Ssteigss10
Member
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- 2019 CX-9 GT Machine Grey
2019 GT AWD 1YR Review
After 1 year and 15k miles I figured good time to post review for those looking to buy. Ill also compare it to my other current vehicle a17 Lexus Rx 350 which stickers for $10k more and is best selling Luxury SUV in the country.
Design:exterior/interior
Obviously subjective but love the overall design and there is nothing I would change on Exterior. IMO Best looking 3 Row SUV on road(XC-90 is up there as well).
Interior is very well done. Would only change the piano black which scratches easily and replace shiny chrome around cabin with the brushed aluminum used in other places.
Materials/Build Quality/reliabilty
I have had no build issues. It is rattle free and nothing has broken. Everything is very Solid and just as good as the RX 350.
-Leather quality is better in Mazda than the RX 350(very plastic looking).
-Overall Materials are on par with Lexus though they have different styling. I have had no unplanned service other than a tire balance issue when new which took 3 attempts for Mazda to fix.
-have the optional machine gray. Its beautiful but very soft. Scratches easily from car wash which does not scratch my other vehicles at all. Only 3 small chips on hood which were clearly from rock hitting. The paint quality is better on Rx-350, Harder has more depth and looks thicker. My Cx-9 also came new with smudge in paint under clearcoat. Was under door handle so not noticeable.
Functionality:
Most everything operates great and is straight forward.
- Major negative is the speed in which the infotainment system boots up. Its very slow and takes forever before you can control things like changing radio. Ive had a software update done but its clearly the chip speed. The RX boots right up.
-The rear view/surround camera is horrendous. Blurry/grainy and limited view. The RXs camera(no surround) is much clearer and offers wide view.
Drive:
This is the best driving car I ever had. This includes 2 Audi Q5s and the Lexus.
The transmission is perfectly tuned to the engine. There is no weird shifting, hesitation or rough downshifts which both Audi and Lexus have issues with. The Lexus has major hesitation that 2 software updates have not solved. I drive Mazda 60 miles a day local roads and look forward to driving it every day. It handles very well, is rock solid, quiet. Suspension could be a tad smoother but w/20 wheels and the way it drives thats minor. The engine was noisy and rougher when new but switching to Synthetic and engine breaking in has improved both issues. Its now on par with Audis 2.0t. The Lexus V6 is not very smooth or quiet. There is also a vibration at 1400 rpm from exhaust(all RXs) which Lexus has not solved.
Dealer:
Dealer I was using was incompetent. Told me Mazda requires 3k mile oil changes with regular oil only. Both not true and when I questioned it couldn't get straight answer. I recently switched dealers for service. No loaner cars for regular service is a hassle.
Feel free to ask ?s but this is a great vehicle. Compared to the Q5s and the Rx-350 I would say it is better than both overall and is $10k-15k less. Its just as solid/quiet has many more features and is less expensive. Realize resale is worse though.
After 1 year and 15k miles I figured good time to post review for those looking to buy. Ill also compare it to my other current vehicle a17 Lexus Rx 350 which stickers for $10k more and is best selling Luxury SUV in the country.
Design:exterior/interior
Obviously subjective but love the overall design and there is nothing I would change on Exterior. IMO Best looking 3 Row SUV on road(XC-90 is up there as well).
Interior is very well done. Would only change the piano black which scratches easily and replace shiny chrome around cabin with the brushed aluminum used in other places.
Materials/Build Quality/reliabilty
I have had no build issues. It is rattle free and nothing has broken. Everything is very Solid and just as good as the RX 350.
-Leather quality is better in Mazda than the RX 350(very plastic looking).
-Overall Materials are on par with Lexus though they have different styling. I have had no unplanned service other than a tire balance issue when new which took 3 attempts for Mazda to fix.
-have the optional machine gray. Its beautiful but very soft. Scratches easily from car wash which does not scratch my other vehicles at all. Only 3 small chips on hood which were clearly from rock hitting. The paint quality is better on Rx-350, Harder has more depth and looks thicker. My Cx-9 also came new with smudge in paint under clearcoat. Was under door handle so not noticeable.
Functionality:
Most everything operates great and is straight forward.
- Major negative is the speed in which the infotainment system boots up. Its very slow and takes forever before you can control things like changing radio. Ive had a software update done but its clearly the chip speed. The RX boots right up.
-The rear view/surround camera is horrendous. Blurry/grainy and limited view. The RXs camera(no surround) is much clearer and offers wide view.
Drive:
This is the best driving car I ever had. This includes 2 Audi Q5s and the Lexus.
The transmission is perfectly tuned to the engine. There is no weird shifting, hesitation or rough downshifts which both Audi and Lexus have issues with. The Lexus has major hesitation that 2 software updates have not solved. I drive Mazda 60 miles a day local roads and look forward to driving it every day. It handles very well, is rock solid, quiet. Suspension could be a tad smoother but w/20 wheels and the way it drives thats minor. The engine was noisy and rougher when new but switching to Synthetic and engine breaking in has improved both issues. Its now on par with Audis 2.0t. The Lexus V6 is not very smooth or quiet. There is also a vibration at 1400 rpm from exhaust(all RXs) which Lexus has not solved.
Dealer:
Dealer I was using was incompetent. Told me Mazda requires 3k mile oil changes with regular oil only. Both not true and when I questioned it couldn't get straight answer. I recently switched dealers for service. No loaner cars for regular service is a hassle.
Feel free to ask ?s but this is a great vehicle. Compared to the Q5s and the Rx-350 I would say it is better than both overall and is $10k-15k less. Its just as solid/quiet has many more features and is less expensive. Realize resale is worse though.
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