2025 Mazda CX-90 vs. 2024 Toyota Highlander
Both these Japanese brands offer top-notch choices for shoppers looking for a versatile family SUV, with the 2025 Mazda CX-90 being a brand-new model and the family-focused Toyota Highlander SUV always a solid choice.
We take a closer look at these two family SUVs competing for buyers' attention and all that they have to offer.
What's New?
The 2025 Mazda CX-90 replaced the discontinued CX-9 in 2024 and as a brand-new full size crossover sports the latest Mazda technologies. The CX-90 seats up to eight passengers in three rows of seats .
The 2025 CX-90 is available in eight trim levels: Turbo Select, Turbo Preferred, Turbo Preferred Plus, Turbo Premium, Turbo Premium Plus, Turbo S, Turbo S Premium and Turbo S Premium Plus.
Having received a significant update for the 2023 model year, the eight-seater 2024 Highlander received minimal updates.
The Highlander range has dropped the base L trim from its crowded lineup and buyers still get to choose from an available lineup of six trim levels: L, LE, XLE, XSE, Limited, and Platinum.
Exterior
The 2024 CX-90 is Mazda's largest SUV on offer and wears Mazda's signature KODO design language perfectly with key styling features like a mesh front grille finished in a gloss black and rugged black wheel arch moldings to help protect paintwork from parking lot incidents and other road or off road hazards.
Standout exterior features include:
- LED headlights with auto on/off and high beam control,
- LED daytime running lights plus combination tail lights
- Rain-sensing variable-intermittent windshield wipers with the intermittent rear wiper/washer
- Body-colored power side mirrors with integrated LED turn signals
Luxury equipment includes a power sliding-glass moonroof with a tilt feature, rear privacy glass, a rear power liftgate with a programmable height adjustment stand, and aluminum roof rails in a satin chrome finish. Alloy wheels of 19 inches up to 21 inches are available across all trims.
The Toyota Highlander sports a bold, sculpted and angular design with plentiful creases on the hood and roof panel.
The front view shows off the familiar Toyota family face with its black grille and silver surround, LED projector headlights with Daytime Running Lights and LED fog lights.
A generous list of standard exterior features includes items such as :
- Front side windows with High Solar Energy-Absorbing glass
- Rear side, quarter and liftgate windows with privacy glass
- Body color heated power outside mirrors with turn signal and blind spot warning indicators
- Hands-Free Power Rear Liftgate
- Rear spoiler fitted with an LED center high-mount stoplight
- Windshield defogger, washer and backup camera washer on the rear liftgate
Eight paint color options are available depending on trim level, and all trims are fitted with either 18-inch or 20-inch alloy wheels.
Powertrains
The 2025 CX-90 features the e-Skyactiv G powertrain powertrain that comprises an e-SKYACTIV-G 3.3L Turbo Inline six cylinder gasoline engine plus a 48-volt M-Hybrid Boost motor powered by a 0.33kwh lithium ion battery system giving a total output of 280–340 horsepower and 332–369 lb-ft of torque in non-S and S trim, respectively.
The CX-90 features a standard rear-biased, i-ACTIV AWD system and e-SKYACTIV-Drive 8-speed automatic transmission with manual shift.
The 2024 Toyota Highlander lineup offers either a traditional gasoline or a hybrid powertrain. The gasoline engine is a 265 horsepower turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder that is mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission that drives the front-wheels only or all-wheel drive.
Highlander Hybrid trims use a 2.5-liter four-cylinder along with two electric motors that makes a combined output of 243 horsepower, sending power to the front wheels or all four wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).
Interior
The 2025 Mazda CX-90's brand new and modern cabin offers a luxurious environment that features an uncluttered dashboard and well-appointed interior showing off Mazda's craftsmanship.
Luxury items include:
- High-quality leather seating
- Leather-covered steering wheel and shift lever
- Three-zone climate control
- Heated seats
- Retractable window shades
- LED interior illumination
Top trims offer optional Nappa leather plus real wood trim to add to the luxurious interior experience.
The Toyota Highlander offers a basic interior design that is comfortable and functional.
Standard three-zone automatic climate control features an air filter, separate second-row control panel,and individual temperature settings plus second-and third-row vents ensure passenger comfort.
Most creature comforts are to be found, such as:
- 8-passenger seating
- 60/40 split, sliding and reclining fold-flat second-row bench seats
- 60/40 split, fold-flat third-row seats with sliding headrests and recline function
- Fabric-trimmed front- and second-row seats
- 8-way power-adjustable driver's seat
- 4-way manual-adjustable front passenger seat
- Power door locks with shift-linked automatic lock/unlock feature
Upscale trims offer the most creature comforts with leather upholstery, a larger infotainment screen, ventilated seats, and more luxury and frills.
Infotainment
The CX-90 is standard with a 10.25-inch display or an optional 12.3-inch unit that features Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Mazda's multi-function commander control and voice command.
Top trims of the CX-90 offer an optional 17-speaker Bose audio system to elevate the listening experience.
The Toyota Highlander has a 8.0-inch infotainment screen on lower trims with a 12.3-inch setup optional or standard on top trims.
A six-speaker audio system is standard, with an 11-speaker JBL audio system on the upper trims. All trim levels feature SiriusXM satellite radio, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration.
Cargo Space
The eight-seater CX-90 offers up to 14.9 SAE cubic feet of initial cargo space, growing to 74.2 cubic feet with the second and third-row seats folded down.
The Highlander offers 16 cubic feet of storage space behind the third row seats. 48.4 cubic feet is available once the third row seat is folded down and 84.3 cubic feet with both rear rows stowed.
Safety Technologies
The Mazda CX-90 offers an extensive list of standard safety features including but not limited to:
- 4-wheel disc braking system with anti-skid brake system (ABS)
- Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.
- Dual front airbags with seat belt-use and passenger-weight sensors
- Front side-impact airbags
- side-impact air curtains with rollover protection
- Dynamic Stability Control with Traction Control System and Trailer Stability Assist
Mazda's i-Activsense safety system keeps a watchful eye of the driver with features such as automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, plus plenty further features..
The Highlander is equipped with a full array of safety equipment, such as eight airbags and the standard Toyota Sense 2.5 safety suite, including:
- Adaptive cruise control
- lane-keeping assist
- Automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection,
- Traffic sign recognition
Find Your 2025 Mazda CX-90 at Seacoast Mazda
Visit Seacoast Mazda in Portsmouth, NH, to learn more about the stylish and capable 2025 Mazda CX-90.
Book a test drive with our dedicated team, who will assist you every step of the way in getting behind the wheel of a brand-new 2025 Mazda CX-90.