Picked up the 2019 CX9 Signature

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2019 CX-9 Signature
Just picked up the CX-9 this afternoon.
Here's a short impression coming from BMW 340i RWD M Sport.
Everything is as expected from my research and a long list below.

  1. Drives well for its size.
  2. 310lb-ft torque moves the car like a sedan off the line.
  3. Steering not as direct / doesn't feel as good as the BMW. (and people had been complaining the BMW F30 steering.)
  4. Heated steering wheel heated up quick. Doesn't heat up the whole steering. Heated seat take longer to heat the back of my butt.
  5. The cameras are bad. My 340i had the low res camera system from 2012. But the CX9 is another level bad but still useable. Front camera is worst of all. The new gen camera system from BMW x3, X5 or 5/7 series is best in class.
  6. Still figuring a way to adjust the seat and mirrors for both myself and my wife to find a sweet spot for the side mirrors. Why isn't there memory mirrors when the thing is all powered?
  7. My head doesn't bump the hatch. I'm 5'8".
  8. The Signature leather is soft and nice but I think they could use better skilled stitching workers/machines.
  9. My first drive I used both Google maps on my phone and the built-in NAV with avoid toll setting in NJ. They gave me different routes with Google had faster route. I don't have great confident in the built-in NAV. I find myself trust Google maps a lot more.
  10. Didn't have the cable with me to test out Android Auto.
  11. I like the safety features like blind spot, lane departure, etc.
  12. Suspension is nice. not too firm or too soft.
  13. Auto folding mirror is niceeeee to have. I ALWAYS fold my mirrors on the BMW and I had to push a button manually.
  14. Comes with Falken tires. I'm aware of the vibration issue that some people are having but I think mine is smooth.
  15. Bought the OEM crossbar from ebay with the 15% coupon. Gonna put a cargo box on it for trips.
  16. Bought the Aluminum Pedal covers from Amazon. Going to put them on soon.
  17. 2nd row seats has shorter seats than my 340i. There are less thigh support. (comment from wife)
  18. Wife loved the built-in rear sun shade. ($500 option on the BMW)


Overall we love the car. It feels more luxury for what it costs and compared to its competitors. I drove friend's Honda Pilot, MDX, QX70 and other family cars like Sienna. Rentals like Yukon XL and other American family trucks. I think the CX-9 has great value and best blend of everything. Modern dashboard design and luxury material in good price. A big family hauler with usable 3rd row seat that doesn't drive like a tank or a boat. Sharp looking exterior and interior. Good reliability history.

Let me know what you guys think.

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Just picked up the CX-9 this afternoon.
Here's a short impression coming from BMW 340i RWD M Sport.
Everything is as expected from my research and a long list below.

  1. Drives well for its size.
  2. 310lb-ft torque moves the car like a sedan off the line.
  3. Steering not as direct / doesn't feel as good as the BMW. (and people had been complaining the BMW F30 steering.)
  4. Heated steering wheel heated up quick. Doesn't heat up the whole steering. Heated seat take longer to heat the back of my butt.
  5. The cameras are bad. My 340i had the low res camera system from 2012. But the CX9 is another level bad but still useable. Front camera is worst of all. The new gen camera system from BMW x3, X5 or 5/7 series is best in class.
  6. Still figuring a way to adjust the seat and mirrors for both myself and my wife to find a sweet spot for the side mirrors. Why isn't there memory mirrors when the thing is all powered?
  7. My head doesn't bump the hatch. I'm 5'8".
  8. The Signature leather is soft and nice but I think they could use better skilled stitching workers/machines.
  9. My first drive I used both Google maps on my phone and the built-in NAV with avoid toll setting in NJ. They gave me different routes with Google had faster route. I don't have great confident in the built-in NAV. I find myself trust Google maps a lot more.
  10. Didn't have the cable with me to test out Android Auto.
  11. I like the safety features like blind spot, lane departure, etc.
  12. Suspension is nice. not too firm or too soft.
  13. Auto folding mirror is niceeeee to have. I ALWAYS fold my mirrors on the BMW and I had to push a button manually.
  14. Comes with Falken tires. I'm aware of the vibration issue that some people are having but I think mine is smooth.
  15. Bought the OEM crossbar from ebay with the 15% coupon. Gonna put a cargo box on it for trips.
  16. Bought the Aluminum Pedal covers from Amazon. Going to put them on soon.
  17. 2nd row seats has shorter seats than my 340i. There are less thigh support. (comment from wife)
  18. Wife loved the built-in rear sun shade. ($500 option on the BMW)


Overall we love the car. It feels more luxury for what it costs and compared to its competitors. I drove friend's Honda Pilot, MDX, QX70 and other family cars like Sienna. Rentals like Yukon XL and other American family trucks. I think the CX-9 has great value and best blend of everything. Modern dashboard design and luxury material in good price. A big family hauler with usable 3rd row seat that doesn't drive like a tank or a boat. Sharp looking exterior and interior. Good reliability history.

Let me know what you guys think.

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Congrats on your purchase and new ride looks great! While you said it it*s not a BMW however you pointed out the good value and features as well as its strength vs the competition. Not a perfect vehicle but it has a lot going for itself.

While yours is the latest model I*ve had mine for almost 2 yrs now with no regrets and I cross shopped the CX9 with Highlander, Pilot, MDX, RX350, QX60 and XC90 prior to purchasing (came from an XC60). I almost went with RX350 2 yrs ago but glad I waited then got the CX9...other than the badge the CX9 to me was comparable to the RX in terms of features, fit & finish and cost $10-15K less...

Keep posting pics of any upgrades you do down the road as well as any relevant info you find!
 
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Congrats on your purchase and new ride looks great! While you said it its not a BMW however you pointed out the good value and features as well as its strength vs the competition. Not a perfect vehicle but it has a lot going for itself.

While yours is the latest model Ive had mine for almost 2 yrs now with no regrets and I cross shopped the CX9 with Highlander, Pilot, MDX, RX350, QX50 and XC90 prior to purchasing (came from an XC60). I almost went with RX350 2 yrs ago but glad I waited then got the CX9...other than the badge the CX9 to me was comparable to the RX in terms of features, fit & finish and cost $10-15K less...

Keep posting pics of any upgrades you do down the road as well as any relevant info you find!


thanks! while I don't expect it to drive like a small BMW sedan I just compare to it as it was my last car. the cx9 probably drives the best or almost in it's class. there are few minor things they could improve on. with the great value and overall package I'm pretty satisfied with it.
 
What kind of tires came with it, i feel like the dealers or mazda itself uses really mediocre tires. Like mine came with "free tire for life" as long as i do all maintenance, tire rotation, etc at the deeler....but free mediocre tires (mehh) I may end up picking up new ones and doing maintenance elsewhere
 
For the GT/ Signature, they are Ziex CT50s. I'm sitting at close to 20,000 miles and they are halfway worn. The best description I have for them is "adequate"....they do their job, but are not particularly great at any of key metrics of wear, performance or noise mitigation
 
Mine came with the Falken. The car comes with warranty booklet for Yokohama and Bridgestone as well so I guess those are available too.
Once the Falken wears out I'm going to change it to a set of Conti DWS.
 
Just played with both Carplay and Android Auto today on my 2019 CX9.

The Carplay is simply a much better implementation. First you can use touch screen when stopped in Carplay which helps a lot on address or name entry.
Second you can sort of control carplay with the iphone. Like you can still launch Google Maps or other supported apps in the iPhone and Carplay would sync the action.
You can search places in Google Maps and start the navigation within the iphone and Carplay would reflect the same action. It's so much more convenient than Android Auto.
Only cons for the Carplay so far is its defaulted to Apple Maps.

You can't launch Google Maps on the phone once Android Auto is started. You have to navigate the UI with the knob, no touch screen. You either enter the address or name like a system in the 2004 or you rely on Google Assistant to get you the result.

At this point I'm not sure if Mazda will update the software to make the user experience better or they are done with this..
 
What kind of tires came with it, i feel like the dealers or mazda itself uses really mediocre tires.
Here's a good article about OE tires from a retired tire engineer: http://www.barrystiretech.com/oetires.html

The dealership has no say in the tires on new cars. The manufacturer has very strict specifications for tires for the characteristics they want to emphasize...which is not usually what you nor I prefer in a tire. OE tires are great for what the car maker wants us to feel on the test drive. OE tires are probably barely adequate (if that) for what we find important. I have no problems with the Falkens, but next time I'll take a close look at the new Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady--maybe better for my needs that even the Michelin Premier LTX. I'll always look closely at the newest tires on the market. The tire makers leap-frog each other bringing better tire design, better rubber compounds to the market.

Be wary of all the services the dealership tries to sell you. The stuff they pressure you into paying for is probably more money that the cost of tires. In general the dealer makes little profit on new cars. Used cars have a better profit. The service department is the gold mine. The pay system for service personnel is terrible. The tech gets paid by the job, so the more they "find" that needs to be done, the more work they get. The service writer is paid on commission. If he doesn't sell you service, he doesn't get a pay check.

Here's a good video from the CBC about car dealer service rip offs in Canada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBpMe36GoW0
 
Anyway to default the camera to 360/rear hybrid view when in reverse? Currently it defaults to back up rear camera only.
 
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