2024 Mazda CX-90 vs 2025 Cadillac Escalade

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 presented a bold step forward for Mazda, positioning itself closer to luxury brands with its refined design and high-quality materials. The exterior design borrowed elegance from its smaller siblings, the CX-30 and CX-5, but expanded it to a more imposing size, stretching over 5 metres. Its large grille, wide-set front end, and substantial wheels ranging from 18 to 21 inches commanded attention, while tasteful chrome trim added a touch of sophistication. Inside, the top-tier models of the CX-90 boasted interiors that could rival luxury competitors, featuring brown suede upholstery, wood inlays, and matte black plastic accents, creating an upscale atmosphere. Despite the range of trims, all models benefited from Mazda's stylish design language and comfortable layout.

In contrast, the 2025 Cadillac Escalade continued to embody old-school Cadillac luxury with its updated design, further distinguishing itself from its platform-sharing siblings, the Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban and GMC Yukon/Yukon XL. The most notable exterior change was the new front end, aligning the gasoline Escalade stylistically with Cadillac's EVs. The headlights were redesigned as large vertical bars, complemented by smaller horizontal daytime running lights. The rear maintained its tall, vertical taillights reminiscent of classic Cadillac tailfins, and for the first time, 24-inch wheels were available, enhancing its imposing presence. Inside, Cadillac focused on hiding its shared platform origins, introducing a 55-inch OLED curved display that spanned the dashboard, replacing the previous 38-inch version. The interior offered a range of luxurious materials and curated motifs, ensuring a premium feel throughout.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 introduced two new powertrains, marking a significant transformation from the outgoing CX-9. The CX-90 was the first Mazda SUV to offer a plug-in hybrid option, aiming for improved fuel economy and performance. Alongside the PHEV, two versions of a new turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine with a mild-hybrid system were available. The base turbo I6 delivered 280 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, while the upgraded version in the GT-P and Signature trims increased power to 340 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque when using premium fuel. All models featured all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The CX-90 offered three driving modes: Normal, Sport, and Off-Road, with noticeable differences in behaviour between Normal and Sport modes. The PHEV model combined a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine with a 17.8-kWh battery and a 68-kW electric motor, producing a total output of 323 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. It offered an all-electric driving range of 42 kilometres and a combined driving range of 747 kilometres.

For the 2025 Cadillac Escalade, the Duramax turbodiesel inline-six engine option was dropped, leaving only the naturally aspirated gasoline 6.2-litre V8 engine. This engine produced 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, while the Escalade-V featured a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 with 682 horsepower and 653 lb-ft of torque. All Escalade models were equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission, providing a balance of low ratios for acceleration and high ratios for efficient highway cruising. In Canada, four-wheel drive was standard on most models, with the Escalade-V featuring a performance-oriented all-wheel drive system. Magnetic Ride Control damping was standard on all but the base Luxury grade, offering adaptive damping for improved ride quality. However, the Escalade's body-on-frame construction limited its handling capabilities compared to unibody competitors.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 offered a variety of trims and seating configurations, accommodating up to eight passengers in the lower trims with three across in the second and third rows. Mid-level trims featured captain's chairs in the second row, seating seven, while the Turbo Signature trim offered an exclusive six-seat configuration. Cargo space varied slightly depending on the seating arrangement, with models featuring a two-seater third row offering 2,129 litres of total cargo space. The CX-90 provided ample storage options, including a large centre console, spacious door pockets, and well-placed cupholders. Despite its improvements over the CX-9, the CX-90's cargo capacity and third-row legroom were still less than some competitors.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade was available in both short-wheelbase and long-wheelbase configurations, with the latter offering increased cargo space and third-row legroom. The Escalade ESV, with its extended wheelbase, provided 1,175 litres of cargo space behind the third row, 2,664 litres behind the second row, and 4,043 litres behind the first row. The standard-length model offered 722 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, 2,064 litres behind the second row, and 3,412 litres behind the front seats. The Escalade's towing capacity was competitive, with the standard-wheelbase model rated at 3,675 kilograms and the ESV at 3,628 kilograms. However, it lacked some of the towing features offered by competitors like the Lincoln Navigator.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 focused on minimizing distractions with its Mazda Connect infotainment system, which eschewed a touchscreen interface in favour of hard buttons and a rotary control knob. While the intention was to reduce distractions, the system's quirks and idiosyncrasies often led to frustration. However, the CX-90 offered personalization software that used facial recognition to adjust settings to the driver's preferences. Standard features included Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with wireless connectivity available in higher trims. The rotary controller worked with these systems, but touchscreen controls were also available for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade combined traditional engineering with a high-tech interface, featuring a 55-inch door-to-door display that incorporated a digital instrument cluster, central infotainment touchscreen, and front-passenger touchscreen. Additional functions were controlled via a tablet-like touchscreen below, along with a rotary dial. The Escalade offered a 19-speaker AKG audio system as standard, with a 36-speaker version available. The vehicle retained standalone wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the interface was designed for ease of use. The optional Executive Second Row Package added luxury features for second-row passengers, including 12.6-inch screens, dual wireless device chargers, and upgraded seats with massage and headrest speakers.

The 2024 Mazda CX-90 came equipped with i-Activsense, Mazda's suite of advanced driver assistance systems, as standard. This included features like blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-keeping assist. The top-spec CX-90 Signature also featured cruising and traffic support, blending lane-centring with adaptive cruise control. While crash test ratings were not available at the time, the CX-90 was expected to perform well based on the accolades received by the previous CX-9 model.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade offered a comprehensive suite of standard driver assist features, including adaptive cruise control, blind-zone steering assist, automatic emergency braking, and a 360-degree camera system. GM-specific features included a vibrating Safety Alert Seat and Super Cruise, the automaker's hands-free driving system. Super Cruise allowed for hands-free driving on mapped sections of road, although the handoff to manual control could be abrupt. Crash test ratings were not available at the time of writing.