2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS vs 2024 Mazda CX-90

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 presented itself as a serious contender in the luxury segment, giving well-renowned brands a run for their money. Traditionally, if you sought a luxury vehicle, you would naturally gravitate towards manufacturers like BMW or Mercedes-Benz, known for their premium quality and status symbolism. However, Mazda emerged as a surprising, yet formidable, alternative with the CX-90.

Mazda outperformed its Japanese counterparts, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota, especially in design and material quality. The CX-90 extended the refined design cues of the CX-30 and CX-5, supersizing them into an imposing and stylish SUV over 200 inches long. The grandeur of the vehicle was accentuated by a striking grille, a broad front end, and large wheels ranging from 19 to 21 inches. Chrome trim added to its elegance, ensuring that, despite its size, the CX-90 remained aesthetically pleasing.

Inside, the CX-90's top-tier trims boasted interiors comparable to luxury marquees. Elements like brown suede upholstery, wood inlays, and matte black plastic bits combined to create a sophisticated cabin. The flagship CX-90's interior stood its ground against luxury counterparts like the BMW X5 without feeling overpriced. Across 11 trim levels, the CX-90 offered diverse styles and comforts, from the base Turbo’s affordability to the high-performance Turbo S, with the PHEV model striking a fine balance.

In stark contrast, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class exuded understated elegance. The GLS 450 model, with its 22-inch AMG rims, shiny new silver grille design, and polished metal exterior accents, looked fabulous donned in Twilight Blue. Mercedes’ design philosophy ensured the vehicle aged gracefully.

Inside, the GLS radiated luxury with features such as the Bahia Brown and Black color scheme, natural-grain Grey Oak finishes, and premium touches like contrast stitching and aluminum accents. The GLS offered genuine comfort with heated rear seats, multi-adjustment front seats, massaging features, a commanding viewpoint, and a delightful steering wheel. Despite a few design quirks, like the side sill trim on the AMG Line package, the GLS maintained a sophisticated and comfortable interior experience.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 deviated significantly from its predecessor by offering two new powertrains. Notably, the CX-90 became the first Mazda SUV with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) option, promising better fuel economy and performance. Additionally, the vehicle featured an all-new turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine. Although the base trim provided 280 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, the upgraded Turbo S models harnessed 340 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque with premium fuel. All CX-90 models were equipped with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The CX-90 Turbo S offered distinct drive modes: Normal, Sport, and Off-Road. While we concentrated on urban and highway performance, the engine’s roar at high revs in Sport mode was captivating despite some inconsistency in gear shifting. The 323-horsepower PHEV version, combined with a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine and a 17.8-kWh battery, provided an all-electric range of 26 miles and a combined rating of 56 MPGe.

Mazda's comprehensive handling characteristics and nimbleness, thanks to its new platform and double-wishbone suspension, allowed this three-row crossover to navigate corners with the agility of a smaller vehicle. This emphasized Mazda’s longstanding reputation for creating driver-centric vehicles.

Meanwhile, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 offered a different approach to performance. The straight six, turbocharged engine delivered 375 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, providing more than ample power without the need for a V8 upgrade. This model could accelerate to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, powered by its mild-hybrid system with an additional 148 lb-ft of torque from the integrated starter-generator. A nine-speed automatic transmission and variable 4Matic all-wheel-drive system complemented its power delivery.

Selectable driving modes—Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Individual—allowed drivers to tailor the GLS’s dynamics. Our testing showed a fuel economy of 19.9 mpg on a diverse evaluation route, close to the 21 mpg combined rating. The GLS’s ride quality was sublime, with the air suspension providing a calm yet capable feel, reducing body roll, and delivering responsive handling, despite its weight.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 provided diverse seating configurations across its trims. Lower trims could seat up to eight passengers, mid-level trims featured seven seats with second-row captain’s chairs, and higher Turbo S trims offered seating for six. Cargo space was generous: up to 75.2 cubic feet when all rows were folded, though slightly less compared to the Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander. The flexible storage solutions and high-quality materials added to its appeal, even if the third row’s legroom was somewhat limited.

Conversely, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class highlighted passenger comfort and spaciousness, although accessing the third row could be cumbersome. Front and second-row seats were extremely comfortable, featuring high-quality leather, heating, ventilation, and massaging options. Cargo capacity was more generous compared to the CX-90, with 84.7 cubic feet available when the rear seats were stowed, making it a more practical option for those prioritizing storage space.

Mazda’s approach to technology emphasized safety by minimizing distractions. The CX-90’s infotainment system shunned touchscreens in favor of a rotary control knob and hard buttons, aimed at reducing driver distraction. However, this setup often resulted in more frustration than convenience. Thankfully, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto employed touch functionality, a major plus given the familiarity and ease of use these systems provided.

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class boasted an advanced MBUX system, with dual 12.3-inch screens for instrumentation and infotainment. While we experienced minor aggravation with touch-sensitive controls, the overall responsiveness and functionality of MBUX were exceptional. The intuitive voice recognition and impressive augmented reality navigation were particular highlights, making it a benchmark in automotive technology.

Mazda ensured comprehensive safety with its standard i-Activsense suite, including adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, and more. While lacking official crash test ratings due to its new status, it was poised to perform well given Mazda's history of high safety standards.

Mercedes-Benz's GLS came equipped with extensive ADAS, allowing customization through MBUX to reduce annoyance. The suite performed impressively, offering smooth and reliable adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and other features without overwhelming the driver. Our overall impression was highly positive, with only minor lapses during intensive testing routes.