2018 CX-9 Heavy Rain & Wet Road Handling - What Say You?

G

Guest2017

This is the very first week around where I live that rain has been in the forecast on consecutive days in a very long time. 24hrs at Le Rain, as been the story line out where I live lately. I've been waiting for this since August, 2017, and now it is here.

This vehicle no doubt impressed me on dry roads. Well, I can now state unequivocally that it actually impresses me even more on wet roads. This is my first time taking it out and experiencing what it can do and I now have even more confidence in its ability to handle unsettling wet road conditions. It does not take much to hydroplane a vehicle. Yet, I have driven at freeway speeds through free standing water as if it were not even there.

Attributable no doubt to its Falken Tires, AWD System and its new G-Vectoring (included in the 2018 CX-9), this vehicle's wet road performance has been outstanding in my opinion. The combination of those things seems to provide a seamless transition into, through and out of road conditions that I know for a fact would have unsettled several of my past automobiles and they were no slouches when it came to performance.

Now, that I know how this vehicle gobbles up hydroplaning freeway conditions in stride, I'll take it into the canyons and press my way through some turns to note the differences between its dry road handling and its wet road handling in the twisters. Exploring the CX-9's engineered performance capabilities has been equally as fun as just driving it on a daily basis no doubt, if not more fun.

Oh, and by the way - the CX-9 Signature just recently got yet another compliment offered up by someone who just purchased another basic trim 2018 Audi Q5 (this is the second genuine compliment from a brand new Audi owner in 5 months). The new Audi owner stopped by while I was doing a Meguiar's quick spray detail at the rack and asked me how I liked it. We talked about it for a few minutes while I was detailing the outside. I then opened the passenger side door, she looked in, saw the interior and nearly had a baby right there on the spot. She said, "Oh! That's so nice... I hope I don't develop buyers remorse after seeing this!"

Yep. The Signature making Q5 owners feel like they might be having a little remorse after the purchase. You can't make this stuff up. Her Q5 was in beautiful brilliant White, too. I think that was part of the attraction for her as my Signature is in beautiful White Pearl.

One more very important reason why the CX-9 has made us happy customers!
 
Last edited:
Hey CJ4,
I read your comments about the cx9s handling , I totally agree with you , not long ago when I purchased mine, ( 6 months ago) , I did a trip to a city around 1000km away from where I live, this city is called Ayacucho, to reach there, you have to go to around 16,500ft hights and travel around 2 hours at that alttitude, as u can imagine the climate varies considerably , from 25C degrees to - 8C in a few hours time, also the altitude affects the performance of the car, the tires ( can reach 50psi because of the altitude) , brakes, suspension, everything is tested at its maximum while travelling to this city, my first observation was that the cx9 handled and tackled every curve as it where an athlete.

While going up you could feel how every other suv ( with out a turbo , almost all of the v6 other than the audis in this country) where far away from the performance of the cx9, the difference was staggering, for example , in the same convoy was a santa fe v6 which really hesitated to keep up, while I was doing 2500rpms in a long ration gear, the santa fe had to be at 5000 rpm almost all the time to keep the pace . The subtleness of the cx9 was nothing less than amazing. also I could realize how effortless was around the curves even with the oe Bridgestone's that my cx9 came with ( which I have to say they suck compared to the falkens) every curve was an adventure, the way it handles and even better when the curve closed in angle at the end, ( which happens a lot in this country) the cx9 was eager to take the challenge and passed with grace and ability. I have not had the experience yet in heavy rain because the wether at the time was sunny and beautiful.
I also think that at least for my country it would be a huge mistake to buy a 2wd cx9, the awd system works beautifully and keeps the suv sticked to the pavement, in a curve , my daughter who is 12 said.." dad this car feels like ur car" ( cx9 is my wifes, I have an audi s3 ) , she wasn't wrong , I certainly could say that the cx9s ( considering the weight difference )could be called S3 of the suvs. . regarding the interior... it is nothing less than beautiful ..yes comparable to any luxury suv..
 
I'm in New England where we've been blasted with snow and 0 F temps lately and have been very impressed with the CX-9's performance. The AWD system works very well regardless of what you may have read regarding the infamous diagnal test on YouTube. This system is designed for real world conditions.

While the Falkens are designed more for dry performance, they hold their own in the snow. You throw winter tires on this thing and you'd be invincible.

CJ4, while the Audi Q5 may compare in price, the CX-9 actually compares with the Q7 (3-row, midsize). And I think the Signature beats even the Q7 on style and character. I'd take it any day over the Audi. The Q5 has nothing on the CX-9.
 
Hey CJ4,
I read your comments about the cx9s handling , I totally agree with you , not long ago when I purchased mine, ( 6 months ago) , I did a trip to a city around 1000km away from where I live, this city is called Ayacucho, to reach there, you have to go to around 16,500ft hights and travel around 2 hours at that alttitude, as u can imagine the climate varies considerably , from 25C degrees to - 8C in a few hours time, also the altitude affects the performance of the car, the tires ( can reach 50psi because of the altitude) , brakes, suspension, everything is tested at its maximum while travelling to this city, my first observation was that the cx9 handled and tackled every curve as it where an athlete.

While going up you could feel how every other suv ( with out a turbo , almost all of the v6 other than the audis in this country) where far away from the performance of the cx9, the difference was staggering, for example , in the same convoy was a santa fe v6 which really hesitated to keep up, while I was doing 2500rpms in a long ration gear, the santa fe had to be at 5000 rpm almost all the time to keep the pace . The subtleness of the cx9 was nothing less than amazing. also I could realize how effortless was around the curves even with the oe Bridgestone's that my cx9 came with ( which I have to say they suck compared to the falkens) every curve was an adventure, the way it handles and even better when the curve closed in angle at the end, ( which happens a lot in this country) the cx9 was eager to take the challenge and passed with grace and ability. I have not had the experience yet in heavy rain because the wether at the time was sunny and beautiful.
I also think that at least for my country it would be a huge mistake to buy a 2wd cx9, the awd system works beautifully and keeps the suv sticked to the pavement, in a curve , my daughter who is 12 said.." dad this car feels like ur car" ( cx9 is my wifes, I have an audi s3 ) , she wasn't wrong , I certainly could say that the cx9s ( considering the weight difference )could be called S3 of the suvs. . regarding the interior... it is nothing less than beautiful ..yes comparable to any luxury suv..


I can tell that you actually own the new CX-9! Statements like: "I could realize how effortless was around the curves even with the oe Bridgestone's that my cx9 came with ( which I have to say they suck compared to the falkens) every curve was an adventure, the way it handles and even better when the curve closed in angle at the end...", make it clear that you understand what Mazda was able to achieve in the ride dynamics of the CX-9. This is an astute observation of the CX-9's driving dynamics and only someone fully aware that "Driving Really Does Matter" will fully understand and appreciate this point. Very well stated!

Also: "...my first observation was that the cx9 handled and tackled every curve as it where an athlete." Being a former athlete myself, I'm naturally attuned to your assessment of the CX-9's handling in the turns. I don't know if the roads you were on had twisting and winding roads coupled to uneven pavement - but that's where I notice the "athletic" performance of the CX-9 the most - when it has to make those small adjustments in its suspension while turning and not becoming so upset that it loses its competence as a smart handling SUV. Again, these are astute observations of what the CX-9 is actually doing on the road to make the experience truly "Matter" to the driver.

12 year olds are very perceptive people. They are observing, monitoring, studying and analyzing everything around them at that age - trying to figure out how the world works. It might sound funny, but if a 12 year old gives your CX-9 a compliment - you can probably take it to the bank as being true of the nature of the vehicle. I've loaded up my Signature on a long drive with six (6) passengers and they all fell asleep heading up to the wine country - and no doubt they all fell asleep on the way back! Basically, they left me alone driving. I did not complain, thought. I just reclined the backrest a little and enjoyed the ride.
 
I'm in New England where we've been blasted with snow and 0 F temps lately and have been very impressed with the CX-9's performance. The AWD system works very well regardless of what you may have read regarding the infamous diagnal test on YouTube. This system is designed for real world conditions.

While the Falkens are designed more for dry performance, they hold their own in the snow. You throw winter tires on this thing and you'd be invincible.

CJ4, while the Audi Q5 may compare in price, the CX-9 actually compares with the Q7 (3-row, midsize). And I think the Signature beats even the Q7 on style and character. I'd take it any day over the Audi. The Q5 has nothing on the CX-9.


Nice to hear such a report on snow conditions! I've not driven this in the snow, yet. However, there is a good chance that could happen this year. We might take a drive to Boreal Mountain, up in the Sierras near Tahoe (Soda Springs), California. Have not been in quite a few years. Sugar Bowl or Kirkwood Mountain via Donner Lake would also be a nice trip in the CX-9, I would imagine. That YT diagonal test missed the point entirely, I agree with you. However, I believe he could have negotiated that angle by simply driving the vehicle the right way.

I put the Q7, XC-90 and X5 (higher trims) in a league of their own. The fact that the CX-9 rivals those in some areas (not all) is amazing, especially for the price of a CX-9. I'd take the CX-9 over the Q5 - I can certainly see that. However, given the new design of the Q7 and its performance variant the SQ7, I'd have to go with the 7 over the 9, much the same way that I'd have to go with the XC-90 Inscription over the CX-9.

Its just nice to know that you can now have a serious conversation about the Q7, XC-90, X5 and CX-9 with an equally straight face and be candid about your assessments of all four as being worthy of comparison. They're not equals. But, they do now at least share much of the same Envelope in terms of attractiveness, performance, capability, utility, comfort and quality. When you start comparing value alone, yes I agree, it is hard to turn away from the CX-9 when looking at the other three!
 
I want to shake your hand, lol. Great description of your experience, thanks for writing that out. Mine came with Bridgestones, but so far the car has been able to handle everything I've thrown at it this winter. I can't wait to get new tires (and wheels) when these ones kick the bucket. It'll be like driving a brand new car again!
 
I can tell that you actually own the new CX-9! Statements like: "I could realize how effortless was around the curves even with the oe Bridgestone's that my cx9 came with ( which I have to say they suck compared to the falkens) every curve was an adventure, the way it handles and even better when the curve closed in angle at the end...", make it clear that you understand what Mazda was able to achieve in the ride dynamics of the CX-9. This is an astute observation of the CX-9's driving dynamics and only someone fully aware that "Driving Really Does Matter" will fully understand and appreciate this point. Very well stated!

Also: "...my first observation was that the cx9 handled and tackled every curve as it where an athlete." Being a former athlete myself, I'm naturally attuned to your assessment of the CX-9's handling in the turns. I don't know if the roads you were on had twisting and winding roads coupled to uneven pavement - but that's where I notice the "athletic" performance of the CX-9 the most - when it has to make those small adjustments in its suspension while turning and not becoming so upset that it loses its competence as a smart handling SUV. Again, these are astute observations of what the CX-9 is actually doing on the road to make the experience truly "Matter" to the driver.

12 year olds are very perceptive people. They are observing, monitoring, studying and analyzing everything around them at that age - trying to figure out how the world works. It might sound funny, but if a 12 year old gives your CX-9 a compliment - you can probably take it to the bank as being true of the nature of the vehicle. I've loaded up my Signature on a long drive with six (6) passengers and they all fell asleep heading up to the wine country - and no doubt they all fell asleep on the way back! Basically, they left me alone driving. I did not complain, thought. I just reclined the backrest a little and enjoyed the ride.
Hey CJ,

regarding your commentary on the following ,
"Also: "...my first observation was that the cx9 handled and tackled every curve as it where an athlete." Being a former athlete myself, I'm naturally attuned to your assessment of the CX-9's handling in the turns. I don't know if the roads you were on had twisting and winding roads coupled to uneven pavement - but that's where I notice the "athletic" performance of the CX-9 the most - when it has to make those small adjustments in its suspension while turning and not becoming so upset that it loses its competence as a smart handling SUV. Again, these are astute observations of what the CX-9 is actually doing on the road to make the experience truly "Matter" to the driver."

yes , the roads are challenging in every way, they are uneven , they close in angle , lots of pot holes, bumps and and water crossings with out advice.. ( yes lots of fun) .
 
Interesting that you guys have had such great wet/snow experiences....

I'm in an '18 with the Duelers and it has been an... experience. This thing hydroplanes like no other car I've been in before and it will do donuts in the snow... Coming from a much heavier Honda Pilot, I think it is partially due to weight, partially due to the much better tires I had on the Pilot and partially due to the drivetrain.

It's great in the dry and normal rain, but snow and heavy rain require quite a bit more vigilance than I'm used to.
 
Interesting that you guys have had such great wet/snow experiences....

I'm in an '18 with the Duelers and it has been an... experience.

the duelers really suck I'm so annoyed mine came with these tires, the falken are in another league. now I'm just trying to justify the 1k expense on new tires when this ones have 6 k miles! grrr ..
 
I had the same sentiment as MG and Gatuno at first. My 18 came with Bridgestone Ecopia tires, and my first week with the car happened to be during a cold snap with some icy roads. Lost traction in a traffic circle a couple of times, nothing crazy, tires would just break loose for a fraction of a second. I thought I'd have to get new tires as well, but it turns out that all of my tires were overinflated (45-50 PSI). I lowered them down to 37-38 and they performed much better in the same conditions. Mileage has also improved. So, for any Canadians with the Ecopias and traction issues, check your tire pressure!
 
I had the same sentiment as MG and Gatuno at first. My 18 came with Bridgestone Ecopia tires, and my first week with the car happened to be during a cold snap with some icy roads. Lost traction in a traffic circle a couple of times, nothing crazy, tires would just break loose for a fraction of a second. I thought I'd have to get new tires as well, but it turns out that all of my tires were overinflated (45-50 PSI). I lowered them down to 37-38 and they performed much better in the same conditions. Mileage has also improved. So, for any Canadians with the Ecopias and traction issues, check your tire pressure!

hey sm1ke , I have mines at 34 all the time, ill get them to 37 at cold so lets see what happens, perhaps they get better, crossing fingers so I don't have to spend a bunch of money , ty
 
I want to shake your hand, lol. Great description of your experience, thanks for writing that out. Mine came with Bridgestones, but so far the car has been able to handle everything I've thrown at it this winter. I can't wait to get new tires (and wheels) when these ones kick the bucket. It'll be like driving a brand new car again!

I swear that I'm having as much fun driving in the rain than I did driving in the dry. At least it feels that way! It looks like you got the Stones on delivery. I have not heard much their wet road performance, however. But, I have heard that rolling Stones gather no moss, so you will be the best judge of that on your CX-9, of course. I can say, that I am somewhat surprised at the Falkens thus far. I just did not expect the level of performance I've gotten out of these tires. I've had Falkens before and was not too impressed - but that was purely on a RWD only sports car with 485bhp and 500ft/lbs (a turbo-charged C5). I ended up with Pilot Sports and all was well with the universe again. The tires really do make a difference - depending on application and vehicle type.


...yes , the roads are challenging in every way, they are uneven , they close in angle , lots of pot holes, bumps and and water crossings with out advice.. ( yes lots of fun) .

Indeed, it really is a fun little SUV to drive. No doubt.
 
Last edited:
Interesting that you guys have had such great wet/snow experiences....

I'm in an '18 with the Duelers and it has been an... experience. This thing hydroplanes like no other car....

It has got to be the Duelers. I wish I could still access the dashcam video, but I've driven this thing straight through what appeared to be Lake Placid on a local freeway at speeds where everybody else was slowing down ridding their brakes - and it never once so much as sneezed. I could fee the water (slowing the vehicle down) and the increased resistance at the tires, but it simply tracked straight through it like a champ.

I took the vehicle out to a freeway that I knew would be empty at a particular time of day/evening where I knew I could ramp up the speed in my own testing and eval. I'm not going to say how fast because you won't believe me and I'm not going to post the video - because I don't want to inspire that kind of driving in the rain. However, the CX-9 did things that really, I'd wet my pants doing in anything else I've driven. In fact, I know that I would not be able to go (speed range) where I was able to take the CX-9 under the same road conditions.

Empty freeway. No one for at least a mile ahead or behind me. The speeds were criminal (felony charges even), but the test was successful. This vehicle will outperform any wet road condition that I would ever face in 'normal' routine driving and that's what I needed to know conclusively (I do not driving like that as a daily habit in the rain). And, that was with the All Season Falkens.

There was slight lateral buffet with smooth regain on two turns, but well within C&T (control and traction) limits. We are not talking about sensible speeds here. It was not meant to be a "sensible" eval. It was meant to find the lower limits (not the upper limits) and no further. The speeds were surprising, that's all I'll say. Again, I'm not encouraging it. I have plenty of HPD experience under my belt - including Wet Track. So, I'm not suggesting that anyone attempt to replicate at all.

I am confident that the typical CX-9 driver should be more than able to operate this vehicle on the freeway at normal freeway speeds in wet conditions without undue fear, intimidation or excessive apprehension about losing control and traction. Final Caveat: This ONLY applies to tires that are within OEM tread limits.
 
I had the same sentiment as MG and Gatuno at first. My 18 came with Bridgestone Ecopia tires, and my first week with the car happened to be during a cold snap with some icy roads. Lost traction in a traffic circle a couple of times, nothing crazy, tires would just break loose for a fraction of a second. I thought I'd have to get new tires as well, but it turns out that all of my tires were overinflated (45-50 PSI). I lowered them down to 37-38 and they performed much better in the same conditions. Mileage has also improved. So, for any Canadians with the Ecopias and traction issues, check your tire pressure!

My dealer did the same thing on delivery. One of the tires was over 70psi. I did my own "PDI" before driving off the lot. Found other stuff too that make no sense. I wrote about it in another thread. On the Falkens, I run at 37 as 34 tends to be a bit too much flex - that Falken seems to be a less sensitive tire relative to internal pressures. Not sure about your Ecopias, never owned them before. However, I get appreciable better bite at around 37 (seemingly in all temperature ranges out where I live), while not sacrificing too much in the ride department.
 
Mine came with the FALKEN and I had no problems on heavy rain. I did try it for a while on wet snow and I had no issues. However I changed to Bridgestone Blizzak for winters and felt the difference driving with snow tires on winter times regardless of snow or rain. But I do admit, winter tires are noisy.(shrug)
 
My dealer did the same thing on delivery. One of the tires was over 70psi. I did my own "PDI" before driving off the lot. Found other stuff too that make no sense.

That's a real pis-off when dealers don't do the PDI's properly.
They have a checklist that they have to follow, and every item on the list has to be checked off by the tech doing the PDI.
From what I've seen on this forum, way too many dealerships shortchange the inspection, and just check off random stuff without ever actually doing the work.
The tire pressure thing is a HUGE item on the list. Every tech at every dealership should know that Mazda ships their vehicles with over-inflated tires.
There is simply no excuse for taking delivery of a new Mazda with the tires at 50-60 or even 70psi. Totally unacceptable.
 
I’m guessing this is just basically an OEM tire review thread because the vehicle really has nothing to do with wet weather traction. Even snow traction comes down to tires, not AWD platform. I have studded snows on my CX9 and it handles every winter mix condition like a champ...but my Protege5 handled it equally as well with the appropriate rubber.
 
Mine came with the FALKEN and I had no problems on heavy rain. I did try it for a while on wet snow and I had no issues. However I changed to Bridgestone Blizzak for winters and felt the difference driving with snow tires on winter times regardless of snow or rain. But I do admit, winter tires are noisy.(shrug)

Nice to hear the Falkens worked on wet snow. Which Blizzak set did you get? Apparently, there are quite a few to pick from. Planning a trip into the Cal Sierras probably in Feb, so I expect snow and lots of it. And, I'm sure you are more than willing to give up a little cabin noise for much better traction and handling in the slippery stuff, no doubt.
 
That's a real pis-off when dealers don't do the PDI's properly.

At this point, I'm simply lowering my expectation on every new vehicle purchase I make anywhere on planet earth. That way, I know that I will have to do my own partial PDI on-site before taking delivery and then a more detailed post-purchase inspection (every nook and cranny including undercar area on a rack) at my local DYI shop. I love the fact that I have a DYI shop locally with all the tools and equipment I don't have.


They have a checklist that they have to follow, and every item on the list has to be checked off by the tech doing the PDI.

Every box on mine was checked, but something caught my eye. When I looked at the sheet, each check mark was not only uniformly the same, but each one down the list was perfectly aligned vertically, lacked the short leg of the check mark (so they were all just slanted lines) and they all seemed to have the same weight or pressure applied when making the mark. In other words, if I sequentially go down a list in rapid fire succession checking every box on an 11.5*8 sheet of paper without stopping until I hit all the boxes, I would expect the marks to be very uniform like that. But, if I checked off each item with the necessary pause in between boxes as I did other work (like the PDI itself!), I would expect to see very non-uniform marks with varying pressure and weight in the ink.

What can I say, I'm part analyst and part engineer - so stuff like this catches my eye. I looked like the guy just ran down the sheet slashing everything in about 90 seconds like it was some kind of Fire Sale at Macy's. Everything Has To Go! All Merchandise Must Be Sold! Slash, slash, slash. Just no real PDI to show for it.

From now on, I'm going to look at the PDI the same way I do when the sales rep tells me they're going to "throw in some floor mats" for me. I just won't expect it to be true unless I buy a Porsche Cayenne, Volvo XC-90 or dare I say it, a BMW X5.

You know, come to think of it, that new 2019 Lincoln Nautilus is looking kinda hot, too:

m7vL5JoQGq44bDnuj0HiuYfRu0ZWm9.png


Q5fo8HJKtvnUMqy4QWggHc7IuWYVhj.png


isqNTVBS9N6G1a2IQk12OfzDykLSHu.png


xv5XSvSi41jzy5ptypPRJY0nINDTZ6.png


Not to shabby. I wonder how it will handle. Ya think the guys over at Lincoln do PDIs? Honestly, I like the looks of this thing the first moment I laid eyes on it. We could easily become a CX-9/Nautilus family, if they don't change too much on this 2019 design.


There is simply no excuse for taking delivery of a new Mazda with the tires at 50-60 or even 70psi. Totally unacceptable.

Nope. None. Zero. No excuse and like you said, potentially dangerous to the Customer.
 
Last edited:
I’m guessing this is just basically an OEM tire review thread because the vehicle really has nothing to do with wet weather traction. Even snow traction comes down to tires, not AWD platform. I have studded snows on my CX9 and it handles every winter mix condition like a champ...but my Protege5 handled it equally as well with the appropriate rubber.

Well, gee - if I strap a solid rocket booster to my Baron G58, I'm sure it will go faster than the OEM published max cruise speed, too. It won't do much for the structural integrity of the airframe, but she will kick butt at Reno in the "bring what you got" category (tongue firmly in cheek). :)

Yes, by all means - spiking your vehicle in the ice and snow will cause it to remain glued to the road like an IndyCar a the Brickyard. However, I was basically referring to 'normal' wet weather driving in your CX-9 and on the stock (OEM) installed rubber. That's what I was initially going after in conversation about "wet weather traction" and for that purpose, I think most replies have been fairly spot on.

But, yeah - uh, go full blown Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome Spike Heaven and you'll probably be able to drive the thing upside down on the ceiling of a tunnel encrusted and packed with 4 feet of ice, as the spikes dig in with every revolution! I guess if you live in those kinds of conditions, then Mad Max just might be what the doctor ordered. ;)
 
Back