Mazda CX-90 Turbo Premium Plus vs Honda Pilot Elite

[Trip CX90]

What do you think? Mazda CX-90 Turbo Premium Plus vs Honda Pilot Elite…

i’ve been anxiously awaiting the Mazda, especially the high output turbo version but feature packaging and color combinations have me looking at the base turbo engine. At that price point, ~ $54K USD, the new Pilot Elite has caught my attention.

Drivetrain
CX90, inline 6 + 8sp auto, RWD biased AWD, 280hp / 332torque
Pilot, New V6 + 10sp auto, AWD w/ rear torque vectoring and up to 75% power to rear, 285hp / 262torque

Driving reviews for the Mazda are not out yet, but the limited comments have been favorable (embargo on detailed reviews yet). I’m sure overall with its double wishbone suspension and Kinematic Posture Control the handling will be amazing. But the reviews I’ve read of the Pilot have been been pretty amazing as well. The rear wheel torque vectoring seems to be really good. I was watching a savagegeese review and from a stand still, they would turn the steering wheel at an intersection and hit the gas. The car didn’t spin its wheels and just hooked up and went. The iVTM seemed to do a good job at using the rear wheels to enhance performance. Looks pretty promising.

Styling
Always subjective. I like the Mazda but the lines on the new Pilot are really good, especially at the front. Long, tall hood, and more of a rugged truck like appearance. Ironically, I think I like it because it reminds me more of the Mazda CX 50 than anything. I was hoping the CX 90 would have more of the squared off lines that the 50 does. No doubt the Mazda interior will be a class above in quality with a much more upscale look. I like that you can get the Pilot interior with black or brown leather. Not quite as refined looking as the Mazda but it’s not bad. I would cough up the $60K+ for the Turbo S but the Prem Plus light and tan/orange interiors are a deal breaker. The Pilot offers perforated gray, black, or brown depending on the exterior color.

Availability for both models is limited right now. There are some Pilots out there but not a ton. Looking forward to driving both.

Features
They both have full digital instrument cluster, heated seats front and rear, front ventilated, Bose Centerpoint, pano roof, HUD, 360 cameras and more. The Pilot adds outside dimming mirrors and 8 passenger seating. And the Pilot has a neat hat trick to change the rear bench into two captains chairs. Plus overall space and storage is better that’s what grew in the Pilot. Hasn’t been an issue for me in my current CX 9 but would be a bonus. Pilot also has remote start **on the key fob**.

 

[sm1ke]

I feel like you've got a good handle on what both cars offer, so it would come down to styling and whatever your priorities are (utility vs. driving experience). It seems to be a lot like how the CX-9 compared to others in it's first couple of years.

Personally, I'd probably go with the CX-90. It's got enough utility for my needs, and the extra 70tq should make it a lot more responsive in the city, especially since it's only 50lbs heavier than the Pilot.

 

[youri]

Fuel economy will also be better on the CX-90. We will have to wait for kore test drive report today, but i expect it will be (as always) Pilot for the extra space and utility, CX-90 for the driving and handling.

Reliability. The CX-90 is ALL new (new engine, new transmission, new hybrid tech). Mazda are typically fairly reliable, but there is always more risk with new components.

The new Honda V6 doesn’t really have anything special to it. It is just a trusted old V6 in its design.

 

[jal142]

If space is a primary concern, the Pilot is going to win out.

Personally, I'd steer clear of the CX-90 for the first year or two. All new engine, all new transmission, all new hybrid system from a manufacturer that's designed two flawed engines in recent memory is not a gamble I would take.

 

[MichalP]

If space is a primary concern, the Pilot is going to win out.

Personally, I'd steer clear of the CX-90 for the first year or two. All new engine, all new transmission, all new hybrid system from a manufacturer that's designed two flawed engines in recent memory is not a gamble I would take.

I would still be careful about the new engine and the transmission however I would like to point out that originally designed 2.0 and 2.5 L 4 cylinders first implemented in the 1st Gen CX-5 and then used in other Mazda cars were bullet proof and are very reliable as well as 6-speed transmission.

The problems started when Mazda decided to implement some changes to either increase the power (added turbo) or fuel efficiency (cylinder deactivation). So original design was very solid and also the reason for high rank in reliability consumer reports. I hope that they only learnt from their own mistakes an this new engine will be as reliable as the initial 2.5 L.

 

[ceric]

I would be surprised if Honda Pilot has better interior than the CX-90.
I have own several Hondas before... Rubbermaid interior is typical for Hondas.
You should sit in both to compare.

 

[dougal]

2024 Mazda CX-90 VS 2023 Honda Pilot: Does Honda Even Compete?

Today I compare a 2023 Honda Pilot to a 2024 Mazda CX-90!Ask For John: https://www.stockton12honda.com/Ask For Jake: https://www.timdahlemazdasouthtowne.com/...

www.youtube.com

Basically a very simple review that honestly shows the interior space between the two to be similar but the car choice comes down to what you want or desire. If you like driving, the new engine and drivetrain in the CX-90 is the choice. If you want a rugged look with a rugged interior, the Pilot is your choice.

 

[boston02118]

I would be surprised if Honda Pilot has better interior than the CX-90.
I have own several Hondas before... Rubbermaid interior is typical for Hondas.
You should sit in both to compare.

I recently drove both. The Pilot I drove was an Elite with an MSRP of $54k. I disqualified the Honda based on the cheap feel of the interior, including the smallish 9" infotainment screen, but I appreciate (as Dougal says above) that it all comes down to personal preference.

 

[ceric]

Not to bash Honda.. I own Honda stocks and I owned several Honda/Acura vehicles in the past.

 

[nikpmd]

I test drove the Pilot last weekend and the CX-90 before that. My vote is for the Honda. The Pilot's AWD system is amazing in making the car turn in quicker and feel smaller than it is. I mentioned this somewhere else, but my brain was fooled into thinking I was driving a compact CRV like car until I look in the rear view mirror and see the hatch far away from me, lol. Pilot Elite is great at utility. The stowable middle seat provide great flexibility. Leave it in or use it as an armrest which actually makes the third row less claustrophobic. The only con I see is that the interiors feel pretty utilitarian compared to luxurious feel of the Mazda. The quality is pretty similar from what I can tell, the Mazda just appears like a class above. The infotainment looks pretty dated but hey, it's got touchscreen usability which for CarPlay is way better than the scroll wheel operation. Both are not deal breakers once you drive the car and understand what it's about. Pilot is a super competent vehicle in this class with really good ride quality and very easy, relaxing yet confident driving dynamics. If utility > style, go for the Pilot.

 

[nikpmd]

The new Honda V6 doesn’t really have anything special to it. It is just a trusted old V6 in its design.

It's actually a brand new V6 with similar power output but half the emissions. You can check Savagegeese's review 2023 Honda Pilot | How To Fix Forgettable SUVs where they go over the changes to the engine and powertrain in general.

 

[youri]

Yes i have seen that video. What i mean is that it doesn’t really bring anything new to the table. It is a new V6 to honda, but with a similar power output than the previous V6. From a driver and user perspective, you won’t really see or feel the difference. Same goes for fuel economy.

The AWD is a different story though.

 

[nikpmd]

Yes i have seen that video. What i mean is that it doesn’t really bring anything new to the table. It is a new V6 to honda, but with a similar power output than the previous V6. From a driver and user perspective, you won’t really see or feel the difference. Same goes for fuel economy.

I felt the same way until I drove it. The transmission along with the engine makes a noticeable difference IMO. The previous gen's 9 speed was a pain point for many. The 10 speed solves those pain points. It also changes the way power is delivered. It's going to feel more responsive when passing. It also helps put the car in the power band earlier. I agree it seems like the power output remained the same and the fuel economy remains the same, but it doesn't tell the full story is what I'm trying to highlight. Driving previous gen and current gen back to back is probably the only way to clearly notice the difference but I could feel that the current gen responsiveness is better. You could try driving MDX and Pilot back to back as both use the 10 speed but I believe the MDX is still using the previous gen motor for current model year.

 

[Trip CX90]

I’ve had the opportunity to drive both a number of times over the past month.

My take…

Pricing …. I think Mazda’s pricing overall isn’t bad, but depending on the trim level/engine, justifying it gets better or worse. I’m OK with paying nearly $65K for the top level Turbo S because its performance compares favorably to the BMW X5 and Mercedes GLE. Check out Throttle House drag race. But at $55K, for me it’s not as much of a standout compared to the mainstream competition.

Performance …. The CX-90 does have the edge here. RWD biased AWD, the steering, the double wishbone front suspension, it all works together and feels amazing. So very refined. Despite its size, it was fun to toss around.

But the Pilot does hold its own. The steering is light but the iVTM makes it not feel like FWD. The iVTM is basically Honda’s SH-AWD. It will send power to the rear based on throttle position, not just front wheel slip. Floor it, and it sends power to the rear and launches without any wheel spin. The big difference with Acura’s SH-AWD is that SH-AWD will outright overdrive the outside rear wheel in corners so your back end slips out a bit. iVTM will do the same torque vectoring but it keeps the rear end tracking with the front and keeps shenanigans to a minimum. The Pilot had a little more body roll than the CX-90 but in day to day driving I wouldn’t push it as hard as I did. My wife would kick in long before iVTM did. Overall the Pilot handled better than others in the class I drove - Telluride, Palisade, Explorer. Didn’t drive an MDX - the interior and exterior styling isn’t for me.

Check out the Savagegeese video, especially towards the end where he wrings out the steering wheel, stomps on the gas, and it just bites in and goes. Do this in a normal FWD car and you’d get crazy wheel spin and torque steer.

Acceleration for both is fine. They can get out of theif own way and jump ahead of traffic. I don’t typically place a lot of emphasis on straight line acceleration. For me, I prioritize handling which they both do great.

Features …. I think Mazda could have done a little better here. At $55K, Pilot offers 8 seats, remote start on keyfob, auto dimming outside mirrors with puddle lamps, tons of storage nooks and crannies, more space overall. Hyundai offers the remote parking space assist (pull car forward with the remote) and things like 2nd row ventilated seats at the price point.

Speaking of features, the Honda lane keep assist is leaps and bounds better than my current CX-9 and the CX-90 I‘ve driven. In either Mazda, it did not always pick up lines, even when I thought the road was fairly legible. And, they did not do a good job of keeping you in the lane if you let it bounce off the line. If the curvature of the road was a little steep, the steering wheel with a rumble but, it would let you go past the line. The Honda only needs to detect ONE line on either side and it keeps the car dead center. On the same roads, Honda’s system picked up nearly 100% of the lines where the Mazdas maybe saw 50% - 60%. And it tracks flawlessly around curves where both Mazdas would go over the lines.

Quality …. Mazda for sure. The materials and the look & feel of everything is top notch. Pilot is OK. The front has soft touch materials but Interior design is a little bland overall. Lots of hard plastics in the 2nd row. But the interior is just as quiet and solid … not a buzz or rattle. Telluride used lots of hard plastics even in the front.

 

[Tellulied]

I haven’t driven either, but I saw a new Pilot following the previous Pilot model today. The new model appears a lot bigger, and the back of it reminds me of the Toyota Sequoia.
Anyway, I have to give the CX-90 the edge for the RWD, the mild hybrid/PHEV option, and the way they placed the engine/transmission in the vehicle to maximize driving dynamics. It’s like they took what the Explorer/Aviator did and kicked it up a notch. To me the CX-90 is a forward thinking car of the future, while the Pilot is a highly refined, slightly upgraded version of the same old thing.

 

[Trip CX90]

Totally agree about Mazda‘s direction. The in-line six with RWD can’t be beat. And the integration of the mild hybrid is definitely a nod to the future, makes sense in this application, and seems to work really well.

I was going to say that I was surprised Honda engineered a new V6 engine, but then remembered Acura‘s aspirations to be a luxury brand. (I have no doubt Mazda is going to leapfrog Acura.) Acura will need a large displacement motor.

I think for the next generation of Pilot, now that Honda is in bed with GM, we’ll see drivetrains similar to what is in the new Accord. Future Pilots may retain a six cylinder engine to appeal to the diehard truck fan base, but I bet those days are numbered in the main street auto makers.

A quick comment about the Pilot’s size… It really isn’t that much bigger than the outgoing model. The biggest change is in the front where the hood line was raised so the hood was parallel to the ground. That alone changed the whole front look. I think in the rear, the smaller tail lights, and how he third row window is no longer integrated into the greenhouse, makes the rear look even bigger.

 

[Tellulied]

Yeah, I actually really like the styling of the new Pilot, I think it’s the best its ever looked. I also heard they redid the engine for emissions purposes, but the gas mileage doesn’t seemed to have improved. This is another area where it seems the CX-90 has the edge

 

[Trip CX90]

Yep, the Honda’s engine doesn’t get very good fuel economy. It’s surprising because that was always one of Honda‘s strong suits and the transmission even has two more gears.

 

[Tellulied]

Yeah, I used to have a 2010 Honda Odyssey and it had cylinder deactivation. I think it really helped with the mpg. I wonder if they still have that?

 

[CruzinCX]

I just sat in the CX90 at the dealership and it was nice. It was the top spec inline 6 mild hybrid. When I opened the drivers door I thought there was more leg room because I smashed my knee on the steering wheel. Turned out the driver seat WAS all the way back. Not a good start.
The back seat was ok, but adjusted to my seated position, and the third row would be unusable even for my four foot something niece.
The Pathfinder does have alot more legroom and I assume the Highlander, Pilot, and Traverse all have more leg room in the third row, since I DO jump in the third row just for curiosity. It’s why my wife and I are looking at the Pathfinder for our camping/people mover vehicle.
And no, a minivan doesn’t work off the beaten path during camping trips.