New CX-9, All Good...Except the seats

Seat complaints have mostly been from CX-5 owners I think. You might be the first I've heard of who has issues with the CX-9 seat.

I have a Signature with the nappa leather seats, but I also drove a base model as a loaner, and aside from the leather, the seats didn't feel any different. I'm 5'8" 210 lbs, with a back of decent width for my height (43-44 shoulder to shoulder). I find that the seat bolstering is perfectly fine. I drove the base model loaner on 2 separate 1 hour trips and experienced no issues with the seat, and I've logged 6-8 hour trips (with breaks every 3-4 hours) with no issues in my Signature. IMO, for a car that handles as well as it does, the seat bolstering is welcomed as it helps to keep me from sliding around in the seat.

Have you looked into some foam backing for the center portion of the seat to make the narrow portion less pronounced? I'm thinking upholstery foam like this, cut to fit the seat back highlighted in red below.

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Keep in mind that you'll want to keep the side bolsters uncovered to make sure the airbags in the seat deploy properly in the event of an accident.

This is for Regular Guy and all of us who think the upper bolsters are too far in. I found this today. Might be worth looking into:
https://gokhalemethod.com/blog/63012
https://gokhalemethod.com/blog/63501
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

This would fit right in between the bolsters and relieve some of the pressure on the upper back. I was reflecting on how I drive in my 2005 MDX and I don't sit all the way back in the seat with my upper back pressed into the seat. I notice my upper back rides a little off of the upper seat (the bolsters are very wide so that position is pretty comfortable). On the CX-9, the bolsters come pretty far out and meet the upper back. If there was some sort of cushion between the bolsters that met the upper back, this would create an even area across the entire upper back and be much more comfortable. Take a look at those links and let me know what you think.
 
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I have a 2016 CX9 signature with 36K miles and I HATE, absolutely HATE the driver's seat. I drove 14 hours down to and 16 hours back from Destin, FL and it was absolutely miserable. I did all of the driving. My hips and my lower back hurt so bad. I am not a stranger to long drives either. I drove from California to Ohio in my BMW and never felt the ache of the road. Same with my outback (Texas to San Fran). I loved both of my mazdaspeed3's but I can't wait to get rid of this car. My problem is I loooove how it handles. I signed on here hoping there has been some change in the seat cushion. I get what one poster means when he said he felt like he was sliding off the seat. Me too and I'm only 5'4. The seat cushion needs to be a hair longer to fully support your thighs or have a thigh extension. The bolsters didn't' bother me, but the cushion firmness does. I want to buy a new car with the market being the way it is and with Mazda adding ventilation and captain chairs along with HUD being standard I find it hard to switch to another brand. But we road trip and I can't see that changing. I sat in the highlander and loved the seat so much more, but not the handling. booo
 
Totally agree, to me the seat bottom is way to hard. I would like to see a solution that would keep the cooling and heating intact.
 
Hi,
I am just another victim of the driver seat. Really hate the driver seat.
I own the 2020 CX9 touring AWD since March this year. Each time, when I drive over 2 hours, I get a neck pain for at least a week. I find there is completely no support for my top middle back because of the head bolster. I have been keeping trying different position and neck supporting stuff, ending in no luck.
I did regret not to buy the top model, which might be better. However, now I don't think it will make a difference because no more adjustment on the back.
The only lucky thing to alleviate a bit is the lane centring function (when set to early mode), which reduces a bit strength I need to put on the steering wheel and alleviate my neck pain a little bit.


A few posters have commented that the bolsters soften up over time and the seats became more comfortable.
Just 8 months pass, I already notice the bottom of the driver seat becomes a bit softer.
Crazily, I also pull out the head bolster, put on the ground and jump on it to make it softer a little bit.
 
I bought a seat cushion from Walmart the fits between the bolsters. The size raised the seat bottom about 1.25 inches which is near perfect. I can move around some instead of feeling trapped in the seat. Ed
 
I bought a seat cushion from Walmart the fits between the bolsters. The size raised the seat bottom about 1.25 inches which is near perfect. I can move around some instead of feeling trapped in the seat. Ed
Ed, can you find the item online and post a link to the cushion? Thanks
 
I couldn't find one on the website. I found it in the chair cushion section and NOT in the auto section. It has a rounded edge and 3 fairly straight sides and is about 1 & 1/4 inch thick with a nonslip backing.
 
A few posters have commented that the bolsters soften up over time and the seats became more comfortable. I am hoping this holds true and the seats eventually blend into the background of an otherwise solid vehicle. For the time being my wife is driving and I am going back to our Camry. I am not going to have an upholstery shop take apart the seats, seems like safety concerns might be warranted if I went this route.

Once again, I am 6' even and 190-195 pounds, so similar to a few of the other posters that said the seats are comfortable. I just can't get my shoulders inside the bolsters if I sit all the way back. Tried tilting back and forward but that doesn't change the chest/shoulder width if I sit back in the seat. I do workout so I guess my back is a bit larger, but I am not enormous, just a fairly athletic build.

I really do hope this gets better with time as I like driving the car. Worst case is I am even up in 2 years and can trade. Thanks again for everyone's input. If someone out there sees this and has had a similar experience with the seats when they first bought I would love to hear their comments and how things turned out.

Cheers.
Hey @Regular Guy -- looking at buying a CX-30 and having this *exact* issue with the seats. I'm curious how this worked out for you -- how are the seats feeling after 18 months?
 
I couldn't find one on the website. I found it in the chair cushion section and NOT in the auto section. It has a rounded edge and 3 fairly straight sides and is about 1 & 1/4 inch thick with a nonslip backing.
I'd like to see that too. Can you post a picture? Walmart has a ton of seat cushions which return from a search.
 
Just picked up a new 2021 Signature Soul Crystal Red with the parchment interior. I traded my 2016 signature and I can tell you the seats on my 2021 are so much better. I was never a fan of my 2016 seats.
 
Pics @speed3chris1!! I wanted the SRC on mine but they didn't offer that colour on Sig trims at the time. Probably because it doesn't go well with the auburn interior.
 
I have been waiting for this color for a long time. They only had 3 in California and my dealer did a trade to get it.
 
We just test drove a 2021 CX9 Grand Touring this morning. My wife and I found the seats firm but comfortable. I think the CX9 driver's seat can feel cramped depending on your size and build. I'm 5'8" and my wife is 5'4", so maybe that is why the seats work well for us. As a comparison we also test drove a Toyota Highlander XSE today and found the seats firm as well, but nowhere near as comfortable. My wife said the front passenger seat thigh support was cutting into her leg. The Highlander didn't really have noticeably more room in the front seats, as the car pudits would have you believe. It seems like spec sheets and real world use are two very different things. Please keep in mind these were short 30 minute test drives, not 6 hour road trips. In any case, if the Highlander is uncomfortable for us in 30 minutes, what is it going to be like in 6 hours, so the Highlander is most likely out for us.

Update: we bought the '21 CX9 GT. Love it.
Poppy D
 
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Just picked up a new 2021 Signature Soul Crystal Red with the parchment interior. I traded my 2016 signature and I can tell you the seats on my 2021 are so much better. I was never a fan of my 2016 seats.
Hi @speed3chris1 - Can you share your impressions of the difference? Does it seem like the seat shape has been improved? Or more on the cushion/materials side?
 
I'm 6"1" 225Lb and initially I found the seats very uncomfortable, however after a few months of break-in I now find them much more comfortable, IMHO.

Peace and blessings,

Azeke
I felt the same way. It took me very long time to get used to the driver seat. I love my CX-9. It’s a great car for driving around the city, but not so good for long road trips.
 
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In another thread I mentioned that I have never thought about the seats in any of my cars. Well, I just got a new 2021 CX-9 Signature and strangely, the seats initially felt funny. Like the seat was not wide enough and I was sitting on the bolsters. Luckily, the seat feels like it is breaking in and getting better suited for my butt!
 

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