Compare the2024 Mazda CX-90VS 2023 Hyundai Palisade

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mazda CX-90 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Hyundai Palisade doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Mazda CX-90 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Palisade doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The CX-90 offers an optional Secondary Collision Reduction System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Palisade doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-90. But it costs extra on the Palisade.

Both the CX-90 and the Palisade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. With 5 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mazda higher than Hyundai.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda fourth in overall reliability. Hyundai is ranked 13th.

The CX-90’s standard 3.3 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 70 lbs.-ft. more torque (332 vs. 262) than the Palisade’s 3.8 DOHC V6. The CX-90 PHEV’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 32 more horsepower (323 vs. 291) and 107 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 262) than the Palisade’s 3.8 DOHC V6. The CX-90 Turbo S’ standard 3.3 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 49 more horsepower (340 vs. 291) and 107 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 262) than the Palisade’s 3.8 DOHC V6.

On the EPA test cycle the CX-90 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Palisade:

Regenerative brakes improve the CX-90’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Palisade doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Both the CX-90 and the Palisade have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All CX-90s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch costs extra on the Palisade.

For better stopping power the CX-90 Turbo S/PHEV’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Palisade:

The CX-90’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Palisade are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the CX-90 has larger standard tires than the Palisade (265/55R19 vs. 245/60R18). The CX-90 Premium/Turbo S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Palisade (275/45R21 vs. 245/60R18).

The CX-90’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Palisade’s standard 60 series tires. The CX-90 Premium/Turbo S’ tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Palisade’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CX-90 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Palisade. The CX-90 Premium/Turbo S’ 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Palisade.

The CX-90 has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Palisade doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-90’s wheelbase is 8.6 inches longer than on the Palisade (122.8 inches vs. 114.2 inches).

For better maneuverability, the CX-90’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Palisade’s (38.1 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CX-90 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Palisade (8 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the CX-90 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The CX-90 PHEV Premium/Turbo S’ minimum ground clearance is .2 inch higher than on the Palisade (8.1 vs. 7.9 inches).

The engine in the CX-90 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Palisade. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

The CX-90’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Palisade’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The CX-90’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Palisade SE/SEL/XRT’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CX-90 Turbo S has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Palisade doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The CX-90 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Palisade SEL/Limited/Calligraphy.