Most people buying three-row SUVs tend to focus on the practicality, but for vehicles like the new Mazda CX-90, one of its main selling points is its all-new powertrain, which features an inline-six engine and rear-biased all-wheel drive. To see how a vehicle like this stacks up to its similarly powerful rivals, YouTuber Sam CarLegion pitted it against the Acura MDX Type S and Genesis GV80.
On paper, the race should be close. The CX-90 makes 340 hp (345 PS / 254 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque from a mild hybrid turbocharged 3.3-liter inline-six, the MDX Type S makes 355 hp (360 PS / 265 kW) and 354 lb-ft (481 Nm) of torque from a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, and the GV80 makes 375 hp (380 PS / 279 kW) and 391 lb-ft (530 Nm) of torque from a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6. All three SUVs have all-wheel drive, and all three weigh within 200 lb (91 kg) of one another.
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In the first drag race, the MDX immediately took the lead, followed by the GV80 and CX-90. This continued to the end of the race, with each SUV finishing about a car’s length behind the one in front of it. The following drag races saw similar results, however, roll races proved to be a bit of a shakeup. While the first roll saw the same result as the drag races, the second saw the Genesis as the winner, followed by the Acura and the Mazda.
If we were to base it solely off the results of the races in this video, we’d say the MDX Type S is the best choice for outright performance, the GV80 is the pick for the more luxurious crowd, and the CX-90 is for the person who wants a practical three-row with a bit of inline-six soul. To watch all the races for yourself, you can check them out in Sam CarLegion’s video above.