2024 Mazda CX-90 vs 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 was a testament to Mazda's ambition to redefine luxury within its lineup. It surpassed its Japanese counterparts like Honda, Nissan, and Toyota in design and material quality, edging closer to luxury brands such as Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus. The CX-90's exterior was a supersized version of Mazda's elegant design language, featuring a commanding presence with its large grille, wide-set front end, and substantial wheels. Inside, the top-tier models boasted interiors that rivaled high-end luxury brands, with brown suede upholstery, wood inlays, and matte black plastic accents. Despite the range of trims, all models benefited from a stylish design and comfortable layout, offering a total of 11 different trim levels across three powertrains.

In contrast, the 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport emphasized a sportier aesthetic within the Range Rover family. Its taller stance and shorter wheelbase gave it an athletic appearance, though it sometimes appeared too tall and narrow. The lineup included SE, Dynamic SE, Autobiography, and SV Edition Two trims, with the Dynamic SE offering a Stealth appearance package. The SV Edition 2, the highest-performance model, featured carbon-fiber elements and a subtle exterior that belied its luxurious interior. The minimalist design inside was marked by red leather upholstery and sport seats, though the high console and dash created a more enclosed feel. Material quality was high, but the use of reflective piano black plastic was a bit excessive.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 introduced two new powertrains, including a plug-in hybrid option and a turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine. The base turbo I6 delivered 280 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque, while the Turbo S variant offered 340 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque with premium fuel. All models featured all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The CX-90's driving modes—Normal, Sport, and Off-Road—allowed for varied driving experiences, with Sport mode enhancing the engine's roar and performance. The PHEV model combined a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with a 17.8-kWh battery and a 68-kW electric motor, producing 323 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. It offered an all-electric range of 26 miles and an EPA-estimated 56 MPGe in combined driving. Both models excelled in handling, with a double-wishbone front suspension and agile steering.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered multiple powertrain options, all with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive. The base SE model featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six with 355 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, while the Dynamic SE offered 395 horsepower and 406 lb-ft. The Autobiography trim included a plug-in hybrid powertrain with 543 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, and a BMW-sourced twin-turbo V8 with 523 horsepower and 553 lb-ft. The SV Edition Two pushed the V8 to 626 horsepower, making it the most powerful Range Rover model. It achieved 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph. The Range Rover Sport's sport-tuned air suspension and four-wheel steering provided agile handling, while its Terrain Response system and off-road capabilities maintained its rugged reputation.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 offered various seating configurations, with lower trims seating eight passengers and mid-level trims featuring captain's chairs. The Turbo S had a two-seat third row, with cargo space measuring 75.2 cubic feet in those models. The CX-90 improved on the CX-9's capacity but still fell short compared to competitors like the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander. Clever storage options and comfortable seating added to its appeal, despite its slightly snug third-row legroom.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, positioned between the Velar and full-size Range Rover, was a two-row, five-seater. It offered adequate headroom and legroom, with reclining rear seats and 20-way power-adjustable front seats. Cargo space measured 31.9 cubic feet behind the second row and 53 cubic feet with seats folded. While it lacked a split tailgate, power operation and an "access height" setting facilitated loading. The Range Rover Sport's towing capacity was competitive, with turbo-six and V8 models towing up to 7,716 pounds.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 focused on reducing distractions with its Mazda Connect infotainment system, using hard buttons and a rotary control knob instead of a touchscreen. While the intention was to enhance safety, the setup proved frustrating with its quirks. However, personalization software using facial recognition improved the user experience, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were available in higher trims.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport featured a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment, with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration. The minimalist design had functional limitations, with most controls requiring screen interaction. Steering-wheel controls offered limited alternatives, but the Pivi Pro system was responsive with natural-language voice recognition. The SV Edition 2 included "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers for a unique audio experience.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 came standard with i-Activsense, Mazda's suite of advanced driver assistance systems, including blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist. The top-spec Turbo S Premium Plus added cruising and traffic support. While crash-test ratings were unavailable, the CX-90 was expected to perform well based on the CX-9's accolades.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport included standard driver-assist features like automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring. A 360-degree camera system and digital rearview mirror aided visibility, though parking sensors were overly sensitive. Safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of publication.