Mazda built a $50k SUV that drives like it costs $70k, sharp handling, a silky inline-6, and an interior that embarrasses the Highlander, but shipped it before the transmission learned its lines. The 8-speed shudders and hesitates at low speeds across enough reports to call it systematic, not a lemon-lottery issue, and early PHEVs needed steering racks and 12V batteries replaced under warranty. If you prize driving feel over appliance-smooth operation and can live with first-year quirks (2026s show real improvement), the CX-90 delivers shocking value; if you need bulletproof out-of-the-gate execution, wait a year or stick with the boring-but-reliable competition.
The Grand Highlander is Toyota's answer to families who need genuine three-row space without the fuel bill, the standard hybrid delivers 34+ MPG in real-world driving and a third row adults can actually sit in. The gas tank won't fill past 12 gallons on many units (there's a TSB, but dealers often charge $400+ for the fix once the warranty expires), and infotainment freezes are common enough to plan around. Buy the standard hybrid if you need the space and efficiency and can live with those quirks; skip the Hybrid Max unless you're towing, and avoid the 2026 model year entirely until the early check-engine-light problems get sorted.