An overhead shot of a red 2024 Mazda CX-90 full-size SUV model with a couple walking toward it

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 Has 1 Huge Advantage Over the Kia Telluride

Here's a look at one huge advantage that the 2024 Mazda CX-90 has against the Kia Telluride, its competitor in the large SUV class.

by J.L. Seto

Published on May 30, 2023 2:39 pm

2 min read

Here are the basic specs of the Mazda CX-90 and Kia Telluride

Edmunds had a lot of compliments for the Mazda CX-90 but also a few complaints. One of the main ones was pricing, as the CX-90 starts at about $40,000. That’s expensive for a non-luxury SUV, and the Telluride is much cheaper, starting at about $36,000. However, the CX-90’s price tag pays for a great interior that the car critic described as “luxury-leaning.”

That said, the CX-90’s interior space isn’t great, especially compared to the Telluride. The Mazda only has 14.9 cu. ft. of space without folding any seats, and that’s much less than the Kia’s 21 cu. ft. With the seats folded down, the CX-90 maxes out at 74.2 cu. ft. Once again, that’s less than the Telluride’s 87 cu. ft. It’s a similar story for passenger space, as the Telluride has more room in most areas.

The 1 huge advantage that the 2024 Mazda CX-90 has

2024 Mazda CX-90 | Mazda North American Operations

On the other hand, the Mazda CX-90 does have advantages over the Telluride, and most of those advantages have to do with what’s under the hood. Perhaps the most significant advantage overall is what comes standard in terms of their powertrains. The Kia SUV only has one engine option: a 3.8-liter V6 that gets 291 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. It has front-wheel drive as standard, and the South Korean automaker offers all-wheel drive as an option.

Meanwhile, The Mazda SUV starts with a 3.3-liter turbocharged six-cylinder equipped with a 48V mild-hybrid system. Not only that, but all-wheel drive is standard for the CX-90, and front-wheel drive isn’t even offered. This is a massive advantage for the CX-90, as all-wheel drive is a feature that many drivers are looking for, and they won’t have to pay extra for it. In some cases, all-wheel drive is a necessity, so the CX-90 is even better for those folks.

The CX-90 has advantages in other areas too

The CX-90’s powertrains beat the Telluride’s in other ways too. The standard version of that mild-hybrid setup gets 280 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. That’s less horsepower than the Kia receives, but it’s far more torque. On top of that, the Japanese automaker gave the CX-90 some additional powertrain options.

The first one is similar to the starting powertrain, with the main difference being its power output. It gets 340 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque instead, and both numbers are better than what Kia offers. Plus, Mazda offers a PHEV version of the CX-90. It starts at over $47,000, and its PHEV powertrain gets 323 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque.

Since it’s a PHEV, the SUV can also go 26 miles in battery-only mode. When it’s in regular hybrid mode, the CX-90 PHEV gets 56 MPGe combined. In comparison, the CX-90’s standard engine gets 25 mpg combined, and the more powerful engine also gets 25 mpg combined. Meanwhile, the Telluride is worse, with a 23 mpg combined rating.