1 useful vote
Review Mazda CX-9 Automatic 2008
Submitted by hottentot
Key strengths: Handling (compared to competition), sporty driving position (ditto), upscale interior
Areas for improvement: No substitute for a good sport wagon, not personally a fan of the exterior styling
Last year, motivation for the Mazda CX-9 was provided by a 3.5-liter DOHC V6, good for 263 horsepower at a reasonably accessible 6,250 rpm, couple to a six-speed automatic. It moved the CX-9's 4,300 pounds well enough, especially once over 30 miles-per-hour, but didn't excite. For 2008, the 3.5 has been replaced by a 3.7-liter V6. Peak horsepower only increases by ten, to 273. But midrange power increases more substantially, as seen in a bump in peak torque from 249 pounds-feet at 4,500 to 270 at a more accessible 4,250. The result is most noticeable when first starting out from a dead stop, where the CX-9 feels more energetic than before. At higher speeds the difference is minor.
Even with front-wheel-drive there is little evidence of torque steer. Still, if you want to put the power down in turns you'll want the all-wheel-drive.
The Mazda CX-9 is more firmly sprung than most competitors. Especially with the Grand Touring's lower profile 20-inch tires, its ride is busier and includes sharper reactions than that of most competitors. It's still far from punishing, though, and some competitors (such as the Hyundai Veracruz) ride less smoothly. Noise levels from all sources are low, so the CX-9 should serve well as a highway car.
Since ride quality is iffy, the handling must be spectacular, right? Well, not exactly. The Grand Touring doesn't feel significantly sportier than the other trims despite its low-profile treads, if my memory of the latter is accurate. The difference might be more noticeable in back-to-back test drives. But even with the 20s, I feel like I'm driving an exceptionally well-behaved minivan, with a moderate amount of lean in turns and good composure when said turns included a frost heave or two. It handles well, almost surprisingly well, when pushed, but doesn't ask to be driven this way. I suppose it is a family hauler, after all.
Problem is, good behavior is not the same as fun to drive. "This is fun" never enters my mind, as much
The running costs for Mazda CX-9 Automatic are normal
Areas for improvement: No substitute for a good sport wagon, not personally a fan of the exterior styling
Last year, motivation for the Mazda CX-9 was provided by a 3.5-liter DOHC V6, good for 263 horsepower at a reasonably accessible 6,250 rpm, couple to a six-speed automatic. It moved the CX-9's 4,300 pounds well enough, especially once over 30 miles-per-hour, but didn't excite. For 2008, the 3.5 has been replaced by a 3.7-liter V6. Peak horsepower only increases by ten, to 273. But midrange power increases more substantially, as seen in a bump in peak torque from 249 pounds-feet at 4,500 to 270 at a more accessible 4,250. The result is most noticeable when first starting out from a dead stop, where the CX-9 feels more energetic than before. At higher speeds the difference is minor.
Even with front-wheel-drive there is little evidence of torque steer. Still, if you want to put the power down in turns you'll want the all-wheel-drive.
The Mazda CX-9 is more firmly sprung than most competitors. Especially with the Grand Touring's lower profile 20-inch tires, its ride is busier and includes sharper reactions than that of most competitors. It's still far from punishing, though, and some competitors (such as the Hyundai Veracruz) ride less smoothly. Noise levels from all sources are low, so the CX-9 should serve well as a highway car.
Since ride quality is iffy, the handling must be spectacular, right? Well, not exactly. The Grand Touring doesn't feel significantly sportier than the other trims despite its low-profile treads, if my memory of the latter is accurate. The difference might be more noticeable in back-to-back test drives. But even with the 20s, I feel like I'm driving an exceptionally well-behaved minivan, with a moderate amount of lean in turns and good composure when said turns included a frost heave or two. It handles well, almost surprisingly well, when pushed, but doesn't ask to be driven this way. I suppose it is a family hauler, after all.
Problem is, good behavior is not the same as fun to drive. "This is fun" never enters my mind, as much
The running costs for Mazda CX-9 Automatic are normal
Safety: 90
Reliability: 84
Equipment: 81
Comfort: 87
Design: 79
Driving: 88
0 useful votes
Review Mazda CX-9 Automatic 2008
Submitted by Bulldog
Key strengths: Beautiful exterior styling, option packed, value priced
Areas for improvement: Limited interior colors, cheap looking plastics, choppy, bumpy ride in rear.
The Mazda drives the best out of all of them, giving one the impression that they are driving a sports sedan and not an suv. The ride is firm and not as rolling as the more softly sprung crossovers. Acceleration is smooth with the 6 spd transmission. Braking is adequate. Overall the CX9 is the most car like that we drove of the third row available crossovers. My wife rode in the 2nd row and said that the ride was choppy. The seats were comfortable. Access to the third row is generous. There is no captains chair option on this vehicle. The third row room is generous as well.
We were not bowled over by the interior. I know that Mazda is going for the sportier "zoom zoom" theme with this truck. We were disappointed in the feel of the interior and the layout. First, there are only two choices of interior color and they are both 2 tone. Light grey with charcol side bolsters and accents, or black with the charcol accents. A choice of a solid is warranted. No beige/saddle color offered. The biggest complaint my wife had and the salesman admitted he had heard it from others is the big clunky cheap looking center console. My wife referred to it as a coffin. It is very wide and tall. There is also silver trim on the sides which I can see will not wear well and will get scratched up over time. The console itself is cheap looking plastic. There are some nice faux-wood accents in the car. It could use some more, especially in the console area. The center armrest is placed back in the console and is basically useless.
The running costs for Mazda CX-9 Automatic are normal
Areas for improvement: Limited interior colors, cheap looking plastics, choppy, bumpy ride in rear.
The Mazda drives the best out of all of them, giving one the impression that they are driving a sports sedan and not an suv. The ride is firm and not as rolling as the more softly sprung crossovers. Acceleration is smooth with the 6 spd transmission. Braking is adequate. Overall the CX9 is the most car like that we drove of the third row available crossovers. My wife rode in the 2nd row and said that the ride was choppy. The seats were comfortable. Access to the third row is generous. There is no captains chair option on this vehicle. The third row room is generous as well.
We were not bowled over by the interior. I know that Mazda is going for the sportier "zoom zoom" theme with this truck. We were disappointed in the feel of the interior and the layout. First, there are only two choices of interior color and they are both 2 tone. Light grey with charcol side bolsters and accents, or black with the charcol accents. A choice of a solid is warranted. No beige/saddle color offered. The biggest complaint my wife had and the salesman admitted he had heard it from others is the big clunky cheap looking center console. My wife referred to it as a coffin. It is very wide and tall. There is also silver trim on the sides which I can see will not wear well and will get scratched up over time. The console itself is cheap looking plastic. There are some nice faux-wood accents in the car. It could use some more, especially in the console area. The center armrest is placed back in the console and is basically useless.
The running costs for Mazda CX-9 Automatic are normal
Safety: 88
Reliability: 78
Equipment: 81
Comfort: 83
Design: 83
Driving: 82
0 useful votes
Key strengths: Good dealer customer service
Areas for improvement: No issues to report so far / lower than expected fuel economy
The car is as advertised. The only thing that I am surprised about so far is the poor fuel economy. I am only averaging about 13 miles per gallon in mixed driving. I suppose it will get better as time goes along. Even if it doesn't, as long as the car is reliable like my last car, I will be happy.
I recently took the car in for the first service to a different dealer which is closer to my home. They were very nice and answered all of my questions. I hope that the experience continues over the long haul.
No issues to report so far - I have only owned the car for 8 months. I will update as time and mileage go by.
The running costs for Mazda CX-9 3.5 litre DOHC 24 Valve Automatic are normal
Areas for improvement: No issues to report so far / lower than expected fuel economy
The car is as advertised. The only thing that I am surprised about so far is the poor fuel economy. I am only averaging about 13 miles per gallon in mixed driving. I suppose it will get better as time goes along. Even if it doesn't, as long as the car is reliable like my last car, I will be happy.
I recently took the car in for the first service to a different dealer which is closer to my home. They were very nice and answered all of my questions. I hope that the experience continues over the long haul.
No issues to report so far - I have only owned the car for 8 months. I will update as time and mileage go by.
The running costs for Mazda CX-9 3.5 litre DOHC 24 Valve Automatic are normal
Safety: 71
Reliability: 65
Equipment: 74
Comfort: 80
Design: 76
Driving: 81
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