OK forum members, here is our question for the day. We are serious thinking about moving out of tax crazed California and into a nearby non-state income tax and low property tax status. We own a 09 CX9 with the front wheel drive system and it has been terrific. However, we are considering an area in Northern Nevada where snow/ice are common during their short winter months and AWD might be a better fit for our use. Is the purchase of an AWD CX9 really a good investment OR will our trusty 09 be just fine? I also have a 97 Miata, but that is my "Mid-Life Crisis" car and it would not be out and about in any weather not conducive to top down driving! Let me know what you think of Mazda's AWD system, the good, the bad and of course the UGLY!
CX9 All Wheel Drive System...Is It Worth It?
- Thread starter fxpthl
- Start date
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- 2002 MAZDA 323 ASTINA SP20 BJII
Well if i was moving to a snow/ice area i would be buying a AWD for sure IMO
The CX-9 is my first AWD car. I made it through Boston winters for the last 20 years with only FWD sedans with only all season tires. Now, being that I live in a major city, the roads are often pre-salted and plowed quickly. So AWD is a nice bonus should I get stuck in several inches of snow at a parking space. On a FWD car, I would have a shovel on the ready for such situations. Had I spent the money on snow tires, I would have had no issue with FWD. Plus the 9 is the wife's car and I don't like the idea of having her shovel out a space should she get stuck.
Keep in mind that the AWD drivetrain takes a toll on fuel economy and most people here including myself, barely get 16MPG in mix city and highway in the winter. And because of frictional losses and increased weight, the AWD car is less nimble and is a tad slower to accelerate. I had NO choice here in the Northeast when we got our car as the dealers her don't order them with FWD. They argue that buyer expect and demand AWD cars.
In conclusion, I'd say stick with your current FWD 9 for now and see how things go. Invest in a set of decent snow tires and you may forget that you even want AWD altogether. It's cheaper than car payments for sure.
Keep in mind that the AWD drivetrain takes a toll on fuel economy and most people here including myself, barely get 16MPG in mix city and highway in the winter. And because of frictional losses and increased weight, the AWD car is less nimble and is a tad slower to accelerate. I had NO choice here in the Northeast when we got our car as the dealers her don't order them with FWD. They argue that buyer expect and demand AWD cars.
In conclusion, I'd say stick with your current FWD 9 for now and see how things go. Invest in a set of decent snow tires and you may forget that you even want AWD altogether. It's cheaper than car payments for sure.
Senor Valasco
Member
Is the CX-9 AWD truly ALL Wheel Drive? I thought I read/heard somewhere the AWD only kicks in when needed? I noticed there's a lamp on the dashboard in my 2013 AWD model that says 4WD, but I've never seen it light up.
Yes. It's supposed to be ON DEMAND AWD. But there was a more technical member here who had accessed the computer and found that there is constant signal to the rear so that there is some level of RWD at all times. But I don't have the thread on hand. You don't want the 4WD light to come one. It's a fault diagnosis warning indicator which only comes on should there be a problem with the drivetrain.
You're definitely going to want snow tires either way. I've been happy with the AWD in the CX-9. I was coming from a Subaru and didn't expect much from the CX-9 but I've been pleasantly surprised. With AWD and a set of Blizzaks, the CX-9 is pretty surefooted in the snow and ice. It's not Subaru AWD good but still no complaints. I live in NY and spend a lot of time in VT. I've never been stuck. The only challenges I've faced are ground clearance issues. The CX-9 doesn't have much. If you're plowed in you're going to be shoveling down to just a couple inches because anything more and the CX-9 just can't get through.
I would stay with FWD. For the past two winters I had absolutely zero problems with my FWD in NYC with the stock tires. CX-9 has a weight distribution of FWD design, so IMO electronically controlled rear drive is not so relevant in normal winter driving. In a deep snow winter performance tires would give you much more grip.
Well thanks to all of your responses! Sometimes I begin to wonder if there is anyone out there reading the posts, but this one obviously hit on a good subject. IF I stick with my current FWD, many of you mentioned snow tires. On all four corners or just the front drive wheels? Probably a stupid question but realize I am someone who has lived most of his life in a non-snow area, so. Calif.
You ALWAYS want all 4 tires to be the same. If you had 2, you always place the tires with more traction or deeper treads in the rear so you don't oversteer in the slippery stuff (fishtail). Even the cheapest snow tires will be miles better than the compromised all seasons we all have in the snow. Blizzacks are the most popular if you go to Tirerack. But you can look into the sportier snows if you want to maintain more of the sportier handling of the CX-9. And it's common to downsize the width of the tires to increase the tires' ability to "push" the snow out of the way. In other words, going from a 245 with to a 235 or even a 225 width. Again, go to Tirerack and use their tire tool to find out what works.
Ditto others - snow tires are superior to AWD for winter traction. Link and link. That second one in Popular Mechanics is particularly helpful. Hills and acceleration in snow: AWD all-season probably better than FWD with snow tires. Everything else - braking, handling, etc. - winter tires on FWD are better than all-season rubber on AWD.
Of course, if you can have both, even better.
Of course, if you can have both, even better.
IMHO, Mazda's AWD system in the CX-9 is similar to many other manufacturers systems and performs equally well. I have a 2001 Tribute, bought new, and it has been a great car especially in the bad weather. The Tribute's setup is similar to the CX-9 in that it has the same Cyclone family of V6 engine mated to the AWD with sealed PTU. From everything I've read I believe that our new CX-9 will give us the same level of reliability and performance as that car. We've had a lot of snow this year in the Boston area and both the CX-9 and Tribute have performed very well in it.
One thing that most people miss is that the AWD system alone is not enough and needs to be coupled with a competent set of all-season tires to be truly effective in the snow. First chance I get I will be changing out the OEM tires for something upgraded. I think the CX-9 FWD will be able to work well in 1-5" of snow with a good set of all-season tires.
One thing that most people miss is that the AWD system alone is not enough and needs to be coupled with a competent set of all-season tires to be truly effective in the snow. First chance I get I will be changing out the OEM tires for something upgraded. I think the CX-9 FWD will be able to work well in 1-5" of snow with a good set of all-season tires.
As previously mentioned, AWD is beneficial for getting the car moving on snow, ice, mud, sand, etc. but snow tires actually improve traction in all areas (braking, steering) when driving on snow, slush, and ice. Since you already have a vehicle with FWD that you're happy with, it would be more cost effective to get a set of snow tires for the short winter season you will encounter where you're moving to. As an example you can relate to, I had a set of snow wheels/tires I put on my '05 Maxadspeed MX-5 to drive it in the winters in Chicago. It handled better than 90% of other vehicles on the road during winter (ground clearance not included). Depending on how much snow you get there, snow tires may not even be necessary. We don't have them on my wife's CX-9, and she's been fine this winter.
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- 2022 CX-5 Turbo
AWD is not only useful on snow. It also helps increase traction on rainy days.
My old Odyssey lost front traction easily on wet surface. Never a problem with my AWD CX9.
I could feel rear traction kicks in.
Yes, I should slow down.... but it is fun that you don't have to.
I tend to accelerate off line faster than most fellow drivers w/o speeding.
My old Odyssey lost front traction easily on wet surface. Never a problem with my AWD CX9.
I could feel rear traction kicks in.
Yes, I should slow down.... but it is fun that you don't have to.
I tend to accelerate off line faster than most fellow drivers w/o speeding.
Living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada - we get more garbage winter weather than most of you guys in the USA have to contend with. And let me tell you - if it wasn't for the AWD, I would not have even considered the CX9. This isn't to say you can't drive around with just FWD... especially in areas where the winters aren't as severe as they are up here in Canada... but it makes a *world* of difference when you need it.
So much so, in fact, that I didn't even bother putting my winters on this season. They certainly help with stopping ability, but my new all seasons were just fine when coupled with the AWD. There were, perhaps, one or two situations where I found myself going faster than I should have been given the conditions and stopping was a challenge. For this reason, I'd always recommend using winter tires for any vehicle in snow or ice. I also figure the only reason my all seasons were adequate is because they are new. Wear down the tread and I'm pretty sure I'd no longer feel comfortable driving on them all winter.
So in short - is the AWD nice in the winter? Absolutely. Do you need it? Not really.... but it does make driving a whole lot nicer if you run into the slippery stuff.
So much so, in fact, that I didn't even bother putting my winters on this season. They certainly help with stopping ability, but my new all seasons were just fine when coupled with the AWD. There were, perhaps, one or two situations where I found myself going faster than I should have been given the conditions and stopping was a challenge. For this reason, I'd always recommend using winter tires for any vehicle in snow or ice. I also figure the only reason my all seasons were adequate is because they are new. Wear down the tread and I'm pretty sure I'd no longer feel comfortable driving on them all winter.
So in short - is the AWD nice in the winter? Absolutely. Do you need it? Not really.... but it does make driving a whole lot nicer if you run into the slippery stuff.
