2024 Mazda CX-90 vs 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 was a testament to Mazda's ambition to elevate its brand into the luxury segment. It borrowed the elegant design language from its smaller siblings, the CX-30 and CX-5, and expanded it into a more imposing form. The SUV stretched over 200 inches, featuring a prominent grille, wide-set front end, and large wheels that ranged from 19 to 21 inches, all of which commanded attention. The tasteful chrome trim added a touch of elegance, making the CX-90 stand out despite its size. Inside, the top-tier models boasted interiors that rivaled luxury brands, with brown suede upholstery, wood inlays, and matte black plastic bits that exuded sophistication. The CX-90 offered 11 different trim levels across three powertrains, catering to a wide range of preferences and budgets.

In contrast, the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser embraced a more traditional and utilitarian design. The base model, known as the 1958, paid homage to its roots with a retro look, featuring round headlights and basic equipment. The more modern Land Cruiser trim offered a sophisticated appearance with larger screens and upscale interior options. The Premium Package added leather upholstery, a sunroof, and advanced off-roading features. The Land Cruiser's design maximized off-road capabilities, with a two-box SUV design, dark gray cladding, and a high roof load rating. While the interior was utilitarian, it provided comfort and technological advancements, making it a capable and practical choice for both daily driving and off-road adventures.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 introduced two new powertrains, including a plug-in hybrid option and an all-new turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine. The base turbo I6 delivered 280 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, while the upgraded Turbo S version produced 340 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque with premium fuel. All models came with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The CX-90 offered three driving modes: Normal, Sport, and Off-Road, with noticeable differences in behavior between Normal and Sport modes. The PHEV model combined a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with a 17.8-kWh battery and a 68-kW electric motor, producing 323 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. It offered an all-electric driving range of 26 miles and an EPA-estimated 56 MPGe in combined driving. The CX-90 excelled in handling, with a double-wishbone front suspension and agile cornering capabilities.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser featured Toyota's i-Force Max hybrid system, combining a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It produced 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, with a full-time four-wheel-drive system and electronic locking differentials. The Land Cruiser had a maximum towing capacity of 6,000 pounds and included off-roading features like Downhill Assist Control and Crawl Control. However, its real-world fuel economy fell short of the EPA's 23 mpg estimate, achieving only 15.7 mpg during testing. The Land Cruiser excelled in off-road capabilities, with features like Multi-Terrain Select, Multi-Terrain Monitor, and a front stabilizer bar disconnect. While it handled daily driving well, it struggled on twisty roads due to its suspension tuning and tires.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 offered a range of seating configurations, with lower-level trims accommodating up to eight passengers and mid-level trims featuring captain's chairs. The Turbo S models had a two-seat configuration in the third row, providing slightly more cargo space. Total cargo capacity measured 75.2 cubic feet in models with the two-seater third row, with 15.9 cubic feet behind the third row and 40.1 cubic feet behind the second. The CX-90's interior featured clever storage options, comfortable seats, and a panoramic sunroof, though it fell short in cargo capacity compared to some competitors.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser upgraded from cloth upholstery to SofTex artificial leather in the Land Cruiser trim, with heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Premium Package added real leather and a power sunroof. While the front seats were comfortable, the second-row seats lacked thigh support and had an uncomfortable backrest angle. The Land Cruiser offered 46.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, with a maximum capacity of 82.1 cubic feet. However, the high load floor height made loading heavy items challenging. The rear window design and center console's cool box were noted as areas for improvement.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 prioritized safety by eliminating distractions with its Mazda Connect infotainment system, which used hard buttons and a rotary control knob instead of a touchscreen. While the intention was to reduce distractions, the system's quirks and idiosyncrasies often led to frustration. However, the CX-90 offered personalization software that adjusted settings based on facial recognition, and it came standard with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with touchscreen controls for these systems.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser featured a more sophisticated infotainment system with two 12.3-inch displays, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and access to Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts. The Premium Package added a 14-speaker JBL sound system, a wireless smartphone charger, a head-up display, and digital key technology. The Drive Connect system provided cloud-based navigation and a conversational digital assistant, which performed well in voice recognition tests.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 came standard with i-Activsense, Mazda's suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). It included features like blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist. The top-spec CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus also had cruising and traffic support, providing a hands-on driver support system. While crash-test ratings were not yet available, the CX-90 was expected to perform well based on the accolades received by the previous CX-9 model.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser included Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0), which offered a comprehensive set of ADAS features. It included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-centering assist. The adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist provided a semi-autonomous highway driving aid. However, the system's performance varied, with some features requiring manual overrides. The Land Cruiser received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in side-impact testing but a three-star rollover resistance rating.