Compare the2023 Mazda CX-9VS 2023 Tesla Model X

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CX-9 Carbon Edition/Grand Touring/Signature has standard Rear Smart City Brake Support that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Model X doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The CX-9 Grand Touring/Signature has a standard 360° View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model X only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CX-9’s standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The CX-9 has standard E911 Automatic Emergency Notification, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model X doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the CX-9 and the Model X have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and available driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mazda CX-9 is safer than the Tesla Model X:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CX-9 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Model X has not been tested, yet.

There are almost 4 times as many Mazda dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CX-9’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the CX-9’s reliability 27 points higher than the Model X.

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 Tesla vehicles. With 46 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mazda higher than Tesla.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda fourth in overall reliability. Tesla is ranked 19th.

The CX-9 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Model X; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The CX-9 Signature handles at .85 G’s, while the Model X pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the CX-9’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Model X’s (38.8 feet vs. 40.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CX-9 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Model X (8.8 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the CX-9 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Mazda CX-9 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 1000 pounds less than the Tesla Model X.

The CX-9 has 1 inch more front hip room, .7 inches more rear legroom, 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.4 inches more third row hip room and 12.4 inches more third row shoulder room than the Model X.

The CX-9’s cargo area provides more volume than the Model X.

The CX-9’s available rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Model X 6-Passenger doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the CX-9 Carbon Edition/Grand Touring/Signature’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model X doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

A Maintenance Monitor is standard on the CX-9 to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes and tire rotation based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model X.

The CX-9’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The Model X has a small, single button on the steering wheel spoke that can be hard to find quickly in an emergency.

The CX-9 Grand Touring/Signature has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning 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 Model X doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the CX-9 has a standard rear wiper. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The CX-9’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model X doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the CX-9 has standard extendable sun visors. The Model X doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The CX-9’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Model X’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the CX-9 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Model X doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The CX-9 has a standard center folding armrest for the middle row passengers. A center armrest helps make middle row passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Model X doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

Insurance will cost less for the CX-9 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the CX-9 will cost $9115 to $10970 less than the Model X over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the CX-9 is less expensive to operate than the Model X because typical repairs cost much less on the CX-9 than the Model X, including $30 less for front brake pads and $536 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mazda CX-9 will be $49787 to $50083 less than for the Tesla Model X.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Mazda CX-9, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Mazda CX-9 outsold the Tesla Model X by 43% during 2022.