Camera software update? Will it happen?

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2019 Mazda CX-9 Signature
Hi everyone,

This is my first post. I'm very to be part of a CX-9 community! We just purchased a 2019 signature model to replace our problematic 2016 CLA45 AMG. We still have a GLK and I cant wait to get rid of it as well. It's too problematic. My first car was a 2011 Mazda 3 and it was the most reliable car I owned until I got rid of it in 2014 because I wanted to drive the 3 pointed star. Big mistake.

Anyhow! Does anyone know whether Mazda will update the infotainment software to provide better camera quality? The reverse and 360 camera is horrible. It is the worst in the car industry and I feel like it's a software issue and not hardware. Although I don't see myself using the camera often, it's an embarrassment when others sit in the car4

Any rumours about an impending update?

Thanks!
 
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Hi everyone,

This is my first post. I'm very to be part of a CX-9 community! We just purchased a 2019 signature model to replace our problematic 2016 CLA45 AMG. We still have a GLK and I cant wait to get rid of it as well. It's too problematic. My first car was a 2011 Mazda 3 and it was the most reliable car I owned until I got rid of it in 2014 because I wanted to drive the 3 pointed star. Big mistake.

Anyhow! Does anyone know whether Mazda will update the infotainment software to provide better camera quality? The reverse and 360 camera is horrible. It is the worst in the car industry and I feel like it's a software issue and not hardware. Although I don't see myself using the camera often, it's an embarrassment when others sit in the car4

Any rumours about an impending update?

Thanks!

unfortunately no. Its been bad since it came out on the 2016 cx9. I heard someone say its a analog camera and thats why its so bad and not digital.
 
Lol, I always get a kick out of these threads. No doubt in my mind that the camera could be upgraded, but to say its the absolute worst camera in the car industry is just wrong. The back up camera quality in my brother-in-law's company car (2019 Infiniti QX60) is worse than the back up camera quality in my 2018 CX-9 Signature. Is it the best? Of course not. But it's also not the worst.

WRT to improving the quality of the image, I don't think much (if anything) can be done via a software update. The best way to improve image quality is to use better hardware (processor and image sensor).
 
Lol, I always get a kick out of these threads. No doubt in my mind that the camera could be upgraded, but to say its the absolute worst camera in the car industry is just wrong. The back up camera quality in my brother-in-law's company car (2019 Infiniti QX60) is worse than the back up camera quality in my 2018 CX-9 Signature. Is it the best? Of course not. But it's also not the worst.

WRT to improving the quality of the image, I don't think much (if anything) can be done via a software update. The best way to improve image quality is to use better hardware (processor and image sensor).


Well the cx-9 camera is a failure for a 2019 model considering my 2011 Mazda 3 with a cheap Chinese aftermarket head unit and (analog) camera was much better. All other cars I have driven were much better as well. I'm fairly certain it's a software issue since it looks like the scaling is off and the quality varies between the rear cam mode and 360 mode. One is bad and one is worse, but it's the same source. Well, looks like it will be this way then.
 
Speaking as someone who is the market for a new car and considering the CX-9, there is no question that the CX-9 camera quality is bad. Its bad, and yes, an embarrassment for a vehicle in 2019 (or 2016). However, its also good enough for the application. If you cant see major obstructions to the front or rear or sides with the cameras, you may have other vision problems.

I recently test drove a 2019 CX-9, and after the test drive the dealer had me put it back in the spot where we got it from. The way I pulled in to the row, it was tight. Really tight. I had to back up and move forward (inches) several times to maneuver the car back into the original spot, all with other new vehicles around as obstructions. The cameras are bad, have I mentioned that? However, between the cameras and the beeps, I felt comfortable that I could get really close without making contact with anything. Without the cameras (and just the beeps), Im not sure that I would have been comfortable with those maneuvers. So, I think the argument can be made that the cameras, while bad, are good enough for their intended purpose. Embarrassing, but workable.

For me, Ive taken my gripes and worries about the CX-9 and attempted to find another vehicle with fewer negatives. I havent found one. Yes, if your priority is space, the CX-9 isnt the car for you. If your priority is a 24 touchscreen in the dash, the CX-9 isnt for you. If you want 350hp under the hood, the CX-9 isnt for you. But the reality is that pretty much every competing vehicle has a list of negatives, and I havent found one which doesnt have driving dynamics on the negatives list, which is a big deal to me. I think if any competitor is close, it is Hyundai/Kia. I didnt realize until recently that Kia is apparently positioned as more upscale than Hyundai, as I always thought of them as entry-level. The Telluride looks great on paper and in reviews, but the reviews also appear to say that its a bit lacking in power (despite the V6) and handles like a truck. With the CX-9, I like the off-the-line torquethough torque steer is noticeable even with light acceleration (wish the AWD was more evenly distributed)and the fact that I can run a couple tanks of 93 octane and get more power. And, of course, the driving dynamics are pretty decentits not a sports car, but it isnt a truck, either.
 
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I agree with the previous poster. The image quality is poor, but it is good enough to be usable. At least the image quality doesn*t matter much when parking in tight spots, the only time it would benefit from higher quality image is when using wide forward or wide rear view. It would help to see approaching cars that are at the edge of the image.

I also tried to find a better car in this category and even a notch higher and the only real competition in my case was 2019 Audi Q7 Premium+ w/driver assist package. But that would be ~$20K extra (if you go with 2.0T, 3L engine would be even more) with higher maintenance costs. It was just too hard to justify given that Mazda was just as good in quality and style. Q7 had a very high res camera and screen though.
 
I also cross shopped with the Q7, XC90 and Telluride. In the end I chose the CX-9 because it has usable 3rd row space. The second row moves forward more than the XC90. The Q7 second row does not move forward so the third row was unusable. The Q7 was also 30k more expensive and the XC90 as well for the packages we wanted. The Telluride was very cheap feeling, despite it looking good inside and having tons of tech. The CX-9 ultimately worked for us in the end. I was just hoping there was some sort of update for the camera in the pipeline. Not a big deal I guess. Im just anal when it comes to picture quality Haha.
 
The Q7 second row does not move forward so the third row was unusable. The Q7 was also 30k more expensive and the XC90 as well for the packages we wanted.

Actually, Q7 second row seats slide independently back and forth, but to access the third row you need to fold the seat back down, then push on the handle to open it and pull upwards. The rear part of the folded seat disconnects from the rails and with assistance from hydraulics moves to a vertical position, so there is a sizable entrance for the third row, much bigger than in CX-9.

The disadvantage is that it is more involved than using just a single lever to access the third row and also it makes it impossible to access the third row if there is a car seat installed on that side.

With Mazda you can just slide the entire seat forward, even if a car seat is installed (only forward-facing though). On the other hand, Q7 offers full-size middle seat on the 2nd row with its own LATCH and strap hook.

At the end, the deciding factor for me was almost 50% difference in price, and you definitely dont get 50% more car with Audi, plus I got almost everything I wanted with CX-9 - quiet ride, sporty handling, 360 camera, premium interior, ventilated seats, etc...
 
Actually, Q7 second row seats slide independently back and forth, but to access the third row you need to fold the seat back down, then push on the handle to open it and pull upwards. The rear part of the folded seat disconnects from the rails and with assistance from hydraulics moves to a vertical position, so there is a sizable entrance for the third row, much bigger than in CX-9.

The disadvantage is that it is more involved than using just a single lever to access the third row and also it makes it impossible to access the third row if there is a car seat installed on that side.

With Mazda you can just slide the entire seat forward, even if a car seat is installed (only forward-facing though). On the other hand, Q7 offers full-size middle seat on the 2nd row with it*s own LATCH and strap hook.

At the end, the deciding factor for me was almost 50% difference in price, and you definitely don*t get 50% more car with Audi, plus I got almost everything I wanted with CX-9 - quiet ride, sporty handling, 360 camera, premium interior, ventilated seats, etc...

Oh wow, that means the salesperson didnt even know how to slide the 2nd row in the Q7. He said it couldn't slide Haha. Yeha I couldn't justify paying so much for the Q7 when the CX-9 is a great car too.
 
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Oh wow, that means the salesperson didnt even know how to slide the 2nd row in the Q7. He said it couldn't slide Haha. Yeha I couldn't justify paying so much for the Q7 when the CX-9 is a great car too.

Well, yeah, in my experience, their knowledge is usually not very deep (there are exceptions, of course). For instance, they had no clue how park assist works in Audi, so I had to figure out myself. At VW dealership they couldnt answer my question whether Atlas in its most expensive trim has memory for side mirrors (it does).

I guess next time Ill just refer to the manual to get answers to my questions.
 
I just replaced my 2016 cx9 with a 2019 model. The camera image in the 2016 was far superior to what is displayed in the 2019...and 360 makes it worse given the reduced screen size to accommodate multiple views.
What Id give to upgrade to my old system!!
 
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