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2021 Mazda CX-9 vs. 2021 Kia Telluride
2021 Mazda CX-9 ・ Photo by Brady Holt
A three-row crossover SUV is, at its heart, a family bus. Its primary focus is carrying people and their stuff safely, comfortably, and without too much fuss. And that’s not a formula for getting people excited about these vehicles.
Two critically acclaimed three-row crossovers try to move beyond the basics. The hot 2021 Kia Telluride, fresh off its award-winning 2020 debut, and the newly updated 2021 Mazda CX-9 promise greater style, luxury, and performance than typical competitors, all at excellent prices. Based on our experience driving and analyzing both vehicles, we can share how the CX-9 and the Telluride compare in eight categories — and which one is our top pick overall. Keep reading to see our winner and decide which SUV is the better fit for you.
Pricing and Features
Kia is known as a value brand, and true to form, the Telluride has a lower starting price than the CX-9. The base Telluride LX starts at $31,990 compared with $33,960 for the entry-level CX-9 Sport. Still, the CX-9 is also a compelling bargain, and it even offers some features for less money than the Kia.
The Telluride LX’s generous features include leatherette upholstery, push-button starting, an 8-inch infotainment screen, and a full complement of safety features. The CX-9 Sport has cloth upholstery and a conventional ignition key but does provide a power-adjustable driver’s seat, tri-zone automatic climate control, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and (new this year) a 10.3-inch infotainment screen. And if you want a power liftgate or genuine leather, they’re available in the $35,370 CX-9 Touring vs. the $37,390 Telluride EX. Both models are laden with high-end optional features, but the Kia has more unique winners — including ventilated second-row seats, a panoramic moonroof, and a blind-spot camera. Overall, while you’ll want to check the vehicles carefully to see which has your own favorite options for less money, the Telluride comes out ahead for us.
Kia Telluride
Photo by Brady Holt
Exterior Design
The CX-9 and the Telluride take different approaches to design, but neither of them settles for dull and predictable. The Kia is a big, blocky, whole-hearted SUV — a box with rounded-off edges. It’s not an aggressive design, but its mix of purposefulness and luxury reminds us of high-end off-road beasts like the Land Rover Range Rover and the Toyota Land Cruiser. (To be clear, the Telluride is still a light-duty crossover; we only mean that its design doesn’t shout to the world that it belongs on pavement.)
But while the Telluride’s exterior embraces its functionality, the CX-9 disguises it. Looking at the two crossovers, you’d never guess that the Mazda is the larger of the two — 2.5 inches longer and only about an inch lower or narrower. Until you try to fit it into a tiny parking space, this svelte and elegantly detailed crossover looks and feels like a little compact crossover. Its design speaks to on-road performance and subtle elegance, in contrast to the brasher Kia. You’ll have to choose for yourself which aesthetic is right for you.
Tie
Photo by Brady Holt
Interior Design
It’s a pity to declare either of these vehicles the loser for their interior design, since the Telluride and the CX-9 have the two most elegantly designed and meticulously finished cabins in their class. Still, we’re going to give the edge to the Kia.
In terms of aesthetics, the two interiors differ the same way their exteriors do. The Telluride’s blockier dashboard, console grab handles, and airy feel emphasize that this is a big SUV. The CX-9’s lower dash and higher center console create a cozier, more car-like feel. But while everyone will have their own preferences there, we think opinions will be more uniform when it comes to functionality. The Kia’s infotainment touchscreen and logical buttons and knobs are breezy simplicity compared with the Mazda’s console-mounted rotary controls. And while the 2021 CX-9 now has a big 10.3-inch display as standard equipment (Tellurides have the same size on upper trim levels only), the Kia system uses the space more effectively to present lots of useful information simultaneously.
Kia Telluride
Photo by Brady Holt
Passenger Comfort
Most categories in this comparison are either a close call or a matter of opinion. That's not so when it comes to interior space. The boxy Telluride walks away from the sleeker CX-9. It seats an extra passenger compared with the CX-9 — depending on whether you pick a second-row bench seat or captain’s chairs, a choice of seven or eight people in the Kia rather than six or seven in the Mazda — and it does so more comfortably.
Up in the front, we already contrasted the CX-9’s cozy feel with the Telluride’s airy one. That’s a matter of personal preference. But once we get into the rear rows of seats, the Kia takes the clear lead. The CX-9 does have impressively comfortable second-row seating, but the Telluride does better still, with more legroom and bigger windows. Similarly, while the Mazda’s third-row seat is decent for an SUV (short on legroom but nicely padded), the Kia’s goes the extra mile with more generous space and, once again, big windows for an uncommonly child-friendly view.
Photo by Brady Holt
Cargo and Towing
The Telluride’s utility continues to impress when it’s time to haul stuff instead of people. While it’s not the No. 1 roomiest three-row crossover, the CX-9’s cargo and towing specs fall near the bottom of the segment.
The Mazda has just 14.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind its third row, and folding down all the rear seats yields just 71.2 cubic feet — less than a compact Honda CR-V. You won’t find the CX-9 tiny; no three-row crossover is. But the Telluride is more commodious, with 21 cubic feet behind its third row and 87 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. The Kia can also tow more than the Mazda: 5,000 pounds vs. 3,500 pounds.
Photo by Brady Holt
Driving Experience
Mazda is known for driving the way Kia is known for value. But just as the Telluride managed an unexpectedly narrow win for its price, the CX-9 faces a tough challenge here. This big Mazda handles with agreeable agility for such a large vehicle, but it’s not quite gleeful fun. That’s in part because the CX-9 feels smaller than it is; it’s so easy to forget that you’re hustling a big SUV that its high limits feel less impressive.
Still, the Telluride provides more of a cocooned-box vibe. It’s more distant from the road, less eager. In contrast with its exuberant design and lavishly finished interior, its driving experience settles more for well-executed normalcy. That’s still quite good, though, and the Telluride handles with more grace than many of its competitors. What’s more, the Kia’s 3.8-liter 291-horsepower V6 engine is smoother and more powerful than the CX-9’s 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, which makes 227 horsepower and regular fuel and 250 hp on premium. The CX-9 gets the win for its more unique ability to mimic a much smaller vehicle, but the Telluride is no wallowing boat, either.
Photo by Brady Holt
Fuel Economy
The CX-9’s four-cylinder engine does have an advantage at the gas pump. The CX-9’s EPA ratings are 22 mpg in the city, 28 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg overall with front-wheel drive and 20 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined with all-wheel drive. Our AWD test vehicle averaged about 24 mpg in mixed conditions.
In contrast, the front-wheel drive Telluride only matches the AWD CX-9 at 20 mpg city/26 mpg highway/23 mpg combined. Choose AWD and the Telluride slips to 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway/21 mpg combined. The Mazda’s fuel savings evaporate if you do pick premium-grade fuel to unlock its extra 23 horsepower (we wouldn’t), and non-scientifically, our Telluride AWD test vehicle matched the CX-9 at 24 mpg in our hands. But for an apples-to-apples comparison, and assuming you stick with regular-grade gasoline, the CX-9 will cost less to refuel.
Photo by Brady Holt
Safety
The CX-9 and Telluride achieved excellent and nearly identical crash-test scores, and they have most of the same safety features. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing, both SUVs excelled in nearly all categories. The CX-9’s headlights scored better, while the Telluride’s automatic emergency braking system proved better at autonomously avoiding a pedestrian; other scores were tied at the highest rating. Over at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, they both earned a top five-star overall rating, while both earned a less-magnificent four stars for frontal-impact protection.
Both SUVs come standard with blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assistance, and adaptive cruise control — a generous collection of driver aids. The CX-9 also has automatic high beams as standard equipment, while they’re offered only on the top Telluride SX model. However, every Telluride (but just high-end CX-9s) includes a driver-drowsiness monitor, and Telluride-exclusive technology includes a rear-seat reminder and a blind-spot camera. Overall, these safe, high-tech crossovers battle this category to a tie.
Tie
Photo by Brady Holt
Overall
We’ve liked the Mazda CX-9 ever since its current generation debuted back in 2016, and a combination of a fantastic starting point and frequent updates have kept it highly competitive. Despite its high-end style and handling, it can still hold its own for everyday comfort, utility, and affordability.
The Kia Telluride is a tough rival, though — for any three-row crossover. It may not have the CX-9’s handling poise, and not everyone will prefer its big-box design to the slimmed-down Mazda’s. But the Telluride manages to look and feel like a luxury vehicle at the same time that it’s an unusually spacious family car. It gives a high-end treatment without demanding sacrifices in interior room, control usability, price, or pretty much anything else. It begins with a high degree of overall competence and value, then adds a healthy dose of character and luxury that’s often missing from the three-row crossover class. The CX-9 is a worthy vehicle and a breath of fresh air to drivers who wish for a smaller-feeling big SUV, but the Telluride is an unmistakable class leader.
Kia Telluride
Photo by Brady Holt