Compare the2024 Mazda CX-90VS 2023 Volkswagen Atlas

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 Volkswagen Atlas doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the CX-90 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Atlas doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Atlas doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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

The CX-90’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Atlas doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the CX-90 and the Atlas have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

Mazda’s powertrain warranty covers the CX-90 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Atlas. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Atlas ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The CX-90’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Atlas’ (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

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 Volkswagen vehicles. With 50 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mazda higher than Volkswagen.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda above average in long-term dependability. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Volkswagen is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda fourth in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 23rd.

The CX-90 has more powerful engines than the Atlas:

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

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

The CX-90 Turbo S’ standard fuel tank has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Atlas (19.6 vs. 18.6 gallons).

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

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

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 Atlas’ standard 60 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 Atlas.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-90’s wheelbase is 5.5 inches longer than on the Atlas (122.8 inches vs. 117.3 inches).

For better maneuverability, the CX-90’s turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the Atlas’ (38.1 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CX-90 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Atlas 2.0T (8 vs. 7.1 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 .6 inch higher than on the Atlas V6 (8.1 vs. 7.5 inches).

The CX-90 offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Atlas can only carry 7.

The CX-90’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Atlas’ (3500 vs. 2000 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the CX-90 uses the Dynamic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Atlas doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The engine in the CX-90 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Atlas. 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 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Atlas doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the CX-90 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Atlas only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The CX-90’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Atlas has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The CX-90 Premium Plus has standard front air conditioned seats and the CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Atlas doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.