Review of the 2016 Mazda CX-9 from an existing CX-9 owner

[igozoom]

I don’t usually take my vehicle to the dealer for service.  But I just had a set of $1100 Michelins installed on my 2012 CX-9 GT and Discount Tire doesn’t do wheel alignments.  My dealer recently sent me a coupon for a $49.95 alignment, so I decided to take advantage of it.

 

While I was waiting for my car, I ventured into the showroom to check out the all-new 2016 CX-9 that was just released in the last month.  They had a top-of-the-line Signature AWD model on display, which had a sticker of $45,215.  The Signature is only available with Auburn-colored Nappa Leather interior and has real aluminum and genuine Rosewood trim.  It even has very cool looking LED grille accent lighting.  Everything is standard and there are no options.  It was impressive, to say the least.

 

I decided to take a quick test drive in a CX-9 Grand Touring FWD.  The main difference between it and the Signature model in the showroom is the ‘regular’ leather interior (black in this case), no Rosewood trim and can be had in FWD or AWD, while AWD is mandatory on the Signature.  The sticker price on the GT I test drove was $41,070.  Like the Signature, there are no options…. everything is included.

 

The original CX-9 was old in automotive terms, introduced in late 2006 as a 2007 model (nine model years is ancient).  One of the primary obstacles in developing a new CX-9 was the lack of an engine to power it.  The previous CX-9 was powered by a Ford-designed, Mazda-assembled 3.7L V6 good for 273hp @ 6250rpm and 270lb-ft of torque @ 4250rpm.  It was a great engine with plenty of power, but it also guzzled gas (my 2012 is rated at 17/24mpg and I average just under 18mpg per tank). 

 

The 2016 CX-9 uses a turbocharged version of the 2.5L found in several other Mazda products.  Mazda states that it produces 227hp on regular gas and 250hp on premium (@ 5000rpm in both cases).  Regardless of the fuel used, it is rated at 310lb-ft of torque at a very low 2000rpm.  On the surface, 227hp (or even 250hp) in this size and type of vehicle is at or near the bottom of the class.  But the torque figure beats most of the competition by 40-50lb-ft.  Again, just looking at numbers, the use of a 6-speed automatic appears to be a weakness when 8- and 9-speeds are common.  But when you have that much torque at such a low engine speed, a good 6-speed is more than sufficient.

 

Since I’m a repeat customer (and a current CX-9 owner), they let me take the test drive alone.  That particular vehicle had almost 500 miles on it, so I didn’t feel quite as guilty pushing it a bit harder than usual.  The salesman readily admitted that they only used regular gas, so it was only good for 227hp.  I was expecting a significant difference in performance compared to my CX-9, and I was pleasantly surprised.  My CX-9 is decently quick off the line but I have to rev it pretty hard if I want truly quick acceleration.  If I need a quick burst of power for passing or merging into traffic, foot to the floor is the only way to go.  But the new CX-9 pulls strongly almost from idle.  There’s no need to push it past 5000rpm and power actually falls off between 5000rpm and the 6300rpm redline.  In normal driving, it seriously feels like a big V6.

 

The Aisin 6-speed automatic in my CX-9 is one of the best I’ve ever experienced.  It always seems to be in the right gear in any given situation and will downshift two or even three gears in a split-second when you put the pedal to the floor.  The 6-speed in the 2016 CX-9 performs just as well and, to my surprise, the need for downshifts is even less common.  In situations where mine would downshift from 6^th to 4^th, the new one managed to stay in 6^th and get the job done. 

 

The Achilles’ heel of the old CX-9 was fuel economy.  As I mentioned earlier, mine is rated at 17/24mpg and I average just under 18mpg.  The new model has a much improved rating of 22/28mpg (21/27 with AWD) and several tests I’ve found online show AWD models achieving 22-23mpg in real world driving.  A 4-5mpg overall improvement is very impressive and also among the best in the class.

 

The other major strike against the pre-2016 CX-9 was the dated interior design and technology (or lack thereof).  It debuted almost 10 years ago and, despite updates in 2010 and 2013, it was still behind the curve.  The new interior looks and feels more like a near-luxury vehicle than any Ford Explorer, Dodge Durango or Enclave/Traverse/Acadia I’ve ever seen.  The seats are exceptionally comfortable and the assembly quality is excellent.  The entire vehicle feels even more stiff and solid than before and the old model wasn’t too shabby in those areas to start with.  The controls are well-placed, intuitive and even the ‘infotainment’ system (which I tend to hate in many new cars) was usable without reading the owner’s manual. 

 

It’s safe to say that I find the new 2016 Mazda CX-9 very impressive and a worthy successor to the first generation.  While it is exceptional, no vehicle is perfect.  But my quibbles are few and somewhat trivial.  The way 98% of people drive, the new model is just as quick or quicker than before.  But flat out acceleration from a standstill under full throttle feels slightly slower.  I haven’t seen any published stats on the 2016 FWD, but estimates of the 0-60 time are in the 7.5-7.8sec range.  My 2012 FWD was tested at 7.1sec, a slight but not insignificant difference.  I also like the sound of my V6 better than the new turbo-4.  Neither of those would be noticeable to the average buyer of this type of vehicle and it certainly wouldn’t deter me from buying one either.

 

The new CX-9 has the potential to be a superstar among Large/3-row Crossovers!  But the original CX-9 was also outstanding when it was introduced but, at best, sales were mediocre.  The only year from 2007-2015 that it topped 30k was 2011, when 34,421 were sold.  Most years were around the 25k mark, but just over 18k units were sold in 2014 and 2015.  In comparison, the Toyota Highlander has sold over 100k units year since 2010 and almost hit 160k in 2015.  The GM trio (Buick Enclave/Chevy Traverse/GMC Acadia) sold 279k unit combined in 2015 and the Ford Explorer was just a few hundred sales shy of 250k.  Even the mediocre Nissan Pathfinder sells over 80k per year.

 

Obviously, there is a huge market for 3-row SUV/Crossovers and Mazda has a great opportunity for sales growth.  While they have an excellent grasp on developing and building great cars, they don’t really know how to market them!  Mazda also has one of the smallest dealer networks among non-premium/luxury brands…. (second only to Mitsubishi).  I hope that they remedy those two shortcomings rather than allowing another exceptional vehicle to remain off the radar for the vast majority of consumers!

[ccap41]

Nice review!

 

I think Mazda's sales problem is attributed to a lack of a dealer network compared to those other brands mentioned. I know on my way to a Mazda dealership I probably pass 3 Ford/GM dealers and probably 1-2 Nissan/Toyota dealerships and where the Mazda dealership there are all of the above together anyway. 

[G. David Felt]

Cool review of yours gen one against the gen two.

 

I feel that no matter how good the product is, unless they grow their dealer network and the customer base, they will get swallowed up in time by a larger company.

[caddycruiser]

The look, design, finish, materials, performance and total "package" of the new CX-9 really is an example of even what most luxury crossovers wish they could be. It's so well done, simply. Look at the center console and shifter (imagine that, a shifter, not $$$$ wasted designing some goofy button, etc. people will hate), a knob, and one screen.

 

I had a 2011 CX-9 Grand Touring FWD myself with every option back in the day when I worked for Mazda and into Acura, and loved it. The driving dynamics, look, finish, feel, and everything about it was spot on. Yes, the 3.7L was heavy on gas, but as mentioned the Aisin 6-speed was perfect and the V6 roared well and strong, smoothly.

 

Hope they do well with the new 9. It's really the only vehicle in the class, in the sub $45k mark, that can sell on "wow" merits alone.

[Suaviloquent]

The one drawback is that Mazda still has no Android Auto or Carplay compatibility. And while there are no options, there's a glaring omission of things like of highly adjustable power seats for the front passenger too.

 

However, nonetheless - this is perhaps the closest anyone is going to get to as vehicle that can really hang dynamically with 3-row vehicles like the XC90 and Audi Q7.

 

I totally agree aboot the interior. Mazda, you kept us waiting, huh? You're pretty good, Mazda.

 

And the wood trim - lickable!!

[igozoom]

Cool review of yours gen one against the gen two.

 

I feel that no matter how good the product is, unless they grow their dealer network and the customer base, they will get swallowed up in time by a larger company.

Thanks.  I have been concerned about Mazda making it solo after Ford sold the bulk of their shares in the company in 2008 and 2010.  Mazda is a rather unique company because they're not affiliated with a large company.  But they're still making money (mostly on the Mazda3 and CX-5) despite their limited sales volume.  Even so, they should still be selling a lot more because they have some of the best cars (if not THE best) in each respective category. 

 

The CEO of Mazda North America retired effective 12/31/2015.  He was a transplant from Ford back in 2003, when they held controlling interest, and he stayed to help Mazda survive their newfound independence.  He was replaced by Masahiro Moro, who was formerly head of Mazda's Global Marketing and Sales division.  I also read that Mazda is focusing on 35 specific markets and that some underperforming dealers will be cut and new dealerships added in the areas needed.  I hope it works out because most people don't want to buy from a dealer that is 30 or 45 minutes out of their way.

[igozoom]

The look, design, finish, materials, performance and total "package" of the new CX-9 really is an example of even what most luxury crossovers wish they could be. It's so well done, simply. Look at the center console and shifter (imagine that, a shifter, not $$$$ wasted designing some goofy button, etc. people will hate), a knob, and one screen.

 

I had a 2011 CX-9 Grand Touring FWD myself with every option back in the day when I worked for Mazda and into Acura, and loved it. The driving dynamics, look, finish, feel, and everything about it was spot on. Yes, the 3.7L was heavy on gas, but as mentioned the Aisin 6-speed was perfect and the V6 roared well and strong, smoothly.

 

Hope they do well with the new 9. It's really the only vehicle in the class, in the sub $45k mark, that can sell on "wow" merits alone.

I'm curious- why did you get rid of your 2011 CX-9?  What color was it and did you have the NAV? 

 

I bought mine as a 'leftover' 2012 on Black Friday 2012 (11/30/15) and several months after the 'facelifted' 2013 models had arrived at dealers.  Only six colors were available and I only found four to be acceptable (Copper Red and Brilliant Black were the two that I automatically disqualified).  My first pick Brilliant Silver with Black interior followed by Stormy Blue with Sand or Black, then Dolphin Gray (with either interior color) and Crystal White Pearl were tied for last place on my list.  I wanted one with everything except the outdated and useless NAV, so I ended up with Crystal White Pearl with the Moonroof/Bose/SIRIUS package + the Power Liftgate.  The build date was 09/2012, so it was literally more than a year old and it only had 38 miles on the clock and plastic still on the seats.  So it was a new, year-old car.  it stickered for $38,735 and I bought it for $29.706 (plus tax) thanks to rebates and incentives....along with their desire to get rid of last year's model!  I was considering a CPO 2010-2011 Acura MDX, but at the price I couldn't pass it up!

 

I truly believe that the new CX-9 could be a much larger player in the game this time around....if they can just get people to realize that it exists!!!  The first thing that I thought of when I got in the Signature model on the showroom floor was how much it reminded me of the new Volvo XC90.  If every consumer buying a 3-row SUV/Crossover took the time to test drive the CX-9 before making a purchase, they'd sell them faster than they could build and ship them!

[igozoom]

The one drawback is that Mazda still has no Android Auto or Carplay compatibility. And while there are no options, there's a glaring omission of things like of highly adjustable power seats for the front passenger too.

 

However, nonetheless - this is perhaps the closest anyone is going to get to as vehicle that can really hang dynamically with 3-row vehicles like the XC90 and Audi Q7.

 

I totally agree aboot the interior. Mazda, you kept us waiting, huh? You're pretty good, Mazda.

 

And the wood trim - lickable!!

 

The lack of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is really unacceptable on a car that is so comprehensively equipped otherwise.  Hopefully they'll correct that in the near future....it's common place on pretty much everything new these days.

 

I didn't notice the front passenger seat, but it appears to have a 4-way power adjustmenet (same as mine), which is simply moving fore/act and power reclining.  The lack of a height adjustment doesn't seem like a huge omission for a passenger seat, but the lack of lumbar support could be unpleasant.  Another oversight that will hopefully be addressed by a 'running change' in the near future. 

 

But I agree with you- the genuine Rosewood and Aluminum interior trim pieces look like they could be from a $70k vehicle.  The Signature is only offered in four colors, which is a bit odd- Snowflake White Pearl, Jet Black Mica, Sonic Silver or Machine Gray Metallic.  And the interior only comes in 'Auburn' which I think only adds to the upscale appearance, but may not be everyone's cup of tea.  A black or beiege option wouldn't have been a bad idea.

 

As I mentioned in an earlier reply, the moment I sat in the CX-9 Signature on the showroom floor, it reminded me of the internationally praised and awarded Volvo XC90!  It's a legitimate contender among the likes of the XC90. 

 

Now Mazda just needs to be more visible and, until they build more dealerships, find other ways to land on the radar of buyers.  I actually became a Mazda customer back in late 2005 after I attended an event at Road Atlanta called "Zoom=Zoom LIVE"!  They did it once a year for several years and had all of their vehicles there, some of which could be test driven.  I was planning to buy a bare-bones 2005 Volvo S40 until then.  Maybe they should do something like that again, for the sake of brand awareness....

[regfootball]

cx-9 should do well.  the interior is bang up, especially for the price.  It's larger inside now too....it should directly compare a little better vs the others in the class.

[daves87rs]

The new one is a looker....