Not a 2018, but my new 2017 story.
We had a nice 2012 CX9 GT, but my wife totaled it in a car crash. She is OK, the car did what it was supposed to do, significant front end damage, driver air bag deployment. She T boned another SUV at around 35 mph. The insurance company (state farm) was awesome, they gave us over $20,000 for my 5 year old car with 72,000 miles. The claims adjuster said it was the cleanest 5 year old car he had seen. I babied the car, detailing it 2x a month, inside and out.
So, we stuck with Mazda and got a new 2017 CX 9 GT AWD, Pearl White, with tan interior. The new car is amazing. Mazda has really stepped up their game. I'd put this car up against a BMW or Mercedes. The leather is so comfortable. The ride is solid and quiet. You can just feel the quality of the car when you sit inside, close the doors and it drives so nice. I'm still getting used to all the technology and gadgets. The safety features are great. I love the HUD.
I paid $36,900 (sticker was $43,410)and did my own financing with 1.95% from my credit union. I put the $20k from the settlement down, so the cash back was better than the 0% financing from Mazda.
We are going on a long road trip next weekend to UC Santa Cruz to watch our daughter swim in a college swim meet. Should be close to 1,000 miles round trip. Looking forward to seeing what kind of mileage we'll get. I'll keep you posted.
Scott
Below is the picture of the old car, and the new one.