2024 Mazda CX-90 vs 2025 Dodge Durango

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 presented a bold step towards luxury, challenging traditional high-end brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Mazda's design and material quality surpassed its Japanese competitors, aligning more closely with luxury brands such as Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus. The CX-90's exterior was an elegant expansion of Mazda's design language, featuring a commanding presence with its large grille, wide front end, and substantial wheels. Inside, the top-tier models offered interiors that rivaled luxury vehicles, with brown suede upholstery, wood inlays, and matte black plastic, creating a sophisticated atmosphere.

In contrast, the 2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, especially with the Silver Bullet special edition package, exuded a more aggressive and expressive look. The satin black hood, unique wheels, and dark badges added visual flair. Inside, the Durango maintained a subdued yet premium feel with dark red Nappa leather seats and a suede headliner. Despite the upscale touches, some plastic surfaces detracted from the overall luxury feel, especially given the high price point of the Hellcat model.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 introduced two new powertrains, including a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and a turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine. The Turbo S variant delivered 340 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, offering a thrilling exhaust note and agile handling. The PHEV model combined a 2.5-liter engine with an electric motor, producing 323 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, with an all-electric range of 26 miles. Both models featured all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission, with driving modes that enhanced performance and handling.

The 2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat boasted a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine, producing 710 horsepower and 645 lb-ft of torque. It accelerated to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and had a top speed of 180 mph. Despite its power, the Durango's fuel economy was a drawback, rated at 12/17/13 mpg. The Hellcat's performance was supported by a full-time AWD system, adaptive damping suspension, and Brembo brakes, making it feel track-ready and capable of handling challenging roads with ease.

The Mazda CX-90 offered various seating configurations, accommodating up to eight passengers. Cargo space varied slightly depending on the seating arrangement, with a maximum of 75.2 cubic feet. The interior featured ample storage options, comfortable seating, and high-quality materials, though it fell short in cargo capacity compared to some competitors.

The Dodge Durango excelled in interior space and functionality, with heated and ventilated front seats and a spacious second row. The third row provided adequate room for adults, and the cargo area offered 17.2 cubic feet, expandable to 85.1 cubic feet. The Durango included thoughtful features like rear climate controls, USB ports, and a power liftgate, enhancing its practicality.

Mazda's CX-90 focused on reducing distractions with its non-touchscreen Mazda Connect system, using a rotary control knob and hard buttons. While the intention was to enhance safety, the system's complexity could be distracting. However, the CX-90 offered personalization features and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with touchscreen controls for these systems.

The Dodge Durango featured the Uconnect 5 infotainment system with a 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a Harman Kardon audio system. The system supported various connectivity options and included SRT Performance Pages for tracking performance metrics, adding a unique touch to the Hellcat model.

The Mazda CX-90 came equipped with the i-Activsense suite of safety features, including blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assist. Although not yet crash-tested, it was expected to perform well based on previous models' ratings.

The Dodge Durango's safety features were more basic, with standard forward-collision warning and blind-spot monitoring. Its crash-test ratings were less impressive, with a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA and concerning results from the IIHS.