Summary:
- The Mazda CX-90 packs a 3.3L Turbo Inline 6 with up to 340 horsepower, standard i-Activ AWD, and up to 5,000 pounds of towing capability.
- Toyota's Highlander lineup seats up to eight and leans on Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+, with hybrid grades rated at an estimated 35 MPG city.
- The CX-90 earned a 2026 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ award and a 5-Star Overall Safety Rating from NHTSA. Find yours at Koeppel Mazda.
- You can buy the Mazda CX-90 for sale (and its hybrid variant!) in Queens, NY at Koeppel Mazda!
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Also Read: Going Electric in Queens? Here's Why Mazda Makes It Easy
Every family in Queens knows the drill. You need three rows, real cargo room, and something that can survive the BQE on a Tuesday and a trip upstate on Saturday. Two names keep coming up in that search: the Mazda CX-90 vs Toyota Grand Highlander. Both are three-row SUVs. Both seat up to eight. Only one of them makes you actually want to take the long way home.
We put the facts from each automaker's official pages next to each other so you can see exactly where these two separate. Spoiler alert: the Mazda CX-90 keeps winning categories.
How Much Power Does the Mazda CX-90 Have Compared to the Toyota Highlander?
The Mazda CX-90 runs an e-SKYACTIV G 3.3L Inline 6 Turbocharged engine paired with a SKYACTIV-Drive 8-Speed Automatic Transmission on every model. The 3.3 Turbo versions produce up to 280 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. Step up to a 3.3 Turbo S model and you get up to 340 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque on recommended premium fuel.
Toyota positions the Highlander as the SUV with "the power to explore," and its gas grades carry estimated fuel economy ratings of 22 city and 29 highway MPG, with the sportier XSE rated at 21 city and 28 highway.
Here's the thing. Merging onto the Grand Central Parkway from a short on-ramp is a daily reality around here, and a turbocharged inline 6 sending up to 340 horses through all four wheels turns that stressful moment into a non-event. The CX-90 gives you genuine muscle in a family package, and that is the kind of advantage you feel every single day. Round one goes to Mazda.
Which SUV Handles New York Roads Better?
The Mazda CX-90 comes standard with i-Activ AWD on every trim. This system is always engaged, proactively monitoring real-time vehicle dynamics and adjusting torque distribution before a wheel ever slips. Add Kinematic Posture Control, which helps minimize body roll and sharpens cornering feel, plus Mi-Drive with Normal, Sport, Off-Road, and available Towing modes, and you have a big SUV that drives smaller than it is.
Toyota equips the Highlander XSE with a sport-tuned independent MacPherson strut front suspension with a stabilizer bar and trailing-wishbone rear suspension. That is a nice setup on one specific grade.
The difference matters. Mazda bakes its handling hardware and standard AWD into the entire CX-90 lineup rather than reserving the fun for a single trim. On a snowy February morning in Astoria or a rain-soaked Van Wyck, standard all-wheel traction on every model is a win you can measure. Mazda takes this one, too.
Can the Mazda CX-90 Tow More Than the Highlander?
The Mazda CX-90 tows up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped with a Genuine Mazda hitch and available Towing mode activated. Depending on the model, towing capability ranges from 3,500 to 5,000 pounds.
Toyota's Highlander page highlights adventure and flexible storage, and it lists an available front and rear parking assist with automatic braking among its spec callouts.
If a boat on Long Island, a small camper, or a weekend trailer is part of your life, the CX-90 publishes the number that matters and it is a big one. Five thousand pounds of towing muscle from a three-row family SUV is a serious flex. Advantage: Mazda CX-90.
Which Three-Row SUV Is Safer?
This category deserves your full attention, so here are the facts.
The 2026 Mazda CX-90 earned a 2026 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ award. It also earned a 5-Star Overall Safety Rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Standard equipment on every CX-90 includes Smart Brake Support, Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane-keep Assist, Rear Seat Alert, and Vehicle Exit Warning, which can detect vehicles or bicycles approaching from behind and warn exiting passengers. That last one is basically made for street parking in Queens.
The i-Activsense suite goes deeper with available features such as:
Smart Brake Support Front Crossing, which can apply emergency braking at intersections when cross traffic is detected
A 360° View Monitor with See-Through View that makes the vehicle appear transparent on screen
Driver Monitoring that watches for drowsiness and inattention
Cruising & Traffic Support with lane centering from 0 mph up to highway speeds
The Toyota Highlander comes with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ and makes front and rear parking assist with automatic braking available, along with an available Panoramic View Monitor.
Toyota's package is respectable. Mazda's results speak louder. An IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ award and a 5-Star NHTSA rating on the same vehicle, plus a standard alert designed for cyclists passing your parked car, make the Mazda CX-90 the clear safety champion here.
Who Wins on Interior Space and Comfort?
Both SUVs seat up to eight passengers across three rows, so the tie gets broken on the details.
The Mazda CX-90 is the largest SUV in the Mazda lineup, with a second-row bench or available captain's chairs with a center console. Cargo volume starts at 14.9 cu ft with every seat upright, grows to 40.0 cu ft with the third row folded, and opens up to 74.2 cu ft with the second and third rows down. Available Nappa leather-trimmed seats, ventilated front and second-row seating, an available Panoramic Moonroof, and an available Bose sound system refined over a 30-year partnership round out a cabin Mazda deliberately engineered to stay quiet and harmonious.
The Highlander counters with SofTex-trimmed seats on XLE, leather-trimmed front and second-row seats with heating and ventilation on Limited, an available 11-speaker JBL system, and a panoramic glass roof reserved for the Platinum grade.
Toyota's cabin checks boxes. Mazda's cabin feels like a decision. Nappa leather, captain's chairs with their own console, and a sound system tuned specifically to conceal road noise give the CX-90 a genuinely premium character. Even third-row passengers get USB-C charging on select models, so nobody arrives at Grandma's house at 4 percent battery. Mazda wins the comfort war.
How Does the Tech Compare?
Every Mazda CX-90 includes Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay integration, and Android Auto integration as standard. The Mazda Connect infotainment system and Mazda Connected Services add vehicle status checks, Remote Engine Start through the MyMazda app, roadside assistance access, and voice command, with a one-year trial subscription included on every new Mazda.
The Highlander starts with an 8-in. Toyota Audio Multimedia screen and six speakers on LE, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. A 12.3-in. touchscreen and a 12.3-in. digital gauge cluster become available on upper grades, along with a 10-in. Head-Up Display on Platinum.
Both do the smartphone basics well. Mazda pairs its tech with the available 360° View Monitor with See-Through View and Trailer Hitch View, a feature that makes parallel parking on a tight Jackson Heights block feel almost unfair. Warming up your CX-90 from your kitchen on a January morning through the MyMazda app is a nice bonus, too. Edge: Mazda.
What About Fuel Economy and Hybrid Options?
Credit where it is due. The Highlander Hybrid grades post an estimated 35 city MPG, and the gas CX-90 posts EPA-estimated figures of 23 city and 28 highway with 25 combined.
Now look at what Mazda built for electrified driving. The Mazda CX-90 PHEV delivers 323 total horsepower on premium fuel, an EPA-estimated 56 MPGe combined, and a flexible 26-mile electric range. That means many Queens errand runs, school drops, and bodega loops can happen on electricity alone, with the gas engine ready for the longer haul to the Catskills.
A hybrid saves fuel. A plug-in hybrid with 323 horsepower saves fuel and still shoves you back in your seat. The CX-90 PHEV gives you electric-only capability the Highlander Hybrid simply does not match, and it does it with muscle. Mazda closes out the scorecard with another win.
Why Do Queens Drivers Keep Choosing the Mazda CX-90?
Tally it up. The Mazda CX-90 vs Toyota Grand Highlander comparison comes down to a turbocharged inline 6 with up to 340 horsepower against a lineup built around efficiency ratings. Standard i-Activ AWD on every trim against grade-dependent equipment. Up to 5,000 pounds of towing. A 2026 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ award paired with a 5-Star NHTSA rating. Nappa leather, captain's chairs, Bose sound, and a plug-in hybrid that runs on electrons around the neighborhood.
The Highlander is a familiar face. The Mazda CX-90 is the upgrade your driveway has been waiting for.
Where Can You Buy the Mazda CX-90 for Sale in Queens, NY?
You can buy the Mazda CX-90 for sale in Queens, NY at Koeppel Mazda, with the full range of trims from the 3.3 Turbo Select up to the 3.3 Turbo S Premium Plus. Our team lives on the same streets you do, so we know exactly why standard AWD, Vehicle Exit Warning, and a See-Through View camera matter in this borough.
Want it brand new? Check our new inventory and claim your CX-90 before someone else in the neighborhood does. Want serious value? Our used inventory is loaded with vehicles our team personally vetted. Want the best of both? Our certified pre-owned inventory features Mazdas that passed rigorous inspection standards.
Reading about 340 horsepower is one thing. Feeling it on the Grand Central is another. Come take the wheel, and bring the whole family, because they get a vote on those captain's chairs.
The Mazda CX-90 vs Toyota Grand Highlander debate ends the moment you turn the key. Visit Koeppel Mazda and settle it in person.
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