CX9 - vs other crossovers.

Hi all -
I know it's going to be done eventually on my side, but for those who tested other crossovers (Tribeca, Acadia, Murano, anything else ?) what was your experience, what swayed you to Mazda ?

Also, is that true that you can't get a trip computer even on loaded CX9 ? What about a simple compass on a sport model ?

The Mazda is supposed to replace my wife's Sequoia, that even on the basic SR5 trim has lots of features: dual climate, trip computer, dual power seats, 6 airbags, and so on.

Thank all.

..Look at the CX 9 closely and then decide...I have problems deciding on a CXZ 9 because i will loose some options (not really important...but one gets used to them and...takes a while to forget them)...my biggest problem is getting in and out and I am 5'10"....that driver side pillar is really slopped...and then I hear a lot of buyers compalining about little things..and needing to go to the dealer for help...confusing!..take your time and then dicide...paryer alwyas help...lol...lol...

Well,

Here is my opinion of the various vehicles that I seriously considered. They are not in any significant order. I will add some comparisons to the CX-9 which I bought. I should also note that I do not need or uses the thrid row seats so they were not importiant to me. I also needed at lease a 3500lb towing capacity.

I also guess board police will also demand that I disclose that I am very unhappy with my CX-9 and will most likely trade for one of these vehicles in the very near future.

1) 2008 Mercury Mariner/Ford Escape - This is a basic little SUV. It is about as small of a SUV that you can get with some utility left in the mix. You can get a loaded V6 premier version for about $25,000. It Pro's is mainly pricing. It rides and handles well for an SUV. The Interior is pleasing, and resonably comfortable. It's biggest weakness is road/wind noise. Also, only having a 4 speed trans and a 200hp V6 means you do not get really good gas milage. A 50/50 split of city/hwy will vield about 21-22mph in a FWD and 19-20 in an AWD. Also the lack of a telescoping wheel makes it a little bit of a streatch for a tall person. However, the headroom and vision is excellent. It is only a 5 seater, but there is a good bit of storage behing the rear seats and they fold flat giving you good hauling space of the size of vehicle. In short a lot of bang for the buck, but a little cheap looking interior and a lot of noise.

1) 2007 For Edge/MKX - This was my front runner for a long time. It is comfortable and has the same engine as the 2007 CX-9. It has a good 6 speed trans ( not as smooth as the cx-9 ). It handles good, but not as good as the CX-9. The large Vista Roof was very attractive to me. It's gas milage is a little better than the CX-9, but not significant. It is a little quicker to 60mph, but again not significant. It is quite comfortable. I found it to be as quite as the CX-9. The heates/cooled seats in the MKX are excellent. The only reason I did not get a MKX over the CX-9 was the handling and braking. The Edge/MKX has horrable braking. It takes about 150' to stop from 60mph. I found that unacceptable in a modern car with 4 wheel disc brakes.

2) 2008 Buick Enclave - This is a quite comfortable vehicle. It is quiter than the CX-9. It handles well, but not as good as the CX-9. I have never really cared fo beuicks, but this one caught my eye. Visually it is closer to the CX-9than any other vehicle in my opinion. It gets about the same gas milage and has about the same performance specs as the CX-9. My main concern as I posted in another post was quality and reliability. Lets just say that I am NOT a GM fan...

3) 2007 BMW X3 - I liked the sport nature of this little SUV. It is more fun to drive than the CX-9 in my opinion. It has a nice interior, but you have to pay through the nose to get real leather. Their "leatherett" is standard. It also lacks a multidisc CD player. I really like this little SUV and would have bought one if it was priced in the mid 30's but at $45K ( leather ) it is WAY over priced for what you get. I should also note that the manual shift in this thing works well. It does not have the 1-2 sec lag that you find in the CX-9 manual shifter. It is probably the only manumatic that I have ever found usefull...

4) 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe Midsize SUV - Good little SUV. It is similar to the Escape/Mariner. Basically comfortable and good value for the money. It does not drive or handle as good as the Escape/Mariner. It was much quiter and a smoother ride however. Resale value will be low. I have to trade every 4 years and knew the re-sale would be bad. You can get a loaded one under 30K.

2007 Hyundai Veracruz - Strong competition to the CX-9 in my opinion. It will probably suffer from low resale value. It is very comfortable and quite. It does not hand as good as the CX-9, but rides smoother. I think it would be great on long trip. If you are a pack rat, this is a good choice. It has a lot in little storage compartments.

I chose the CX-9 because I thought it was a good compramize between utility and fun to drive. It has just enough power to be a little sporty (new 3.7L should help) It handles better that just about every other vehicle in its class. The climate control is good. The Bose stereo is excellent. It looks good. The Grand touring is a little pricy at 38-40K. The Nav system sux, I recomend that you skip this option. Make the dealer throw in the cross bars if you get the roof rack. I do not like the way the keyless buttons operate. They do some strange things like if any other door is open and you press the passenger's entry button on the handle, the door will NOT unlock. You cannot lock the doors if any are open. The lift gate will not work operate if any door is locked even if you push the door open on the fob. There is no trip computer and no compass. The seats ( in mine anyway ) are very hard and uncomfortable. Any drive over an hours is miserable to my rear end. That is why I am getting rid of it. Headroom is limited for tall drivers. I have tried cushions to make the seats more comfortable and it makes my head hit the roof uless it let the seat all the way down and recline so far back that it is hard to reach the wheel. There is a lot of wind noise when the sunroof is open.

My only advise for any vehicles is to drive them for over an hour before you buy one. Rent one if at all possible. I have learned the hard way that seat comfort can be be a HUGE problem and is not easly noticed on a short test drive. This buying mistake is going to cost me thousands of dollars whether I sell or have the upolstry replaced.

P.S. before any one post about it, you cannot simply replace the seats with an aftermarket set. If you do, you will lose the side air bag and disable the weight sensitive air bag deployment system in the front bags. It also is expensive to replace the seat heating elements.

I drove the Murano and the Acadia. IMO the Acadia was too heavy and a bit too soft. Probably good for a long drive but not as nimble around town. Also with the options I was interested in was too costly.

The Murano was nice, but I had a real hard time enjoying the CVT transmission. It just seemed weird to me. Seemed like a good alternative if you didn't want or need a 3rd row. Although for the size seemed a bit pricey.

I was swayed by the handling, the comfort, driving experience, and the cockpit look/feel. Overall, I am happy, I have a few small gripes, but overall quite satisfied. The handling is a double-edged sword, great for corners but a bit bumpy on the freeway. The trip computer doesn't bother me I have a Garmin Nuvi for that. Also, I love the bluetooth and am fairly happy with the Bose.

I have a Murano and once you get use to the transmission it is very nice (to me atleast). I will tell you though I have had numerous issues with my Murano. Everything has been good for the past 30,000 miles though (I have 72,000 miles on it now). It is a 2005 and I am looking to trade it in on a CX-9. If anyone is leaning towards a Murano they should check out www.nissanmurano.org to see some of the owner's issues on this vehicle.

Thanks all for the opinions. That's what I was looking for. Thanks Sranger for the time you took: very informative, and I appreciate the cons (no kidding here), I actualy browse other crossover forums to find the negatives of the CX9, although it's still on the top of the list.

CX9-PL said:

Thanks all for the opinions. That's what I was looking for. Thanks Sranger for the time you took: very informative, and I appreciate the cons (no kidding here), I actualy browse other crossover forums to find the negatives of the CX9, although it's still on the top of the list.

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One small thing to nit pick on the CX-9 as well, is on the GT model, the seat memory only does your seat position, not the rear view mirrors, which is somewhat annoying since there are 2 of us driving it. The Veracruz is much nicer in this aspect, as the seat memory does the seats, the rv mirrors AND the power steering wheel. Nice features that should have been included on the CX-9.

Our decision came down to the CX-9 and Veracruz. We liked the styling, a little more room and drive of the Mazda over the VC, but it was close. Both are very nice and really no big downside to the Veracruz IMO.

I came down between CX-9 and Cadillac SRX (after eliminating the Acura MDX, BMWs, and Chevies). I loved the look and sunroof of the SRX, but for a combination of interior design and ergonomics, space, and pretty darn good handling, the (cheaper) CX-9 won.

And saving a bunch of cash didn't upset me too much, either.

A big one you are missing is the Acura MDX. Smaller than the CX-9, but the third seat is still usable. Tons of power, great handling, nice leather, and they are dealing on them right now. I have driven most of the above mentioned, and this week will buy the MDX.
By the way, this vehicle will be driven most the time by my wife. We needed another vehicle with a functional third row, for an occasional adult, but mostly for the kids. I was looking for safety and great handling since she is coming from a sport sedan. Size was not as much of an issue because I drive an Armada, if we need more room we just take that. So like I said it was a bit smaller than a CX-9, but suprisingly better than I thought.
If you are interested in purchasing one, look for $4000-$4500 off MSRP on the 2007, the dealers are getting a $1300-$1400 holdback. Other pluses are the best Navigation system on the market, as well as the best AWD, which is standard. Minus is premium fuel is recommended, but I have heard others not using, so figure an extra $4 per fill up.

Actually, we looked at the MDX, and nixed it. The third row is not as good as the CX-9. The middle seat in the second row was pretty unusable, and dealer said it was, basically, not intended for long distance use. And, it cost a boatload more.

I didn't think an extra $4000 was too bad for a similarly equipped MDX, with Nav, 410 watt DVD-audio sound system, SHAWD and moonroof, 44,xxx. A nicely equipped MSRPs at 40,655. In my area I can close that gap due to the lack of CX-9 selection. There just haven't been that many despite the number of dealerships. I also thought that Acura's 4 year 50,000 mile warranty was worth an extra $500, as well as free oil changes for the first 50,000.
But you are right, backseat is only for kids, which could go for any length of time, and adults under 5'10 for short trips. If this was going to be my biggest vehicle I might reconsider.

ParkerZoom said:

I didn't think an extra $4000 was too bad for a similarly equipped MDX, with Nav, 410 watt DVD-audio sound system, SHAWD and moonroof, 44,xxx. A nicely equipped MSRPs at 40,655. In my area I can close that gap due to the lack of CX-9 selection. There just haven't been that many despite the number of dealerships. I also thought that Acura's 4 year 50,000 mile warranty was worth an extra $500, as well as free oil changes for the first 50,000.
But you are right, backseat is only for kids, which could go for any length of time, and adults under 5'10 for short trips. If this was going to be my biggest vehicle I might reconsider.

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There's no doubt that the MDX is a nice vehicle, but in Canada there is $11k-$12k difference in the top models with the Nav. They don't discount in Canada like they do in the states. What little discount there is would be roughly the same on either vehicle the the spread would remain. If the size and price don't matter then the MDX is a great vehicle.

WOW. for that kind of difference I would definitely be getting the CX-9.

I'll take one of each thanks !! Any vehicle you choose is such a tough decision because you know you will have to wear it for a very long time. I have an 08' CXy-9 on order and did drive the MDX as well because I am a big Acura fan...it really came down to the CXy-9 being so CXy, the price was right and even the colors inside and out I prefer to the MDX (Platinum Silver with the sand interior and black carpet - lovely !!!).

I am looking at the MDX as well, but to compare I would have to compare a AWD Grand Touring with an Asst Package and RES to a MDX with Tech and Entert Packg. The MSRP's are about 40 vs 46. Maybe I could get the 07 CX9 for 35-36K now (hope better in few months) vs 41-42 for the MDX so we are talking about 6K difference. My wife would love the MDX for its reputation and resale value, but CX9 is just more "price-friendly"

Do my numbers make sense ?

Thanks

There is that article from Motor Trend comparing these 2 vehicles and they came up with a difference of $10,000 between mdx and cx-9. I have not run the exact numbers but any way I look at it the cx-9 has the 6-speed tranny, 4-wheel vented discs and more room in it all of which the mdx is lacking...there must be a heck of a big markup in that mdx with many fat pockets filling up and yours shrinking. The Acura dealer was right...there is no comparison (they said the mdx competes with Lexus RX350 and BMW X5). In my opinion the CX-9 competes directly with the Audi Q7 and that is it....same size and specs only Mazda kills Q7 in the price department.

Mazda CX-9 = Audi Q7 minus lots of money !!!

CX9-PL said:

I am looking at the MDX as well, but to compare I would have to compare a AWD Grand Touring with an Asst Package and RES to a MDX with Tech and Entert Packg. The MSRP's are about 40 vs 46. Maybe I could get the 07 CX9 for 35-36K now (hope better in few months) vs 41-42 for the MDX so we are talking about 6K difference. My wife would love the MDX for its reputation and resale value, but CX9 is just more "price-friendly"

Do my numbers make sense ?

Thanks

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I think your numbers are spot on. By the time you fully load a CX-9 with Grand Touring and all the buzzers and bells -- so that it outfits similar to the "fancy" Acura and other high end crossovers -- you're getting at around $40K, at least in my neck of the woods. Nice thing was, I didn't feel I'd skipped anything that I'd like in the Mazda, whereas when we were looking at the MDX, I felt like I'd have to leave stuff out to keep in in the ballpark. And, as I said, that second row with the crappy middle seat was a killer, as I often have to transport five people.

I think $5000-$6000 difference is right on for comparable vehicles. The reason I am not buying the Cx-9 over the Acura is, engine, quality of leather, better AWD, much better Nav, higher towing capacity, 3500 vs 5000, I can have a DVD and a sunroof, I like the trip computer that calculates MPG, DTE, etc, longer warranty, better selection of colors, and I like the styling better than the CX-9, which I know is purely subjective.
This is not to say that I don't like the CX-9, there are some pluses with the CX-9, such as the advanced credit card like entry and start system, and it is larger.
I would have mentioned higher resale value for the Acura, but I would guess it is considering the higher price you are paying.

Funny news today...

"The next generation Lexus RX line of SUVs, which are due for the 2009 model year, could include a third row of seats in order to compete better with the Mercedes-Benz ML and the Acura RDX,"

Just what I thought the RX and RDX are in the same class.....UGLY.

Sorry and/or NOT

Not a fair comparison with the MDX. A CX-9 GT AWD with all options should be compared to the MDX Sport with Technology Package. When I did the math, the total difference, including sales tax and 0% vs 2.9% financing, came out to be $8,000.

Checkout Lease numbers. The 3-yr residual (same terms & mileage) for CX-9 and MDX is 54% and 56% respectively. Even after paying a thousands more, the MDX 3rd row is useless. Zero-to-60, the CX-9 is about 0.7 seconds slower, however, it matches the MDX in all other performance categories. Also, regular fuel vs MDX's premium = 10% savings in fuel cost.

If you read the CX-9 brochure, they directly compare to the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander.

Pilot - one word, "BLAH". It does come in about $6k cheaper with its $4000 dealer incentive. CX-9's 0% makes up for some of this difference.

Highlander - two words, "Boring" and "Appliance". A $40k toaster that gets you from point A to point B.