lot to offer you. They both give you good features and a solid performance. The Mazda CX-9 probably has the Pilot beat on looks and performance, but both of these vehicles are great options.