Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

Showing 11 through 20 of 45.00

• 

  Researched for 6 months - this was the best! - 2016 Mazda CX-9
  By Mazda Newbie - November 2 - 5:26 am

  I had been looking for a 3 row SUV for hauling my grandchildren along with their trinkets whenever they came to visit. I studied all of the U.S. manufacturers and drove the offerings from Ford and General Motors. I also drove the comparable vehicles from Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and even a late model Infiniti. All were acceptable but nothing had the wow factor. I was encouraged twice within an hour time frame from car guys to drive a Mazda CX-9. I knew nothing about Mazda but was willing to try anything as I had not yet found the perfect match. Im glad that I did. I drove the CX-9 and Im glad that I did. This vehicle had the wow factor I was looking for. The exterior styling looks like a European luxury car. Its really a big vehicle - almost 200 hundred inches long - but it really doesnt look big unless its next to another vehicle. More importantly, it certainly doesnt drive like a 3 row SUV. I cracked up when I discovered the CX-9 classifies as a station wagon on my vehicle registration. It isnt my fathers station wagon - for sure!!! It handles like a dream with many safety features including lane assist, radar cruise control and smart brake assist. The instrumentation for navigation is intuitive after learning the basic features of the joystick that explores the infotainment system. The factory sound generated by the Bose speakers is really good. I enjoy the heads up display now that I have it tuned properly for my height (64"). It lightens significantly when wearing polarized sunglasses but it is still visible. The 4 cylinder turbo gets off the line much more quickly than I need it to and there is plenty of power for passing. Shifts are noticeable but not overly dramatic. I was also pleased with the price point of the Mazda. The price point was also best in class compared to similarly equipped vehicles - and none of the other vehicles I drove had the heads up display or the wow factor. I havent owned it long enough to provide an accurate reliability score but Im impressed overall in the first month of ownership. Im looking forward to a long relationship with this one!

• 

  Mazda does it again - 2016 Mazda CX-9
  By Glenn Loveless - October 22 - 4:50 am

  My last Six cars has been Mazdas, four of which were CX9s. Ive found the build quality of Mazdas cars to be excellent. They are reliable, attractive, and cost-effective. I will continue to purchase or lease a Mazda car as long as Mazda continues build cost-effective and reliable automobiles. Now if I can only get reliable service and attention to details from their dealership Ill be a happy camper.

• 

  My First Mazda - 2016 Mazda CX-9
  By Jamaal Bandele - September 12 - 2:32 pm

• 

  bought mine yesterday - 2016 Mazda CX-9
  By santiagosomos - June 20 - 9:23 am

  being a mazda rotary fan my entire life i have a 93 and 85GSLSE Rx7, I need it a 3rd row family hauler , i drove the cx9 AWD turbo and was impresed right away. i bought the sport AWD

• 

  Love at first drive. - 2016 Mazda CX-9
  By Mike LaRusso - April 5 - 2:19 pm

  Best handling SUV Ive ever been in. Feels like Im driving my 6 GT! Beautiful in and out.

• 

  Great New Model - 2016 Mazda CX-9
  By Phillip Sherwood - January 9 - 3:53 am

  More than satisfied with the makeover of the CX-9. Fun to drive. Handling is great. Just a quiet smooth ride. Very happy with this purchase.

• 

  Chose Mazda Over Infiniti? - 2016 Mazda CX-9
  By Chris - June 17 - 2:53 am

  Ive had an Infiniti FX35 for the last 5 years and loved it. It has been a great family vehicle, the quality was nice and the reliability was top notch. My only wish was sometimes that it had a little more trunk space. I was prepared to buy another one last week, now a QX70. However, before I pulled the trigger I had to do due diligence and cross shopped the Acura MDX (slightly bigger than the Infiniti with 3 rows) and yes, the Mazda CX9. The Acura drove pretty nice, but for the price I didnt like it as much as the Infiniti and it looks more like a mini van to me than an SUV, which is counter productive to buying an suv. Seeing the new bodystyle of the CX-9 made me immediately think of it as being similar to my FX-35 body style Id come to love, only stretched out slightly for the 3rd row giving more room. I decided to check them out and Im so glad I did. Mazda has always been nice, but not luxury vehicle nice. I tested out both the Grand Touring and Signature level trims, noting the main differences being subtle: the real wood and dark brown interior in the Signature model with led lighting in the grill vs the Grand Touring with either black or beige interior and black accents vs the wood, both have 20" wheels and nav so the Grand Touring is a great buy if you dont mind black or beige seats only. About a $3k difference. What sold me on the Signature was the dark brown interior I loved; looked a lot more luxurious and reminded me of my 2002 SE Miata I once had with a similar interior. Paired with the pearl white exterior my wife had to have, this was a great compromise; She the got color she wanted, I got the interior I wanted. Had I not read that it had a 2.5 turbo I would have believed it had at least a 3.5L V6 under the hood. Side note: Though the exhaust note is 4cly, the power band and torque definitely are not! It would be easy for mazda to transplant this powertrain to a 3 & the 6 to make mazdaspeed versions and I hope they do! Love the tech safety features that though they are becoming common on a lot of modern vehicles, the way they are implemented here makes them feel like luxury exclusive items. The interior though is what really sold me on this vehicle, its really nice. I do not feel like I stepped own from an Infiniti to a Mazda, but rather that I upgraded. From the NAPA leather, to the aluminum and real wood accents throughout, a plethora of tech and safety features, smooth and very quite ride! Theres some youtube videos comparing the new CX-9 to the Audi Q7 and initially I thought that was apples to oranges, but but after testing it out and now owning it, they have very similar quality. Now that Mazda has separated themselves from FORD, they have the independent ability to re-brand themselves into an even classier company and they are doing it with the CX-9. If you havent driven a MAZDA lately, you owe it to yourself to do so before buying anything else!

• 

  As fun to drive as the old one, just better - 2016 Mazda CX-9
  By Cedric - January 24 - 5:40 am

  Our 2010 CX-9 Grand Touring was still in great shape and we have enjoyed every 60,000 miles we drove in it but wanted to get a new car with all the modern bells and whistle and upgraded safety (the recent test report of the small overlap crash test of the old CX9 were not exactly making us happy). I loved the new model since I saw the first pictures and was very intrigued about the Signature trim level and the new 2.5 turbo engine. I had the new Jaguar F-Pace (look, performance, chassis, V6 supercharged engine and handling) and the Volvo XC90 (that interior!!!!). I daily drive a fun RWD coupe with a manual gearbox during the week and I want our family car to be fun to drive as it is the only car I drive during the week-end with the family and cargo (2 young kids). Living in Colorado, we take a lot of trips in the mountains and I want a car that is fun to drive on these roads and that allow me control. The 2010 CX9 was fantastic in the fun to drive department and I did not want to replace it by anything less engaging. I was wondering how the new engine would handle and I was absolutely not disappointed, the low end torque is immediately available and the car always feels more powerful than it really is. EVERYTHING is nicer in it compared to the old model, the materials and quality is impressive for its class and price. The Jaguar is nice but you need to add a lot of extra to get it to that level ($60k), still more powerful and truly plays in the luxury segment though. Handling, brakes, transmission, technology, everything works seamlessly.

• 

  Great SUV - 2016 Mazda CX-9
  By Brian - December 14 - 12:11 am

  We compared this vehicle to the Honda Pilot and the Toyota Highlander. We eliminated the Highlander after one test drive, and then test drove the Pilot and CX-9. We ended up buying the Mazda, however there were a couple of things that we liked about the Pilot - the inside storage compartments are way bigger (there is a place between the driver and front passenger seat that is huge and can store almost anything) than on the Mazda, and the right side blind-spot monitoring was pretty cool. However, the inside materials of the Pilot seemed cheap, and the drive was not as smooth. So we ended up buying the Mazda, and overall we are happy, though we do wish the interior storage was bigger.

• 

  Solid Near Luxury Contender - 2016 Mazda CX-9
  By Byeh - August 8 - 12:57 pm

  We recently picked up a 2016 signature and this car is nearly perfect for our needs. We already own a 2014 Mazda3 and bought this to replace a 2009 RX350. We cross shopped this car with the 2016 RX350. While the fit and finish on the new RX is undeniably excellent, the major problems with it are 1) the infotainment system requires extraordinary precision/attention and thus is extremely distracting/dangerous to use while driving and 2) the rear cargo area has a higher load floor and less cargo space than the 2nd or 3rd gen RXs. MSRP on the signature model I got is $45,215 and I paid $43,800 excluding taxes, fees, and registration. A comparably equipped RX350 would retail for $10K more easy. Ill be the first to say that the CX-9 loses out if youre looking for the most utilitarian vehicle with maximum cargo capacity. Its smaller interior volume (mostly due to height) mean it doesnt have the biggest cargo capacity (some 30 cubes less than the Pilot). That said, the super long wheel base and overall length provide solid leg room in all three rows and the interior is more than comfortable for adults. It just wont be as airy as some when it comes to headroom. But what it lacks in utilitarianism it makes up for in spades through superior driving dynamics, solid execution of tech, and premium design. I find this Signature trim far more luxurious than the top trims of any of its direct competitors and even more attractive than MDX or QX60. To me the ideal buyer of the Signature trim of this vehicle is someone that wants a 3 row near luxury SUV but doesnt want to pay luxury prices or, as was my case, simply found the alternatives unappealing. We recently completed a 937 mile round trim from SF to LA and average 24.2 mpg with radar cruise set to 74 mph most of the way. Per Mazda, when pushed hard, the turbo 4 will underperform EPA ratings but when driven conservatively, it outperforms those same ratings. That note is consistent with our observed mpg. Onto the pros and cons: Cons: Front side air vents point too far out and dont direct airflow towards front passengers effectively. Very narrow 2nd row middle seat (outboard seatbelt buckles are almost blocked by a rear facing Britax convertible car seat) No ventilated front seats (would have been nice given hot CA summers) No panoramic moon roof No live traffic integration in the nav app. Live traffic is viewed in a separate view and is only shown on a macro map. No Android Auto or Apple Car Play Pros: Power out of the turbo 4 is very competent. Anyone who balks at the 227 hp rating on regular octane clearly hasnt test driven it or experienced the 310 lb ft of torque that comes on at 2000 rpm. Nappa leather seats are super comfortable Deep cargo loading area with 3rd row folded Heads up display very crisp and bright with a ton of info (lane departure, lane keep, radar cruise, nav with lane guidance, tach, speed, gear, blind spot monitoring). Radar cruise maintains distance and accounts for lane changes and merging traffic decently well. It can be heavy on the brakes when coming up on slowing traffic. That said, the system anticipates cars moving faster than you that merge close to you and wont brake in those situations. Lane departure and keep assist only intervene when necessary and only correct enough to guide you back. Smart City Braking not overly aggressive as some reviewers have indicated (braking earlier avoids unexpected intervention and also conserves brake life). Ive never had it activate on me. Blind spot actually beeps when a car is detected and you have your signal on (most competitors only have side mirror indicator lights) Styling is the most attractive/luxurious in segment Infotainment system and controls are very intuitive with low learning curve Suspension absorbs road imperfections well yet offers minimal body roll in corners Very quiet ride on par with RX350 and MDX Fully independent rear HVAC zone works very well and even includes upper and lower air ducts/flow control and auto setting Ambient lighting (flood up front, front door pulls, all door pockets, center console) adds a luxurious ambiance. LED headlights are bright and have a very even distribution and clean cutoff. Auto high beams are also incredibly precise, turning off automatically even when theres only one car way off in the distance on either side of a split freeway.