diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index b7ed7ac2cb..30cd74c937 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -366,6 +366,24 @@ path = "benches/sqlite/describe.rs"
 harness = false
 required-features = ["sqlite"]
 
+[[bench]]
+name = "sqlite-connection"
+path = "benches/sqlite/connection.rs"
+harness = false
+required-features = ["sqlite", "runtime-tokio"]
+
+[[bench]]
+name = "postgres-connection"
+path = "benches/postgres/connection.rs"
+harness = false
+required-features = ["postgres", "runtime-tokio"]
+
+[[bench]]
+name = "mysql-connection"
+path = "benches/mysql/connection.rs"
+harness = false
+required-features = ["mysql-rsa", "runtime-tokio"]
+
 #
 # MySQL
 #
diff --git a/benches/mysql/connection.rs b/benches/mysql/connection.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..53eaf5b8f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benches/mysql/connection.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+use criterion::{criterion_group, criterion_main, Criterion};
+use sqlx::mysql::{MySqlConnection, MySqlPoolOptions};
+use sqlx::{Connection, Executor};
+use std::cell::RefCell;
+
+const LARGE_RESULT_ROWS: i64 = 10_000;
+
+fn db_url() -> String {
+    dotenvy::var("DATABASE_URL").expect("DATABASE_URL must be set")
+}
+
+async fn setup_conn() -> MySqlConnection {
+    let mut conn = MySqlConnection::connect(&db_url()).await.unwrap();
+
+    conn.execute(
+        "CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE bench_data (
+            id    BIGINT       NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
+            name  TEXT         NOT NULL,
+            data  BLOB         NOT NULL,
+            val1  BIGINT       NOT NULL,
+            val2  DOUBLE       NOT NULL
+        )",
+    )
+    .await
+    .unwrap();
+
+    // MySQL's recursive CTE default limit is 1000; raise it for this session.
+    conn.execute("SET cte_max_recursion_depth = 10000")
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+    sqlx::query(
+        "INSERT INTO bench_data (id, name, data, val1, val2)
+         WITH RECURSIVE gen(n) AS (
+             SELECT 1
+             UNION ALL
+             SELECT n + 1 FROM gen WHERE n < ?
+         )
+         SELECT n, CONCAT('row_', n), UNHEX(LPAD('', 32, '0')), n, n FROM gen",
+    )
+    .bind(LARGE_RESULT_ROWS)
+    .execute(&mut conn)
+    .await
+    .unwrap();
+
+    conn
+}
+
+// ── async helpers ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+async fn do_ping(conn: &RefCell<MySqlConnection>) {
+    conn.borrow_mut().ping().await.unwrap();
+}
+
+async fn do_query_small(conn: &RefCell<MySqlConnection>) {
+    let mut guard = conn.borrow_mut();
+    let _: (i64, String, Vec<u8>, i64, f64) =
+        sqlx::query_as("SELECT id, name, data, val1, val2 FROM bench_data WHERE id = 1")
+            .fetch_one(&mut *guard)
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+}
+
+async fn do_query_large(conn: &RefCell<MySqlConnection>) {
+    let mut guard = conn.borrow_mut();
+    let _: Vec<(i64, String, Vec<u8>, i64, f64)> =
+        sqlx::query_as("SELECT id, name, data, val1, val2 FROM bench_data")
+            .fetch_all(&mut *guard)
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+}
+
+async fn do_pool_checkout(pool: &sqlx::MySqlPool) {
+    let _conn = pool.acquire().await.unwrap();
+}
+
+// ── criterion functions ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+fn bench_new_connection(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    let url = db_url();
+    c.bench_function("new_connection", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| async {
+            drop(MySqlConnection::connect(&url).await.unwrap());
+        });
+    });
+}
+
+fn bench_pool_checkout(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    let pool = runtime
+        .block_on(
+            MySqlPoolOptions::new()
+                .min_connections(1)
+                .max_connections(1)
+                .connect(&db_url()),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+    c.bench_function("pool_checkout", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| do_pool_checkout(&pool));
+    });
+}
+
+fn bench_ping(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    let conn = RefCell::new(
+        runtime
+            .block_on(MySqlConnection::connect(&db_url()))
+            .unwrap(),
+    );
+
+    c.bench_function("ping", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| do_ping(&conn));
+    });
+}
+
+fn bench_query_small(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    let conn = RefCell::new(runtime.block_on(setup_conn()));
+
+    c.bench_function("query_small_result", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| do_query_small(&conn));
+    });
+}
+
+fn bench_query_large(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    let conn = RefCell::new(runtime.block_on(setup_conn()));
+
+    c.bench_function("query_large_result", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| do_query_large(&conn));
+    });
+}
+
+criterion_group!(
+    benches,
+    bench_new_connection,
+    bench_pool_checkout,
+    bench_ping,
+    bench_query_small,
+    bench_query_large,
+);
+criterion_main!(benches);
diff --git a/benches/postgres/connection.rs b/benches/postgres/connection.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b786ec885e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benches/postgres/connection.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+use criterion::{criterion_group, criterion_main, Criterion};
+use sqlx::postgres::{PgConnection, PgPoolOptions};
+use sqlx::{Connection, Executor};
+use std::cell::RefCell;
+
+const LARGE_RESULT_ROWS: i64 = 10_000;
+
+fn db_url() -> String {
+    dotenvy::var("DATABASE_URL").expect("DATABASE_URL must be set")
+}
+
+async fn setup_conn() -> PgConnection {
+    let mut conn = PgConnection::connect(&db_url()).await.unwrap();
+
+    conn.execute(
+        "CREATE TEMP TABLE bench_data (
+            id    BIGINT  PRIMARY KEY,
+            name  TEXT    NOT NULL,
+            data  BYTEA   NOT NULL,
+            val1  BIGINT  NOT NULL,
+            val2  FLOAT8  NOT NULL
+        )",
+    )
+    .await
+    .unwrap();
+
+    sqlx::query(
+        "INSERT INTO bench_data (id, name, data, val1, val2)
+         SELECT
+             n,
+             'row_' || n,
+             decode(lpad('', 32, '0'), 'hex'),
+             n,
+             n::float8
+         FROM generate_series(1, $1) AS n",
+    )
+    .bind(LARGE_RESULT_ROWS)
+    .execute(&mut conn)
+    .await
+    .unwrap();
+
+    conn
+}
+
+// ── async helpers ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+async fn do_ping(conn: &RefCell<PgConnection>) {
+    conn.borrow_mut().ping().await.unwrap();
+}
+
+async fn do_query_small(conn: &RefCell<PgConnection>) {
+    let mut guard = conn.borrow_mut();
+    let _: (i64, String, Vec<u8>, i64, f64) =
+        sqlx::query_as("SELECT id, name, data, val1, val2 FROM bench_data WHERE id = 1")
+            .fetch_one(&mut *guard)
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+}
+
+async fn do_query_large(conn: &RefCell<PgConnection>) {
+    let mut guard = conn.borrow_mut();
+    let _: Vec<(i64, String, Vec<u8>, i64, f64)> =
+        sqlx::query_as("SELECT id, name, data, val1, val2 FROM bench_data")
+            .fetch_all(&mut *guard)
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+}
+
+async fn do_pool_checkout(pool: &sqlx::PgPool) {
+    let _conn = pool.acquire().await.unwrap();
+}
+
+// ── criterion functions ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+fn bench_new_connection(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    let url = db_url();
+    c.bench_function("new_connection", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| async {
+            drop(PgConnection::connect(&url).await.unwrap());
+        });
+    });
+}
+
+fn bench_pool_checkout(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    let pool = runtime
+        .block_on(
+            PgPoolOptions::new()
+                .min_connections(1)
+                .max_connections(1)
+                .connect(&db_url()),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+    c.bench_function("pool_checkout", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| do_pool_checkout(&pool));
+    });
+}
+
+fn bench_ping(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    let conn = RefCell::new(runtime.block_on(PgConnection::connect(&db_url())).unwrap());
+
+    c.bench_function("ping", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| do_ping(&conn));
+    });
+}
+
+fn bench_query_small(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    let conn = RefCell::new(runtime.block_on(setup_conn()));
+
+    c.bench_function("query_small_result", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| do_query_small(&conn));
+    });
+}
+
+fn bench_query_large(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    let conn = RefCell::new(runtime.block_on(setup_conn()));
+
+    c.bench_function("query_large_result", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| do_query_large(&conn));
+    });
+}
+
+criterion_group!(
+    benches,
+    bench_new_connection,
+    bench_pool_checkout,
+    bench_ping,
+    bench_query_small,
+    bench_query_large,
+);
+criterion_main!(benches);
diff --git a/benches/sqlite/connection.rs b/benches/sqlite/connection.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7caf7dda2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benches/sqlite/connection.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+use criterion::{criterion_group, criterion_main, Criterion};
+use sqlx::sqlite::{SqliteConnection, SqlitePoolOptions};
+use sqlx::{Connection, Executor};
+use std::cell::RefCell;
+
+const DB_URL: &str = "sqlite::memory:";
+const LARGE_RESULT_ROWS: i64 = 10_000;
+
+async fn setup_conn() -> SqliteConnection {
+    let mut conn = SqliteConnection::connect(DB_URL).await.unwrap();
+
+    conn.execute(
+        "CREATE TEMP TABLE bench_data (
+            id    INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
+            name  TEXT    NOT NULL,
+            data  BLOB    NOT NULL,
+            val1  INTEGER NOT NULL,
+            val2  REAL    NOT NULL
+        )",
+    )
+    .await
+    .unwrap();
+
+    // Populate with LARGE_RESULT_ROWS rows using a recursive CTE.
+    sqlx::query(
+        "INSERT INTO bench_data (id, name, data, val1, val2)
+         WITH RECURSIVE gen(n) AS (
+             VALUES(1)
+             UNION ALL
+             SELECT n + 1 FROM gen WHERE n < ?
+         )
+         SELECT n, 'row_' || n, zeroblob(16), n, CAST(n AS REAL) FROM gen",
+    )
+    .bind(LARGE_RESULT_ROWS)
+    .execute(&mut conn)
+    .await
+    .unwrap();
+
+    conn
+}
+
+// ── async helpers ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+async fn do_ping(conn: &RefCell<SqliteConnection>) {
+    conn.borrow_mut().ping().await.unwrap();
+}
+
+async fn do_query_small(conn: &RefCell<SqliteConnection>) {
+    let mut guard = conn.borrow_mut();
+    let _: (i64, String, Vec<u8>, i64, f64) =
+        sqlx::query_as("SELECT id, name, data, val1, val2 FROM bench_data WHERE id = 1")
+            .fetch_one(&mut *guard)
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+}
+
+async fn do_query_large(conn: &RefCell<SqliteConnection>) {
+    let mut guard = conn.borrow_mut();
+    let _: Vec<(i64, String, Vec<u8>, i64, f64)> =
+        sqlx::query_as("SELECT id, name, data, val1, val2 FROM bench_data")
+            .fetch_all(&mut *guard)
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+}
+
+async fn do_pool_checkout(pool: &sqlx::SqlitePool) {
+    let _conn = pool.acquire().await.unwrap();
+}
+
+// ── criterion functions ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+fn bench_new_connection(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    c.bench_function("new_connection", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| async {
+            drop(SqliteConnection::connect(DB_URL).await.unwrap());
+        });
+    });
+}
+
+fn bench_pool_checkout(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    let pool = runtime
+        .block_on(
+            SqlitePoolOptions::new()
+                .min_connections(1)
+                .max_connections(1)
+                .connect(DB_URL),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+    c.bench_function("pool_checkout", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| do_pool_checkout(&pool));
+    });
+}
+
+fn bench_ping(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    let conn = RefCell::new(runtime.block_on(SqliteConnection::connect(DB_URL)).unwrap());
+
+    c.bench_function("ping", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| do_ping(&conn));
+    });
+}
+
+fn bench_query_small(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    let conn = RefCell::new(runtime.block_on(setup_conn()));
+
+    c.bench_function("query_small_result", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| do_query_small(&conn));
+    });
+}
+
+fn bench_query_large(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let runtime = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new().unwrap();
+    let conn = RefCell::new(runtime.block_on(setup_conn()));
+
+    c.bench_function("query_large_result", |b| {
+        b.to_async(&runtime).iter(|| do_query_large(&conn));
+    });
+}
+
+criterion_group!(
+    benches,
+    bench_new_connection,
+    bench_pool_checkout,
+    bench_ping,
+    bench_query_small,
+    bench_query_large,
+);
+criterion_main!(benches);