2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E vs 2025 Mazda CX-90

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E retained its distinctive and sharp styling, with an aggressive front fascia and a sloping profile that maintained its crossover proportions. The tri-bar tail lights, a hallmark of the Mustang nameplate, were refreshed to match the signature lighting of the seventh-generation Ford Mustang. The new Rally trim emerged as the top-of-the-line model, featuring unique styling cues such as LED fog lamps integrated into the grille, a black roof, and a distinctive front splitter and rear spoiler painted in Dark Carbonized Gray. The Oxford White 19-inch wheels were particularly eye-catching, drawing inspiration from rally racing. The GT trim offered 20-inch wheels with various finishes, including a new Bronze Appearance Package exclusive to the GT, which added a Sinister Bronze paint option.

Inside, the 2024 Mustang Mach-E continued with its minimalist dash design, featuring a large central touchscreen and a narrow screen above the steering wheel. The Ford Performance front seats, with their enhanced bolstering, became standard on the GT trim and carried over to the Rally trim, where they featured Oxford White plastic trim. This interior design choice contributed to a futuristic, spaceship-like aesthetic.

The 2025 Mazda CX-90, available in three variants—3.3 Turbo, 3.3 Turbo S, and PHEV—offered a luxurious appearance with lustrous paint, polished chrome trim, and intricate 21-inch wheels. Its sculptural sheet metal created a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, while the short front overhang and long hood contributed to an athletic stance. Inside, the CX-90's interior exuded elegance with polished metallic trim, Nappa leather upholstery, and clearly marked switchgear. However, some materials reflected its competitive pricing, and ergonomic issues, such as a confusing electronic shifter and counterintuitive climate controls, detracted from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the CX-90 maintained a sophisticated look and feel compared to other midsize three-row crossover SUVs.

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E continued to prioritize a sporty driving experience, with a firm ride quality that leaned more towards sports car dynamics than crossover comfort. The GT trim featured a MagneRide damping system, allowing for drive mode adjustments, and the GT Performance Upgrade package increased torque output to 700 lb-ft, maintaining 480 horsepower. This translated to impressive acceleration, with a zero-to-60-mph time of 3.3 seconds. The Mach-E GT and Rally trims came standard with all-wheel drive, Brembo front brake calipers, and a 1-inch lift for the Rally trim, enhancing its off-road capabilities. The Mach-E's range varied by trim, with the base model offering 250 miles, the Premium trim reaching 320 miles, and the GT and Rally trims providing 280 and 265 miles, respectively. Ford also improved the DC fast-charging experience, reducing charging times by about 20%.

The 2025 Mazda CX-90's performance was somewhat marred by drivetrain refinement issues. The turbocharged 3.3-liter inline-six engine, producing 280 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque in the 3.3 Turbo models, offered respectable power. The 3.3 Turbo S variant delivered 319 hp and 369 lb-ft, with an option for 340 hp using premium gas. The power was channeled through an eight-speed automatic transmission and a standard all-wheel-drive system, which biased power to the rear wheels for improved dynamics. The CX-90's maximum towing capacity was 5,000 pounds, and it featured an i-Stop function to enhance fuel economy. However, drivetrain refinement issues, such as unpredictable power delivery and transmission behavior, detracted from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, the CX-90 offered impressive ride and handling, with a firm suspension that provided excellent road feedback.

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E excelled in interior space, offering 34.1 cubic feet of cargo space, with 29.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats and a drainable frunk for additional storage. Folding the rear seats expanded the cargo space to 59.7 cubic feet. The driver and front passenger enjoyed 38.9 inches of headroom, while back-seat passengers had 38.2 inches, increasing to 40.4 and 39.3 inches, respectively, with the panoramic glass roof. Legroom measured 43.3 inches in the front and 38.1 inches in the rear. The driver’s seat was power-adjustable in every trim, with eight-way adjustability for the base trim and 10-way for higher trims. ActiveX seating surfaces were standard, with Miko inserts and performance-inspired perforation adding a touch of luxury.

The 2025 Mazda CX-90's interior, despite its luxurious appearance, faced challenges with its three-zone climate control system, which struggled to cool the cabin efficiently. In the 3.3 Turbo Premium Plus trim, the CX-90 featured Nappa leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, and heated second-row captain’s chairs. The panoramic sunroof provided ample natural light, and second-row passengers enjoyed elevated seating positions. However, the CX-90's long rear doors, while facilitating third-row access, posed challenges in tight spaces. The third row was best suited for children, and the lack of storage space on and under the center console was a drawback. The hands-free power liftgate revealed 14.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 40 cubic feet with the third row folded and 74.2 cubic feet with the second row flattened.

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E came standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, featuring the latest version 4A of Ford’s SYNC infotainment software. The 15.5-inch, portrait-oriented touchscreen housed climate and temperature controls, with a single hard control for stereo volume and power. Ford’s Intelligent Range system, a cloud-based feature, provided real-time range updates, considering factors like temperature, terrain, and traffic. However, the user experience with screen-based controls required improvement, particularly in navigation scenarios.

The 2025 Mazda CX-90's dashboard featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, presented in a traditional manner. The infotainment screen was touch-sensitive only when using wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, with the native Mazda Connect platform requiring knob and button controls. Mazda's voice recognition system fell short of modern expectations, and the lack of a conversational digital voice assistant was a drawback. The test vehicle included a 12-speaker Bose audio system and Mazda’s Active Driving Display, providing a rewarding listening experience and helpful data.

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E offered BlueCruise 1.3, Ford’s hands-free highway-driving assist software, available on all trims with a 90-day trial. The Ford CoPilot 360 suite included advanced driver-assistance technologies such as blind-spot information, pre-collision assist, and adaptive cruise control. The 2023 Mach-E earned a Top Safety Pick Award from the IIHS, with the 2024 model receiving similar ratings. The NHTSA awarded five-star ratings in side crash and rollover testing.

The 2025 Mazda CX-90 was one of the few midsize, three-row SUVs to receive a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS. The CX-90 PHEV earned five-star ratings in all NHTSA crash tests, with gas-only models receiving four-star ratings in frontal-impact testing. Standard safety features included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring. Higher trims added features like steering assist, emergency lane-keeping assist, and a surround-view camera system. The CX-90's driver aids generally met expectations, though the speed reduction feature was irritating.