Mazda CX-9 vs. Toyota Highlander Hybrid Review

Handling
The Mazda CX-9 and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid have about similar tires.

Drivetrain
The Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the CX-9 have similar-sized engines, with a slight advantage to the CX-9. Torque is the force that lets you accelerate quickly, and in this respect, the CX-9 is markedly more powerful than the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The Toyota Highlander Hybrid could learn a lesson or two from the Mazda CX-9 as far as torque.

Utility
The Mazda will quite certainly prove handier than the Toyota for those of you with frequent kid-cargo. There's no clear winner between the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the Mazda CX-9 with respect to hauling capacity.

Convenience
The Mazda CX-9's fuel tank will need to be replenished more often than the unit in the Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

Comfort
While the front cabin in the Highlander Hybrid offers a bit more head room than the CX-9, there honestly isn't much of a difference. The ampler interior dimensions of the Mazda CX-9 make it quite a bit roomier for your passengers than the Toyota.

Dimensions
The Mazda CX-9 is considerably heavier than the Highlander Hybrid. Your wallet will hurt more every time you fill up the Mazda than the Toyota Highlander Hybrid because of its more capacious tank. The Toyota and the Mazda CX-9 compete for the same parking spaces.

Cost
The destination charge is a standard charge for transporting the vehicle from its point of origin to the dealer. It costs roughly the same to get the Mazda CX-9 to the dealership as the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The CX-9 will tax your gasoline budget tremendously more than the Toyota Highlander Hybrid will. When it comes to MSRP, the Highlander Hybrid costs roughly as much as the Mazda CX-9 (though the Mazda CX-9 is somewhat cheaper). The Toyota Highlander Hybrid will save you a bunch of money at the pump every year compared to the Mazda.

Overview
The Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the Mazda CX-9 have the same basic warranty.

Other
The Highlander Hybrid produces fewer smog-forming pollutants per 15,000 miles than the CX-9.