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.
Volvo built the XC90 around a safety cage so robust that salvage yards need special equipment to crush it, and that obsessive engineering carries through to the seats (like living room furniture), the crash ratings, and the peace of mind families actually pay for. The tradeoff is European luxury upkeep: maintenance costs run higher than a Lexus or Acura, parts take longer to arrive, and your neighborhood quick-lube will be lost under the hood. The infotainment is the universal complaint, laggy, temperamental, still tethered to a cable for CarPlay. If safety and comfort top your list and you can budget for the care it demands, the XC90 delivers on its promises. If you're stretching to afford it or expect Toyota-level running costs, the Highlander is the honest answer.