Mazda CX-90 vs Kia Telluride: MPG, Fuel Cost, Recalls and Safety
On EPA ratings the 2025 Mazda CX-90's best version gets 25 mpg combined against 22 mpg for the Kia Telluride.
Mazda CX-90
25mpg
Best 2025 version: 3.3L turbo 6-cyl mild hybrid · 4WD · 8-speed automatic
Kia Telluride
22mpg
Best 2025 version: 3.8L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic
The cheapest Mazda CX-90 to fuel costs $2,600 a year at EPA's prices, $350 less than the cheapest Telluride. NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2025 CX-90 and 3 recalls for the Telluride.
Side by side
| 2025 model year | CX-90 | Telluride |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy (EPA) | ||
Best combined rating | 25 mpg (clearly better) 3.3L turbo 6-cyl mild hybrid · 4WD · 8-speed automatic | 22 mpg 3.8L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic |
Best gas rating Gas engines only; hybrids and diesels excluded | 25 mpg (clearly better) | 22 mpg |
Hybrid or plug-in available | Plug-in hybrid 56 MPGe on electricity | No |
AWD or 4WD available | Yes | Yes |
Lowest annual fuel cost 15,000 miles at EPA fuel prices | $2,600 (clearly better) | $2,950 |
5-year fuel cost vs average new vehicle Cheapest-to-fuel version (EPA) | Costs $1,500 more (clearly better) | Costs $3,250 more |
| Safety (NHTSA) | ||
Safety recalls, 2025 model year Counts depend on sales and time on sale | 2 | 3 |
Owner complaints, 2025 model year Filed with NHTSA so far | 43 | 113 |
NHTSA overall crash rating Range across tested versions | 5 stars | 5 stars |
Rollover risk Range across tested versions; lower is better | 12.7% to 15.5% | 14.3% to 15.5% |
Marks the clearly better figure. Small gaps (under 2 mpg or 5%, $100 a year in fuel) and overlapping crash-test ranges are not marked, and recall and complaint counts are not scored because they depend on how many were sold.
Best combined rating by model year
The best-rated version of each, every model year since 2020. The CX-90 rated higher in every one of the 2 years both were sold.
- Mazda CX-90
- Kia Telluride
2025: Mazda CX-90 25 mpg · Kia Telluride 22 mpgTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Mazda CX-90 | Kia Telluride |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | – | 23 |
| 2021 | – | 23 |
| 2022 | – | 23 |
| 2023 | – | 23 |
| 2024 | 25 | 22 |
| 2025 | 25 | 22 |
| 2026 | 25 | – |
Recalls by model year
Safety recalls NHTSA lists for each model year. Counts depend on how many were sold and how long each model year has been on the road.
- Mazda CX-90 (left bar)
- Kia Telluride (right bar)
2026: Mazda CX-90 0 recalls · Kia Telluride no dataTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Mazda CX-90 | Kia Telluride |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | – | 7 |
| 2021 | – | 5 |
| 2022 | – | 7 |
| 2023 | – | 6 |
| 2024 | 11 | 5 |
| 2025 | 2 | 3 |
| 2026 | 0 | – |
More on each model
- 2025 Mazda CX-90 MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Mazda CX-90 by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
- 2025 Kia Telluride MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Kia Telluride by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
Questions
Which gets better gas mileage, the CX-90 or the Telluride?
For 2025, the CX-90. Its best version is rated 25 mpg combined; the Telluride's best is 22 mpg.
Which is cheaper to fuel?
The CX-90. At EPA's assumptions its cheapest version costs $2,600 a year against $2,950, a $1,750 difference over five years.
How do they compare in NHTSA crash tests?
The 2025 CX-90 is rated 5 stars overall and the Telluride is rated 5 stars overall. Rollover risk is 12.7% to 15.5% for the CX-90 and 14.3% to 15.5% for the Telluride.
Sources and method
- US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026, and EPA fuel prices.
- NHTSA recall file dated Sep 29, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 28, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.
We compare the best-rated version of each model unless a row says otherwise. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.