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The 2024 Honda Pilot and 2024 Mazda CX-90 compete in the midsize 3-row SUV class but have a few distinct differences. The Pilot is an old and trusted name in this class, while the CX-90 is a relative newcomer. Both SUVs carry the virtues associated with their respective brands. The Honda is family-friendly and has excellent resale value, while the Mazda brings engaging driving dynamics and an upscale interior.
Let’s compare the Honda Pilot and Mazda CX-90 and find the right SUV for your family.
2024 Honda Pilot
The Honda Pilot is still fresh from its complete redesign in 2023, and it’s earned a spot on our list of Best Family Cars. It’s a great family SUV improved with updated styling inside and out, new tech features, and an off-road-ready TrailSport model with the capabilities to back up its tough aesthetics. Pricing starts at $38,485, including the destination charge.
Honda Pilot Highlights
Rugged TrailSport model: The Pilot TrailSport is more than just an appearance package. This rugged family SUV has upgrades like taller ground clearance, skid plates, an off-road suspension system, and the TrailWatch camera system, giving it off-road chops that the CX-90 can’t match.
Roomier interior: If you’ll use the third row regularly, your passengers will appreciate the extra space in the Honda compared to the Mazda. The Pilot also has more cargo room than the CX-90 by a considerable margin.
Removable second-row seat: One of our favorite optional features in the Honda Pilot is the removable middle second-row seat. If you opt for captain’s chairs, you can get a third removable seat for the second row that stows under the cargo area’s floor when not in use. This feature is borrowed from the Odyssey minivan, giving the Pilot extra credit for family friendliness.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Pilot models for sale near you.
2024 Mazda CX-90
The Mazda CX-90 is the brand’s all-new midsize 3-row SUV for 2024. As the biggest Mazda SUV, it translates the brand’s reputation for upscale cabins and surprisingly fun driving manners into a practical family hauler. The CX-90 is also available as a plug-in hybrid, but we’re focusing on the non-hybrid variant for this comparison. Pricing starts at $39,220, including the destination charge.
Mazda CX-90 Highlights
Gutsy turbo engine: The base engine in the Mazda CX-90 has about the same amount of horsepower as the trusty V6 in the Honda Pilot, but it has much more torque. It gets even better with the Turbo S models that make up to 340 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Either engine option delivers delightfully quick acceleration, making the Mazda one of the sportiest SUVs in its class.
Upscale interior: There’s nothing wrong with the interior of the Pilot, but the CX-90’s cabin is nicer. A classy design and lovely materials make the CX-90 feel like a more expensive SUV. The Mazda is available with a 10.3-inch or 12.3-inch infotainment screen, which is bigger than the 7-inch and 9-inch screens available in the Honda.
Standard AWD: All-wheel drive is optional in the Pilot, but it’s standard in every Mazda SUV, including the CX-90. This makes the Mazda CX-90 an easy SUV to shop for if you live in a snowy climate and need the extra traction that AWD provides.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the CX-90 models for sale near you.
Similarities
The Honda Pilot and Mazda CX-90 are similar in size and price, and they’ve both earned the prestigious IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award. They’re also similarly equipped with safety and infotainment tech features, as well as a standard 6-cylinder engine.
Conclusion
These SUVs have different personalities. The roomier Honda Pilot is the family-friendly minivan alternative; it’s the one to get if you’ll use the third row daily. Meanwhile, the Mazda CX-90 is the sportier option that legitimately competes with luxury SUVs in its upper trims. The right SUV for your family depends on your priorities.
| 2024 Honda Pilot | 2024 Mazda CX-90 | |
| Starting Price | $38,485 | $39,220 |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 3.5-liter V6 | 3.3-liter turbo 6-cylinder |
| Horsepower | 285 hp @ 6,100 rpm | 280 hp @ 5,000 rpm |
| Torque | 262 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm | 332 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm |
| Transmission | 10-speed automatic/FWD | 8-speed automatic/AWD |
| Fuel Economy | 19 city/27 highway/22 combined | 24 city/28 highway/25 combined |
| Also Available | AWD | 340-hp turbo 6-cylinder; plug-in hybrid |
| Specs | ||
| Basic Warranty | 3 years/36,000 miles | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety | 5-Star | TBD |
| Max Seating Capacity | 8 | 8 |
| Wheelbase | 113.8 inches | 122.8 inches |
| Overall Length | 199.9 inches | 201.6 inches |
| Width | 78.5 inches | 77.6 inches |
| Height | 71 inches | 68.2 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 37.8 feet | 41.2 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 40.5 inches | 39.7 inches |
| Headroom, 2nd Row | 40.2 inches | 39.3 inches |
| Headroom, 3rd Row | 39.3 inches | 36.9 |
| Legroom, Front | 41 inches | 41.7 inches |
| Legroom, 2nd Row | 40.2 inches | 39.4 inches |
| Legroom, 3rd Row | 32.5 inches | 30.4 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 61.9 inches | 57.2 inches |
| Shoulder Room, 2nd Row | 61.7 inches | 58.1 inches |
| Shoulder Room, 3rd Row | 59.5 inches | 53.3 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 18.6/48.5/87 cubic feet | 14.9/40/74.2 cubic feet |
The two newest designs in the mainstream 3-row SUV class are the Honda Pilot and the Mazda CX-90.
You’ve been hearing about the Pilot for many years, of course. But a recent redesign has radically changed its character. The 2024 Pilot is boxy in a handsome way and has off-road skills earlier Pilots lacked.
You may not have heard of the CX-90. It’s entirely new, replacing the CX-9 with something more sophisticated and flexible. It’s available with a gas-only powertrain common to the luxury classes or a fuel-saving plug-in hybrid setup.
Let’s see how these two compare.
2024 Honda Pilot
The Honda Pilot has long been a reliable and family-friendly 3-row SUV. But Honda redesigned it from the wheels up late in the 2023 model year, giving it a new personality. It’s still a great family hauler but appears more rugged and has an off-road-oriented TrailSport model that backs up the look. Prices start at $37,090.
Honda Pilot Highlights
Lower price: Mazda has been remaking itself as a more upscale automaker, and the CX-90 shows it. But so does its price tag. The base model Pilot starts more than $2,500 under the base model CX-90. As you move up the trim ladder, the gap grows. A fully-loaded CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus costs almost $7,500 more than the equivalent Passport Elite.
Rugged SUV character: Both of these are available with all-wheel drive (AWD) that will get you through icy weather. But the Pilot comes in a TrailSport edition with a suspension set up for off-road driving, added ground clearance, and grippy all-terrain tires. Mazda has nothing like it for the new CX-90.
More cargo space: We think the boxy look is handsome, but that’s subjective. What’s objective? Measurements. The Pilot has almost 13 cubic feet more cargo space than the CX-90.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Pilot models for sale near you.
2024 Mazda CX-90
The 2024 Mazda CX-90 is entirely new, replacing the CX-9 as the flagship of the Mazda showroom. It’s a unique vehicle in the affordable 3-row SUV class, set up like something from a luxury automaker and available in a plug-in hybrid version. Prices start at $39,595.
Mazda CX-90 Highlights
Luxury car bones: Luxury vehicles often have different mechanical layouts than the affordable cars you might be more familiar with. When it built the CX-90, Mazda used a layout common to luxury vehicles. That means a turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine – a design known for smooth power delivery – and an AWD system that sends more power to the rear wheels than the front unless it needs to prevent a slip. It feels smoother and more poised.
Elegant design: It’s as if Mazda has spies in the design shops of other automakers. Almost every automaker bringing out a new SUV for the 2024 model year has leaned into boxy, chunky, rugged design themes. Mazda went the other way. The CX-90’s lines say tailored and sophisticated. Showing up to the party underdressed is embarrassing. Showing up overdressed is a power move. The CX-90 made the power move.
Elegant interior styling: That dressy theme continues when you open the door. The CX-90’s cabin feels pricier than the typical family SUV. Light-colored wood trims with lovely straight grain patterns and dashboard stitching drawn from traditional Japanese bookbinding techniques make it feel more considered than the Pilot’s cabin.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the CX-90 models for sale near you.
Similarities
Just five horsepower separates them. They have identical warranties, and both get 25 mpg in combined driving
Conclusion
2024 is a good year for SUV design. The two newest entries in the affordable midsize class show it.
The Honda Pilot keeps its flexible family nature but brings a handsome new look and real off-road chops to the contest. It offers more cargo space, and is available at a lower price.
The Mazda CX-90 is trying an entirely different approach. It looks more sophisticated, with elegant Euro-luxe lines and an upscale cabin. Its standard inline-6-cylinder engine and rear-biased AWD system give it a more refined driving feel, too. But its price reflects its move uptown and won’t be worth it for some.
Specifications
| 2024 Honda Pilot | 2024 Mazda CX-90 | |
| Starting Price | $37,090 | $39,595 |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 3.5-liter V6 | 3.3-liter turbo inline-6 |
| Horsepower | 285 hp @ 6,100 rpm | 280 hp @ 5,000 rpm |
| Torque | 262 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm | 332 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm |
| Transmission | 10-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| Fuel Economy | 24 city/28 hwy/25 combined mpg | 24 city/28 highway/25 combined mpg |
| Max Towing | 5,000 pounds (with AWD) | 5,000 pounds |
| Also Available | AWD | Higher output turbo model; Plug-in hybrid |
| Specs | ||
| Basic Warranty | 3 years/36,000 miles | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety | TBD | TBD |
| Max Seating Capacity | 8 | 8 |
| Wheelbase | 113.8 inches | 122.8 inches |
| Overall Length | 199.9 inches | 201.6 inches |
| Width | 78.5 inches | 84.9 inches |
| Height | 71.0 inches | 68.2 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 37.8 feet | 38.1 feet |
| Headroom, 1st Row | 40.5 inches | 39.7 inches |
| Headroom, 2nd Row | 40.2 inches | 39.3 inches |
| Headroom, 3rd Row | 39.3 inches | 36.9 inches |
| Legroom, 1st Row | 41.0 inches | 41.7 inches |
| Legroom, 2nd Row | 40.8 inches | 39.4 inches |
| Legroom, 3rd Row | 32.5 inches | 30.4 inches |
| Shoulder Room, 1st Row | 61.9 inches | 57.2 inches |
| Shoulder Room, 2nd Row | 61.7 inches | 58.1 inches |
| Shoulder Room, 3rd Row | 59.5 inches | 53.3 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 18.6/48.5/87.0 cubic feet | 14.9/40.0/74.2 cubic feet |
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