2022 Toyota Highlander vs 2022 Mazda CX-5

The 2022 Toyota Highlander featured a modern, somewhat aggressive front-end design. Its flared fender arches and the third-row window's upward kick gave it a compact appearance despite its spacious interior. Inside, the Highlander offered ample cabin space and clever storage solutions for items like iPads and juice boxes. The XSE trim, in particular, stood out with its bold red leather interior, unique exterior styling, ambient interior lighting, and sport-tuned suspension. The trim lineup included L, LE, XLE, XSE, Limited, and Platinum, each adding more features and luxury.

In contrast, the 2022 Mazda CX-5 had subtle exterior updates, including new LED headlights and taillights, revised bumpers, a redesigned grille, and a fresh rear liftgate. The top-of-the-line Signature trim featured body-color lower exterior trim, emphasizing Mazda's premium aspirations. Inside, the CX-5 Signature trim boasted premium Nappa leather upholstery, real wood trim, and polished metallic accents. The new seats provided improved comfort and support, addressing previous complaints. The trim levels were restructured into CX-5 2.5 S and CX-5 2.5 Turbo, with various sub-trims offering different features and price points.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque. This power was managed by an eight-speed automatic transmission, available in both front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) configurations. The transmission featured a tap-shift function and certain trims included steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The Highlander also offered drive modes such as Sport, Normal, and Eco, along with AWD modes like Mud/Sand and Rock. The V6 engine provided good pickup, especially at highway speeds, and the sport-tuned suspension in the XSE trim enhanced handling. The Highlander could tow up to 5,000 pounds and had a max payload of 1,685 pounds in FWD L and LE trims.

The 2022 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S featured a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a revised six-speed automatic transmission and standard AWD, achieving an EPA-rated 26 mpg in combined driving. The CX-5 2.5 Turbo offered a turbocharged engine with 256 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque on premium gas, or 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet on regular gas. The Turbo also had the revised six-speed automatic and standard AWD, with an EPA rating of 24 mpg in combined driving. The CX-5's driving dynamics were improved with increased structural rigidity and reworked suspension tuning, providing a quieter and smoother ride. The Mi-Drive system offered Normal, Sport, and Off-Road modes, enhancing the driving experience.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander offered up to 84.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the second- and third-row seats folded. With the second-row seats in use, there was 48.4 cubic feet of cargo space, and with all seats deployed, 16 cubic feet behind the third row. The seats were easy to lower and lift, and trims above the base L included a power liftgate, with Limited and Platinum trims featuring a hands-free power liftgate. The interior was practical, with deep cargo pockets, extra ledges, and a spacious center console. The XSE trim had second-row captain’s chairs, providing a center aisle to the third row, which was more suitable for children than adults.

The 2022 Mazda CX-5 addressed previous complaints with new, more comfortable seats and a sportier driving position. The height-adjustable front passenger seat was a notable addition, except in the base trim. The 2.5 Turbo test vehicle included leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. The back seat remained snug but offered heated outboard cushions and air conditioning vents. The control layout was less intuitive due to the non-touchscreen Mazda Connect infotainment system. Storage space was limited, with a small center armrest bin and adequate cargo space of 30.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expanding to 59.3 cubic feet with the seats folded.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came standard with a WiFi hotspot, five USB ports, and an 8-inch touchscreen supporting Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. The infotainment system had a straightforward layout with hard buttons for easy operation. The XSE trim featured a wireless charging pad and additional USB ports. A larger 12.3-inch touchscreen was available, along with a digital instrument panel screen and an 11-speaker JBL premium stereo system.

The 2022 Mazda CX-5 retained its Mazda Connect infotainment system with a 10.25-inch display, which was not touch-sensitive. The system required using controls on the center console and steering wheel, lacking natural voice recognition. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, text-messaging support, E911 automatic emergency notification, and Mazda Connected Services with a three-year trial subscription. The 2.5 S Premium trim and above included a 10-speaker Bose premium sound system and SiriusXM satellite radio.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came standard with the Toyota Safety Sense suite, including forward collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, and automatic high beams. Higher trims added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a surround-view parking monitor, a head-up display, and adaptive headlights. The lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist systems were very active, sometimes overly so.

The 2022 Mazda CX-5 included the i-Activsense package with adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Higher trims added adaptive headlights, a surround-view camera system, front and rear parking sensors, automatic rear braking, a driver monitoring system, and Traffic Jam Assist. The head-up display showed blind-spot warnings, enhancing safety. The CX-5 received a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the IIHS.