Compare the2025 Mazda CX-90VS 2025 Buick Enclave

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Mazda CX-90 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help 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 Enclave doesn’t offer knee airbags.

With its standard Smart Brake Support, the Mazda CX-90 is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Buick Enclave, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	CX-90	Enclave
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	-23 MPH	-20 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-17 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-22 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-22 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-16 MPH
37 MPH Brights	-33 MPH	-16 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	2.4 sec	1.9 sec
37 MPH Low beams	-26 MPH	-16 MPH
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.5 sec	1.4 sec

The CX-90 Premium has a standard Secondary Collision Reduction System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Enclave doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

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

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the CX-90’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Enclave doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the CX-90 and the Enclave have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mazda CX-90 is safer than the Buick Enclave:

	CX-90	Enclave
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Stress	96 lbs.	159 lbs.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mazda CX-90 is safer than the Buick Enclave:

	CX-90	Enclave
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	31 G’s	48 G’s

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Mazda CX-90 is safer than the Enclave:

	CX-90	Enclave
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	45 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.28 in	.47 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	513 lbs.	915 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	18	260
Neck Tension	89 lbs.	290 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.39 in	.83 in
Torso Max Deflection	.75 in	1.06 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	8 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

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

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Buick vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda 5 places higher in reliability than Buick.

Engine

The CX-90’s standard 3.3 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 6 lbs.-ft. more torque (332 vs. 326) than the Enclave’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The CX-90 PHEV’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 43 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 326) than the Enclave’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The CX-90 Turbo S’ standard 3.3 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 12 more horsepower (340 vs. 328) and 43 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 326) than the Enclave’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the CX-90 PHEV 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Buick Enclave:

	CX-90	Enclave
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	7.4 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	15.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95.8 MPH	91.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the CX-90 running on electricity gets better mileage than the Enclave:

			MPGe
CX-90
	AWD	PHEV Electric Motor	53 city/61 hwy
Enclave
			MPG
	FWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/24 hwy

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

			MPG
CX-90
	AWD	3.3 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	24 city/28 hwy
		Turbo S 3.3 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/28 hwy
		2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	24 city/27 hwy
Enclave
	FWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/24 hwy

The CX-90 PHEV can travel with zero emissions for 26 miles. The Enclave can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

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

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the CX-90’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Enclave:

	CX-90	CX-90 Turbo S/PHEV	Enclave
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	13.7 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13.8 inches	12.4 inches

The CX-90’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Enclave are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the CX-90 has larger standard tires than the Enclave (265/55R19 vs. 255/55R20).

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-90’s wheelbase is 1.9 inches longer than on the Enclave (122.8 inches vs. 120.9 inches).

The CX-90 Premium Plus handles at .85 G’s, while the Enclave Avenir pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The CX-90 Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Enclave Avenir AWD (26.9 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CX-90’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the Enclave’s (38.1 feet vs. 39 feet). The CX-90’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Enclave w/22” wheels’ (38.1 feet vs. 40.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CX-90 has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Enclave (8 vs. 6.8 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 1.3 inches higher than on the Enclave (8.1 vs. 6.8 inches).

Chassis

The CX-90 is 6.8 inches shorter than the Enclave, making the CX-90 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

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

Towing

The CX-90’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Enclave’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the CX-90 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Enclave. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The CX-90’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Enclave’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

The CX-90’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Enclave’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Enclave Avenir’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The CX-90 Turbo S’ standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the CX-90 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Enclave doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The CX-90 Premium Plus/Turbo S 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 Enclave doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Recommendations

The Mazda CX-90 outsold the Buick Enclave by over two to one during 2024.

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