New (to us) 2016 CX-9

Ive driven Mazdas for years and have a 2018 CX-5 Grand Touring that I love. My wife needed a bigger car and I found a steal on a 2016 CX-9 Touring last weekend that was certified pre-owned, 30k miles one owner. He religiously took the thing to the Mazda dealership every 4,500 miles for service. I usually buy new, but this was too good of a deal to pass up.

Long story short, we love he CX-9! I think I like driving it even more than my CX-5.

My wife doesnt like driving big vehicles, but she loves this one and says it feels much smaller than it is. I love the turbo engine and cant imagine this thing in the CX-5.

Is it just me or does the CX9 feel a little more solidly built than the CX5?

Congrats on the deal. In what way do you think the CX-9 feels more solidly built? The CX-9 is a bigger, heavier car, so maybe in that way it feels more solid, but they're probably built to the same standard as the CX-5.

oh like doors seem to be heavier and have more isolation when closed. A nice "thud"

Probably just new car excitement/ a little jealousy over wishing my CX-5 had the turbo engine.

Ah I see what you mean. Yes, the CX-9 has a little bit more sound insulation and is a little quieter in the cabin.

I went from a 2016 CX-5 to a 2018 CX-9 and it feels like a much more substantial vehicle and yes part of that is because it's heavier. The sound isolation and ride quality is far superior to the older version CX-5. Not sure how it compares to a current CX-5 but too me this drives more like a luxury car.

My previous car was 2008 Mazda CX-7 (2.3L Turbo, 242 hp if I recall correctly). I've had a CX-5 as a loaner in 2017 and wasn't too impressed with it. It felt more cramped compared to my CX-7 and the engine felt underpowered. Next time (in late 2018) I got a loaner CX-9 (2018 model in GT trim) and I was super impressed with the interior design, quiet and comfortable ride and overall build and material quality comparable to some luxury vehicles. I was even more impressed with driving dynamics - it had better initial acceleration than my (lighter and smaller) CX-7, no noticeable turbo lag and even better steering. I then test drove 2019 model and it was even better, plus had all the features I really wanted from my next car, including ventilated seats and top-down camera view.

I ended up buying 2019 CX-9 GT and I love it! I briefly considered some other options, but the main competitor was considerably more expensive 2019 Audi Q7 (~$22K difference for roughly equivalent trim level).

EDIT: I have no idea why forum software created a link for "steering", but it wasn't my intention.

Hey Also considering the 2019 CX9 but in the Touring trim. How did ur 2008 CX7 hold up before u got rid of it? How many miles did u put on it?

bruce_wayne8887 said:

Hey Also considering the 2019 CX9 but in the Touring trim. How did ur 2008 CX7 hold up before u got rid of it? How many miles did u put on it?

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It was essentially trouble free for almost 11 years and ~90K miles (half of that in the first 3 years). I have only done required periodic maintenance, and there were a couple of recalls - one AC system and another for Takata airbag. I'd probably keep it longer as I really liked the car, but first my turbo had to be replaced in November and then my check engine light went on and it was going to be another relatively expensive repair, so at this point I decided that the time has finally come and I need to upgrade.

Overall, I think it was great experience, I didn't expect it to last that long without any repairs, I even never had to service the breaks as the original ones were still pretty good.