Nice Drives: 2024 Mazda CX-90 S Premium Plus vs 2025 Honda Pilot AWD Black Edition

Honda and Mazda each have a compelling take on 3-row crossovers, though they are quite different. Which is better realized?

Stylistically, Honda has bounced back and forth between smoother and boxier bodies for the MDX with each generation. Sometimes the timing has worked against them, as when the second generation, big and brick-like, was not as well received. But not this time; the fourth generation’s tough, blocky forms are aligned with the zeitgeist. The Black Edition is the new top model and its murdered-out look gives the Honda some added chutzpah while also minimizing the dreaded magnesium chloride damage that affects plastic chrome trim. Inside it is sensible and very practical, and material quality is decent, though many plastic moldings look cheaper than they really are. The use of screens and controls that are quite at home in the less expensive CR–V and Accord seem low-rent here in the Pilot, though.

Aesthetically the Mazda goes the other way, taught and rounded, with lots of adornment on upper trim levels. It has a great stance and the long hood emphasizes that its engine is placed longitudinally like a BMW. But means there is less room inside, despite the Mazda being two inches longer than the Honda. The CX-90’s interior appears much more upscale at first glance, though actual material quality is close to the Pilot. Screens are big and bright, but they are placed farther from the driver and often need to be navigated with the rotary controller.

The Mazda infotainment menus are less logical, too.

The Pilot has more room for cargo and people; this should come as no surprise, based on its shape. The Mazda’s third row is surprisingly comfortable, but legroom is tight, even with the middle row slid forward. Top models of both offer the expected amenities. The Mazda upper trims come only with center-row buckets. Honda, however, offers a removable and stowable center seat for that second row, giving it more versatility.

The CX-90 comes with three different powertrains; the plugin hybrid we’ve talked about in a review of the CX-70, its two-row stablemate. Its 3.3-liter gasoline engine option comes in two outputs: 280hp/332lb-ft and 340hp/39lb-ft for the S. These are inline units (like a BMW or Mercedes) and are very efficient, returning amazing real-world highway fuel economy; 28 or even 30mpg are not unusual to see with the cruise control in use. The Mazda is also quick, hitting 60mph in just under five seconds. The company developed its own eight-speed transmission for the CX-90 and it can be controlled with paddle shifters. However, the shift lever itself is poorly designed and feels cheap. Honda too had to reinvent a control we were all familiar with, replacing the trad shifter with a bunch of buttons that take up the same amount of space and whose use often requires a glance at them to remember where the buttons are, instead of going by feel.

The Pilot’s 3.5-liter V6 lacks turbocharging. It has only 285hp and its 262lb-ft of torque is delivered at a high, 5000rpm. This deficit is noticeable here at altitude. Even at sea level, it is over one second slower to 60mph. Its in-house 10-speed automatic does what it can to make up for the relative lack of oomph, and in Sport mode is commendably responsive. The Honda has somewhat vague but well-weighted steering (the Mazda’s is too heavy for some) and rides better than the Mazda, which is upset by rough pavement. This is a real shame, since its predecessor, the CX-9, had chassis tuning to rival the best in the world—and was quieter than the CX-90. The Honda is as quiet as the current Mazda, something that could not be said before. Both rigs can comfortably tow up to 5,000 pounds.

It is disappointing that Mazda leaned so far into the sporty meme while tuning the CX-90. Underneath it has a very sophisticated chassis, but its stiff ride undermines its premium aspirations. That said, it is fast, frugal, well-made and stylish. It rivals the Acura MDX and beats the Infiniti QX60, for thousands and thousands less. It feels Lexus-special in many ways, though it’s not as luxurious to drive.

The Pilot hues to the virtues that have made Honda so successful: practicality and lack of pretense. And the lifted, TrailSport model is decent off-road. But the Black Edition lacks a convincing powertrain for high-altitude use and its interior never feels special. In the final analysis, each is quite close to realizing their respective design and engineering briefs, and are better than most rivals. The Pilot works best in a lower trim or as the TrailSport. The Mazda handily out-premiums most of its competition but comes up slightly short in all-around competence compared to the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy and Kia Telluride SX-Premium.

​​​​HONDA

EPA Ratings:​​​ 19/25/21 mpg​​

0-60mph: ​​​6.9 sec

Price as tested:​​ $56,485

Rating: ​​​3.5 Stars​​

MAZDA

EPA Ratings:​​​​​23/28/25 mpg

0-60mph: ​​​5.9 sec

Price as tested:​​ ​​$58,500

Rating: ​​3.5 Stars