Toyota Highlander vs. Mazda CX-9: Which SUV Comes Out on Top?

As two popular midsize SUVs, the Toyota Highlander and Mazda CX-9 offer a range of features and capabilities. Before choosing the model that is right for you, let’s take an in-depth look at the two models and compare them using a variety of factors, including performance, features, interior space, cargo space, and overall value. Additionally, we examine how each SUV stacks up against the other in terms of safety ratings and reliability, two important considerations when choosing a family vehicle.

Introduction

Both individuals and families in the market for a three-row, mid-size SUV are sure to compare the Toyota Highlander vs. the Mazda CX-9. Both vehicles are offered by well-known manufacturers at an affordable price and include the types of features, from safety to technology, that place them at the top of the mid-size crossover field. However, despite their broad similarities, the two SUVs feature some important differences that are worth noting.

What to Consider When Comparing the Toyota Highlander and Mazda CX-9

Regardless of the vehicle you want to buy, you are sure to consider certain important elements, such as size and price. However, when it comes to the midsize crossover field, a few additional features are especially notable in the debate between the Toyota Highlander vs. the Mazda CX-9. These features include each vehicle’s performance, cargo and interior space, style, technology, and safety offerings.

Performance Comparison of the Toyota Highlander and Mazda CX-9

Comparing the performance of the Toyota Highlander vs. Mazda CX-9 involves drilling down into some specific categories, including engine size and power, along with handling and suspension.

Engine and Transmission Comparison

In a strictly numbers-based comparison, the Toyota Highlander offers a larger engine, providing buyers with two options: (1) a 2.4-liter turbo-charged inline engine with 265 horsepower (hp) or (2) a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine with 243 hp. By contrast, the Mazda CX-9 offers the same 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with 227 hp on all its trim levels; however, drivers who use 93-octane fuel can get up to 250 hp in return.

On the flip side, when it comes to transmission performance, the CX-9 definitely has the Highlander beat by offering all-wheel drive (AWD) as a standard feature. While AWD is available for the Highlander, front-wheel transmission is the standard, so buyers will pay more for AWD.

Handling and Suspension Comparison

As for suspension and handling, Mazda has spent years perfecting the driving experience for its entire fleet, which is apparent in the CX-9. As AutoTrader.com points out, “Mazdas have a reptation for being driver’s cars.” By utilizing the philosophy of Jinba Ittai, or the unity of rider and horse, Mazda has carefully considered how it designs its cars to ensure they are smooth, easy, and fun to drive. In particular, the CX-9 includes responsive steering, conscious placement of gears and knobs, and a well-tuned suspension that makes driving natural and fun.

As for the Highlander, its handling is far more standard, although that can be enhanced somewhat with the purchase of an AWD model. Car and Driver labeled the 2023 Highlander’s handling as “bland but stable.”

Interior and Exterior Comparison of the Toyota Highlander and Mazda CX-9

While driving experience matters quite a bit, only one person really enjoys that experience at one time. On the other hand, the interior and exterior style and comfort affect many more people, especially in larger family vehicles that seat seven to eight people, such as the Highlander and CX-9. Let’s take a look at how that design and styling compare.

Design and Style Comparison

Design and style are another cornerstone of the Mazda design philosophy. Every one of its models, including the largest CX-9, starts as a hand-carved replica so that the look and feel of the vehicle’s exterior is natural, smooth, and intensely human. Mazda designed the CX-9’s clean lines to absorb light and shadow in order to reflect the beauty that surrounds it.

Inside, Mazda continues to focus on the feeling of luxury. What feels like stylish upgrades are actually standard features, such as a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob along with a power-adjustable driver’s seat. It also boasts a 10.25-inch touchscreen display.

The Highlander delivers a more standard style experience that still covers all the basics. Its exterior look is a bit boxier than the CX-9, with more of a traditional SUV profile. Inside, the Highlander has a more tech-heavy presence with a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen display along with other upgraded features on higher level trims, including leather-trimmed accessories and power seats.

Space and Comfort Comparison

Both the Toyota Highlander and Mazda CX-9 offer buyers the choice between eight-seat models and seven-seat models with captain’s chairs in the second row and a walk-through to the third. The Mazda also offers an optional two-seat third row, which provides riders in that back seat with a bit more personal space.

The legroom is similar between the two models, with 41 inches of legroom in the second row of the Highlander and 39.4 inches in the CX-9. As for the third row, the CX-9 offers slightly more — 29.7 inches of legroom in the third row of the CX-9 vs. the 27.7 inches of legroom in the third row of the Highlander. The maximum cargo capacity is slightly larger in the Highlander, topping out at 84.3 cubic feet, compared to 75.2 cubic feet in the 2024 Mazda CX-9.

Technology and Safety Features Comparison of the Toyota Highlander and Mazda CX-9

Finally, the technology and safety features of each of these vehicles are also important, especially for busy families who spend a lot of time in their cars running back and forth for errands and events. As with performance and interior, both the Mazda CX-9 and the Toyota Highlander hit the basics, but some areas stand out above the other in the crowd.

Infotainment and Connectivity Comparison

As family vehicles, both the Toyota Highlander and Mazda CX-9 offer all the entertainment standards, including Apple CarPlay/Android Auto integration, HD and satellite radio, and Bluetooth connectivity. Other technology features, such as three-zone climate control, also come as standard on both vehicles.

Higher trim levels of both vehicles offer buyers some unique technology and entertainment features. For example, through its long-standing partnership with Bose®, Mazda offers a custom-designed 12-speaker entertainment system in its Turbo Premium model and higher trims. These options also feature the Mazda navigation system and wireless phone chargers. The Highlander’s biggest tech upgrade is the 12.3-inch multimedia system.

Safety Features Comparison

Family vehicles need to provide top-line safety features, and this is certainly obvious with both the CX-9 and the Highlander. Both vehicles earned Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick designation for the 2023 model year.

In the Highlander, the features that led to such an accolade include its Toyota Safet Sense (TSS) 2.5+, which includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian warning, lane departure warnings, and range-dynamic radar cruise control. As for the CX-9, its safety features include dynamic stability control, blind spot monitoring, rear traffic alert, and lane departure warnings with lane keep assist.

What Experts Are Saying About the Toyota Highlander and Mazda CX-9

Both the Highlander and the CX-9 have earned praise from reviewers for their safety and reliability in a competitive mid-size crossover SUV market. The Highlander, for example, received an 8/10-star rating from Car and Driver. Similarly, the CX-9 earned 8.5 stars. U.S. News ranks the Highlander #14 in the mid-size SUV category and ranks the Mazda CX-9 #3.

Conclusion

Choosing the right mid-size SUV for your needs is about weighing a variety of options, from size and handling to style and technology. For many buyers, both the Toyota Highlander and the Mazda CX-9 offer a strong case, but there are clear differences between these two popular models, and the best way to really figure out which one is the right vehicle for you is to drive it.

Test Drive the Mazda CX-9 at DePaula Mazda in Albany, NY, Today!

At DePaula Mazda in Albany, NY, we love nothing more than helping customers discover what makes the Mazda CX-9, as well as our other models, stand out from every crowd. Stop by the showroom today for a test drive and learn more about the CX-9 and why it should be your next vehicle.