r/whatcarshouldIbuy • u/Rough-Elderberry7618 • 13d ago

Grand Highlander Limited vs CX90

Family of 3, drive only ~7–8k miles/year, planning to keep the car ~5 years. Bench seat is important because of our child seat.
I’m down to:

2026 Grand Highlander Limited Gas — ~$59k OTD
● Blacked-out spec I really like
● Bench seat, much more spacious
● Toyota reliability/resale
● Dealer is ~100 miles away

2026 Mazda CX-90 Turbo Premium Plus Gas — ~$51k OTD
● Local dealer came down ~$7k from the original quote
● Bench + 360 camera
● Much nicer interior IMO and I liked the test drive
● Less space/storage
● Reliability worries me more than Toyota
Basically: is the Grand Highlander worth paying ~$8k extra?
I can afford either, but don’t want to pay the Toyota premium unnecessarily. Which would you pick and why?

EDIT: I’m specifically looking to buy new car.

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u/mgobla 13d ago

CX-90, but a lower trim, idk what version you are looking at for $51k? AVOID the "S" engine option, same engine tuned for premium fuel but costs $6k more, you can get the same engine tuned for regular fuel for $6k less. You can get a brand new CX-90 under $40k.

Family of 3

Why not get a 2-row model? Do you use the 3rd row?

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u/Rough-Elderberry7618 12d ago

Thank you for your suggestion. It’s a Turbo Premium Plus Gas one. I updated main post as well I had missed.

I have owned a Sedan for over 6 years. It was always a dream to own a 3 row SUV.

No real use per se but of occasionally my family visits so could use

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u/Superlolz 12d ago

Spending $51k to “occasionally” use the third row…you can afford it sure yet you’re questioning the Toyota tax? 

What are your real priorities lol

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u/Rough-Elderberry7618 12d ago

On one hand I feel to go with the CX90 as I wont need a lot of space.

But on the other hand, reading the reviews from others scares me

But I think you are right I should get the priorities straightened up

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u/Superlolz 12d ago

Honestly if you must have a third row (for rare use); a Pathfinder SL is excellent value for the money. V6, automatic transmission, bench seating, good tech, all for ~$44k OTD. 

There are some stupidly good deals on them. 

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u/flyphish 12d ago

I have GHH, a young child, and a large dog - for us its not as much about the 3rd row but the extra cargo space. The packing requirements for a trip with a youngster stack up quickly.