Would I need AWD?

I currently drive a Mazda 3 and am contemplating upgrading to a CX-9. My main motivation is more ground clearance (I live in Oregon and enjoy outdoor activities off some questionable roads which my car cannot navigate), quieter ride (my car is loud as hell at freeway speeds) and more room (my 6' 3" son is a bit cramped in the 3 and 5 passengers is tight). I was thinking about a CX-5 for a while but I think the extra seats and room in the 9 might be better for occasional usage.

All things considered I'd prefer not to have AWD, save myself some money on the purchase price and get 2mpg better gas mileage. However I'm a little worried about some rutted dirt roads I would occasionally drive on. Here is an example of this kind of road:



I have driven this road with a RWD pickup before and it was fine. Which makes me think RWD is probably not needed, but this road is dirt with some fairly deep ruts and rocks. No major slopes though, I'm not going to be doing any rock crawling or hard offroading. I also occasionally drive into the mountains in winter where roads can be a bit rough but when they get bad we throw on snow chains and FWD cars are fine with that.

Other than that I live in a fairly moderate climate. It rarely snows and when it does once every few years it's easy enough to just stay home (we don't really have plows, and they don't salt the roads) so I'm not really concerned about AWD for that. Mostly the outdoor adventures that take me on questionable forest service roads or ice packed mountain highways.

Don't waste your money if you currently do ok w/o AWD. The cx9 is basically a big whale of a car and if you can make it with chains on your 3 w/any problems then you'll do ok with the cx9. Besides...your son will be extremely grateful for the upgrade (my 4'11" 8 yr old was when we moved up from a mazda 3 to the cx9).

chadcf said:

I currently drive a Mazda 3 and am contemplating upgrading to a CX-9. My main motivation is more ground clearance (I live in Oregon and enjoy outdoor activities off some questionable roads which my car cannot navigate), quieter ride (my car is loud as hell at freeway speeds) and more room (my 6' 3" son is a bit cramped in the 3 and 5 passengers is tight). I was thinking about a CX-5 for a while but I think the extra seats and room in the 9 might be better for occasional usage.

All things considered I'd prefer not to have AWD, save myself some money on the purchase price and get 2mpg better gas mileage. However I'm a little worried about some rutted dirt roads I would occasionally drive on. Here is an example of this kind of road:

I have driven this road with a RWD pickup before and it was fine. Which makes me think RWD is probably not needed, but this road is dirt with some fairly deep ruts and rocks. No major slopes though, I'm not going to be doing any rock crawling or hard offroading. I also occasionally drive into the mountains in winter where roads can be a bit rough but when they get bad we throw on snow chains and FWD cars are fine with that.

Other than that I live in a fairly moderate climate. It rarely snows and when it does once every few years it's easy enough to just stay home (we don't really have plows, and they don't salt the roads) so I'm not really concerned about AWD for that. Mostly the outdoor adventures that take me on questionable forest service roads or ice packed mountain highways.

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If you can drive these roads with RWD, don't you really have your answer as to whether you need AWD? FWD is going to have more weight over the drive wheels, and would presumably do better than RWD would in those situations.

^^^What he said ^^^

Also, crappytalk can suck at times. Like when you try to edit or delete something you didn't mean to post.

I think there are more than just these reasons for AWD. The mileage savings is negligible. I would rather have the safety and performance of AWD. Some severe fall storms (and some quasi-aggressive driving dirt roads) made me a believer.

The clearance of the CX-9 is actually very good - better than a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Yes, your kids will appreciate the extra space.

go with the awd, its really good specially with all the torque this suv has at 1800 rpm..
M

chadcf said:

i currently drive a mazda 3 and am contemplating upgrading to a cx-9. My main motivation is more ground clearance (i live in oregon and enjoy outdoor activities off some questionable roads which my car cannot navigate), quieter ride (my car is loud as hell at freeway speeds) and more room (my 6' 3" son is a bit cramped in the 3 and 5 passengers is tight). I was thinking about a cx-5 for a while but i think the extra seats and room in the 9 might be better for occasional usage.

All things considered i'd prefer not to have awd, save myself some money on the purchase price and get 2mpg better gas mileage. However i'm a little worried about some rutted dirt roads i would occasionally drive on. Here is an example of this kind of road:

i have driven this road with a rwd pickup before and it was fine. Which makes me think rwd is probably not needed, but this road is dirt with some fairly deep ruts and rocks. No major slopes though, i'm not going to be doing any rock crawling or hard offroading. I also occasionally drive into the mountains in winter where roads can be a bit rough but when they get bad we throw on snow chains and fwd cars are fine with that.

Other than that i live in a fairly moderate climate. It rarely snows and when it does once every few years it's easy enough to just stay home (we don't really have plows, and they don't salt the roads) so i'm not really concerned about awd for that. Mostly the outdoor adventures that take me on questionable forest service roads or ice packed mountain highways.

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awd

chadcf said:

I currently drive a Mazda 3 and am contemplating upgrading to a CX-9. My main motivation is more ground clearance (I live in Oregon and enjoy outdoor activities off some questionable roads which my car cannot navigate), quieter ride (my car is loud as hell at freeway speeds) and more room (my 6' 3" son is a bit cramped in the 3 and 5 passengers is tight). I was thinking about a CX-5 for a while but I think the extra seats and room in the 9 might be better for occasional usage.

All things considered I'd prefer not to have AWD, save myself some money on the purchase price and get 2mpg better gas mileage. However I'm a little worried about some rutted dirt roads I would occasionally drive on. Here is an example of this kind of road:

I have driven this road with a RWD pickup before and it was fine. Which makes me think RWD is probably not needed, but this road is dirt with some fairly deep ruts and rocks. No major slopes though, I'm not going to be doing any rock crawling or hard offroading. I also occasionally drive into the mountains in winter where roads can be a bit rough but when they get bad we throw on snow chains and FWD cars are fine with that.

Other than that I live in a fairly moderate climate. It rarely snows and when it does once every few years it's easy enough to just stay home (we don't really have plows, and they don't salt the roads) so I'm not really concerned about AWD for that. Mostly the outdoor adventures that take me on questionable forest service roads or ice packed mountain highways.

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I went from a front wheel car to all wheel drive CX-5. Found it made a world of a difference in handling.

in my country there is no fwd option, this because the suv is designed from sctratch to be awd .. and its a good awd , obviously its not intended for extreme situations, but it tackles mountain roads, snow , dune sand , rain etc with confidence ,,, believe me its a huge difference in driving and safety , specially if weather is variable where u live .

chadcf said:

All things considered I'd prefer not to have AWD, save myself some money on the purchase price and get 2mpg better gas mileage.

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Sound thinking but finding a car with FWD might be a challenge. When we were buying ours I've checked inventories of a half-dozen dealerships (150+ cars) and number of '18 CX-9 with FWD was exactly 0 (zero).

There is also an advantage when time to sell it/trade in as AWD in a large CUV likely easier to sell it down the road...just saying

ilgor said:

Sound thinking but finding a car with FWD might be a challenge. When we were buying ours I've checked inventories of a half-dozen dealerships (150+ cars) and number of '18 CX-9 with FWD was exactly 0 (zero).

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tekbis said:

There is also an advantage when time to sell it/trade in as AWD in a large CUV likely easier to sell it down the road...just saying

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This assumes that AWD is the primary model sold in OP's area.

I have a 2012 CX-9 GT FWD, and it is fine for highway and around town (Portland, OR). I have driven it up to BC a few times and it's great on I-5/BC-99. I am not inclined to drive on dirt tracks, but if I were I think I would really appreciate AWD, especially if there were any H20 involved in the form of water, snow, ice or mud. The closest I've come to a dirt road is the dirt section of NW Reeder Rd on Sauvie Island.

chadcf said:

I currently drive a Mazda 3 and am contemplating upgrading to a CX-9. My main motivation is more ground clearance (I live in Oregon and enjoy outdoor activities off some questionable roads which my car cannot navigate), quieter ride (my car is loud as hell at freeway speeds) and more room (my 6' 3" son is a bit cramped in the 3 and 5 passengers is tight). I was thinking about a CX-5 for a while but I think the extra seats and room in the 9 might be better for occasional usage.

Click to expand...

If consistently driving on dirt roads is required, in potentially inclement (wet road) weather conditions (especially, up in the Oregon region), then 4WD is almost a necessity for me personally as it could make the difference in getting out of trouble.

Toyota 4Runner Limited would run you about as much as the new CX-9 Signature and provide a 'level' of comfort that might meet your needs. Most importantly, while meeting your needs it can also be driven in either 2W or 4W drive mode. It is one of the few remaining body-on-frame designs still in production for a true SUV experience and I think Toyota, while trying to maintain that "true SUV experience" got it right with the 4Runner Limited. You could go 4Runner TRD Pro, but you'd lose some of the 'comfort' while gaining even more off-road capabilities.

Based on the pic you've shown, it appears that you'd be doing not much more off-roading than what typical Fire Trails require from an SUV. Fire Trails can easily be handled by the CX-9, no problem - as long as you use good tires. You will experience more quietness in the CX-9 than any 4Runner on the market today and you will get better fuel economy out of the CX-9 as well.

If price matters to you, these two vehicles are comparable (depending on trim) but are worlds apart when it comes to ride quality, ride dynamics, fuel economy, ride height, overall size and overall mission. Both have good build quality and both vehicles will get the job done - with the 4Runner giving you a high level of off-road capabilities (with a minor touch of comfort) just in case you come upon something a bit more than a mere "Fire Trail" to traverse.

If I were in the market for a price conscious off-road SUV right now, it would definitely be the 4Runner Limited or its brother the TRD Pro given their history of off-road performance. Fuel economy would suffer, but that would not be my primary focus on either 4Runner. That's one vehicle that Toyota nailed - though its overall design is a bit long in the tooth and could stand some 21st century upgrades. Regardless, the 4Runner is still the Daddy of economical off-road 2/4 wheel SUV body-on-frame options - with a highly reliable and time tested powertrain and suspension set-up with tons of room for owner upgrades in its respective aftermarket.

Still, the CX-9 has your picture covered, however. No question about it. Just make sure that in the rainy/snowy season that you keep stock on some good tires with grip and the CX-9 should take care of you.

This video depicts the CX-9 picking apart dirt roads and trenches significantly more severe than what you show in your pic. Notice also that he's using the stock OEM provided tire which means it would perform even better with appropriate rubber on all four corners. At 13 minutes in the video is where you can get a really good idea of what the CX-9 would be capable of:

Used GXs are something else to consider since they have some steep depreciation. Basically same frame as 4Runner but different body. KDSS (standard on all GXs) is available on some 4Runner models and is a pretty nifty feature for off-roading by allowing automatic front and rear sway bar disconnects. A lot more sound insulation than the 4Runner too. The GX is a very quiet vehicle on the highway.

Long in tooth but highly reliable platform......

CJ4 said:

Toyota 4Runner Limited would run you about as much as the new CX-9 Signature and provide a 'level' of comfort that might meet your needs. Most importantly, while meeting your needs it can also be driven in either 2W or 4W drive mode. It is one of the few remaining body-on-frame designs still in production for a true SUV experience and I think Toyota, while trying to maintain that "true SUV experience" got it right with the 4Runner Limited. You could go 4Runner TRD Pro, but you'd lose some of the 'comfort' while gaining even more off-road capabilities.

Based on the pic you've shown, it appears that you'd be doing not much more off-roading than what typical Fire Trails require from an SUV. Fire Trails can easily be handled by the CX-9, no problem - as long as you use good tires. You will experience more quietness in the CX-9 than any 4Runner on the market today and you will get better fuel economy out of the CX-9 as well.

If price matters to you, these two vehicles are comparable (depending on trim) but are worlds apart when it comes to ride quality, ride dynamics, fuel economy, ride height, overall size and overall mission. Both have good build quality and both vehicles will get the job done - with the 4Runner giving you a high level of off-road capabilities (with a minor touch of comfort) just in case you come upon something a bit more than a mere "Fire Trail" to traverse.

If I were in the market for a price conscious off-road SUV right now, it would definitely be the 4Runner Limited or its brother the TRD Pro given their history of off-road performance. Fuel economy would suffer, but that would not be my primary focus on either 4Runner. That's one vehicle that Toyota nailed - though its overall design is a bit long in the tooth and could stand some 21st century upgrades. Regardless, the 4Runner is still the Daddy of economical off-road 2/4 wheel SUV body-on-frame options - with a highly reliable and time tested powertrain and suspension set-up with tons of room for owner upgrades in its respective aftermarket.

Still, the CX-9 has your picture covered, however. No question about it. Just make sure that in the rainy/snowy season that you keep stock on some good tires with grip and the CX-9 should take care of you.

This video depicts the CX-9 picking apart dirt roads and trenches significantly more severe than what you show in your pic. Notice also that he's using the stock OEM provided tire which means it would perform even better with appropriate rubber on all four corners. At 13 minutes in the video is where you can get a really good idea of what the CX-9 would be capable of:

Click to expand...

Kedis82ZE8 said:

Used GXs are something else to consider since they have some steep depreciation. Basically same frame as 4Runner but different body. KDSS (standard on all GXs) is available on some 4Runner models and is a pretty nifty feature for off-roading by allowing automatic front and rear sway bar disconnects. A lot more sound insulation than the 4Runner too. The GX is a very quiet vehicle on the highway.

Long in tooth but highly reliable platform......

Click to expand...

Honestly, I wish Toyota, had just refined the FJ instead of killing it. It could crawl over almost anything Jeep could navigate. Never looked at a GX in comparison to a 4Runner Limited however, so thanks for that point. I'd still have to get used to the non-off road looks of the GS, though. Not sure how that affect the OP. Certainly looks like it would be more practical on the freeways getting to the ORP, that's for sure. But, I think the OP said they still want to retain the 'luxury' feel that the CX-9 provides. So, that GX idea might work.

The FJ is a very capable off-roader. I often get up to 20-21 MPG on the highway with my GX. Not awesome but considering it weights 5400 lbs with a small 4.6L V8 not too bad IMO.

Kedis82ZE8 said:

The FJ is a very capable off-roader. I often get up to 20-21 MPG on the highway with my GX. Not awesome but considering it weights 5400 lbs with a small 4.6L V8 not too bad IMO.

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LoL! A "small 4.6L V8." I like that way of thinking about it. I did not know it weighed that much, though. That's mighty for something with such an overall geometry. Geepers. In fact, it is a little tank.

CJ4 said:

LoL! A "small 4.6L V8." I like that way of thinking about it. I did not know it weighed that much, though. That's mighty for something with such an overall geometry. Geepers. In fact, it is a little tank.

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Compared to what is out there today... seems small for V8 Looks a little lighter according to brochure than I thought.. but not much.. actually curb weight is 5,179 lbs (2,349 kg).

Definitely a stout frame you can throw a jack under most places and lift at will