G
Guest2018
First, my thoughts.
As some of you know, I purchased a new 2017 Signature in August and have been nothing but ecstatic about its performance since that time. During said purchase, we asked several dealers whether or not there would be any significant changes made to the 2018, such as forward tilting seats, height adjustments for the passenger seat, heated seats in the second row and most importantly, G-Vectoring. Of course, we were told no at every turn and that if there were any adjustments coming to the 2018, they would not amount to much other than exterior trim alterations - minor adjustments at best. You all now know the rest of the story.
Mazda, introduced (finally) G-Vectoring into the CX-9 as Standard, added forward tilting seat adjustments to the driver's side and height adjustments to the passenger side (something we really thought should have been standard since 2016), heated second row (very nice) and a heated steering wheel (something I thought I would never use until I had it - now I use it all the time). In addition, Mazda, did in fact increase noise and vibration dampening in the 2018 CX-9 and I would say to the point of being considerably noticeable. That was enough to send us back to the dealer a second time.
We took the 2017 Signature back and upgraded to the 2018 Signature (same color). Immediately, I noticed a difference in the straight-line handling and noise levels. Those two things added an extra sense of quality and comfort. The new seat adjustments on both sides makes for a more comfortable ride as well. The G-Vectoring addition is silent during normal driving and unless you take your CX-9 out sometimes like I do to run the canyons (yes you can in a CX-9!), you probably won't be able to tell the difference. Since I am someone tuned-in to drive-train and suspension adjustments, I notice the difference almost right away during 'spirited' driving on normal roads/streets. Disclaimer: I do not recommend that anybody go out and drive their CX-9 the way I drive mine. I get the most performance the road conditions allow from mine, but that always comes with the risk of running afoul with law enforcement.
The 2018 CX-9 is just better, IMO. Not worlds apart from the 2016 or 2017, but slightly more tuned to its capabilities thanks primarily to the G-Vectoring, which you really do need to experience come alive at lest once in your CX-9 life. I'm expecting the G-Vectoring to really shine during highway driving with heavy rain, where hydroplaning is notorious under certain kinds of road conditions. That's where I expect to really see the new AWD torque vectoring algorithms to kick in and start doing their job. However, I have been in the canyons once already with the new 2018, and I find that entering and exiting corners with lateral stability and control is even more pronounced - where it was already darn good in the 2017. Even more so now, the 2018 adopts the entry line you set-up going into the corner and somehow seems to know precisely where you desire to exit. Getting in tune with the driving dynamics of this version of the CX-9 is a bit easier, IMO.
Once again, I have to say that Mazda knocked it out of the park. Though our time with the 2017 was short (4 months), the past couple of weeks with the new 2018 has essentially been a proofing paper on the new 2016 re-design. While I still think the CX-9 deserves a Six Cylinder Turbo Charged powerplant producing a minimum of 300hp, having the Four Cylinder Turbo Charged powerplant producing 310lb/ft of torque at the low end does provide enough go-power to make the overall driving experience about as fun as you can make it for a seven passenger carrier. With the new Mazda 2018 CX-9 Signature, I have zero complaints!
Now, for my frustrations.
Dealers! Here we go again!
I went back to the same dealer for this trade-in deal. I brought the 2017 back in pristine condition in 4 months minus 7,000 miles. The dealer initially offered $35k. I knew Kelly Blue Book was between $34,000 and $36,000, so I figured that they were going to come after me on the back-end of the deal during the new 2018 purchase phase. I had $3,195 residual value remaining in extended warranty that I could cancel and use if needed. I proceeded to counter with an all-inclusive offer of my own.
My counter offer: "I'll do the deal, but only under the conditions that whatever your math looks like in the final analysis, the total cash price price to me does not extend beyond your initial offer for the 2017 plus the residual value remaining in my 2017 extended warranty - which I am official canceling as of right now."
They were actively selling new 2018s at $45k+. They ultimately sold me the 2018 for $43k. I asked them to include the new Front and Rear Bumper Trim Accessory package at no cost to me and they agreed. They said the refund check on the extended warranty cancellation would take 15-days. However, and this is where things start going downhill, we could not take delivery that day because they did not have our color in stock and needed to do a swap with another dealer. Problem? They never told us this until the moment after we signed. So, just like the 2017 purchase, we drive home having done a deal but without our new vehicle.
The next day we head to the dealer after work to finally take delivery. When we get there, there is no Front and Rear Bumper Chrome accessory package installed on the vehicle I see waiting near the front door. Sales rep says, your CX-9 is waiting outside! I say, "That can't be ours. There is no chrome accessory package installed." The GM walks over looking as if he just ate a domestic Canary without a bottle of water to wash it down and says: "We couldn't find the chrome package, so we had to order it. As soon as it comes, our parts department will call you." I turned to my Wife and said to Her: "I knew it. I knew they would try to deliver without the kit installed. I knew it." The Sales Rep says, "Don't worry. You are getting it for free!" I looked at her as if she just dropped in from outer space and then proceeded to do my pre-delivery inspection.
The 2017 was delivered to us with a minor scratch on the passenger side door. So, I took this delivery inspection rather seriously. I first began a microscopic scan of the exterior - took about 30 minutes total on the exterior paint alone. I went over every square millimeter of the paint. I found no visible scratches or abrasions. However, it was clear that the vehicle had been sitting outside on the other dealers lot and nobody bothered to wash it properly before having us come pick it up. You could tell that someone had merely sprayed some water on it, wiped it and left. There was literally mud sticking to the roof. How mud got to the top of the roof like that, I'll never know. So, they sprayed everything but left the roof completely untouched. I pointed all of this out to the Sales Rep.
I then began my inspection of the interior. I spent another 30 minutes going over every detail. I found two scratches in the back of the Napa Leather headrest of the third-row on the driver's side. Deep enough to not be removable with a simple wet clothe wipe. I found another scratch in the dashboard paneling as it wraps around to meet the passenger side door. The gap between those two pieces is where someone had nicked the soft touch material to the point where a wet wipe would not be sufficient to remove the damage. I found shoe prints all over the Napa Leather seating, literally everywhere you looked. It was as if someone had literally been dancing inside the vehicle on the seats. The glass was horribly dirty and every single floor mat section was completely out of place and mismatched (right side placed on the left and left side placed on the right). Everything was ass backward.
I then began my inspection of the engine compartment. I checked fluid levels and luckily those were good. I was shocked at this point. I checked the fuse box and looked for unseated and burned out fuses. The air box for a properly installed air filter. I checked all on-top electrical connectors and found two of them were loose. I checked for general fitment and unnecessary play in all on-top engine accessories. I smell tested the engine oil. I then connected my ODBII scanner and searched for DTC codes. I then began checking wheel lugs, did a visual brake inspection and tire pressure checks. Tire pressure ranged from 71psi to 52psi. The PDI sheet had a check mark next to "Tire Pressure Check" which I had confirmed on the spot as being a total lie.
I then entered the vehicle and ran an ACC test. Making sure that every switched circuit worked, I then did full vehicle lighting test. I was basically 1.5 hours into this inspection when I noticed the fuel gauge was on absolute "E." There was not a millimeter between the digital needle and "E." It was like adding insult to injury - a slap in the face. My Wife, told the Sales Rep. The Sales Rep brought a technician over to take the vehicle out for fuel. I said, no thanks. At that point, I did not want anyone from that dealership touching the vehicle, let alone driving it.
After making a few more Mazda Systems checks we buckled up and drove off to the nearest gas station. You can't make this Q$%$Q% up.
Two weeks later, we find out that Sales never sent the accessory kit order to Parts. So, in speaking with Parts on the phone yesterday, I found out that they just ordered the part today. I called and confirmed with several other dealers that the part could have been ordered before 2pm and delivered to the dealer the very next day! Beautiful. Just beautiful. As if that was not enough, 12 days after we cancelled our extended warranty, we still don't know when our refund check will arrive or even if it is being processed. The refund check amount was miscalculated and I had to engage in several emails just to get their cancellation department to recognize the error!
Here we are nearly two full weeks after the "deal," with no Trim Accessory Package and no clue about our extended warranty refund - other than obligatory, "we're working on it and seek to provide you with excellent service."
For the second time in 4 months we absolutely love our new CX-9! We do not love the way we get treated by our Dealer, repeatedly.
As some of you know, I purchased a new 2017 Signature in August and have been nothing but ecstatic about its performance since that time. During said purchase, we asked several dealers whether or not there would be any significant changes made to the 2018, such as forward tilting seats, height adjustments for the passenger seat, heated seats in the second row and most importantly, G-Vectoring. Of course, we were told no at every turn and that if there were any adjustments coming to the 2018, they would not amount to much other than exterior trim alterations - minor adjustments at best. You all now know the rest of the story.
Mazda, introduced (finally) G-Vectoring into the CX-9 as Standard, added forward tilting seat adjustments to the driver's side and height adjustments to the passenger side (something we really thought should have been standard since 2016), heated second row (very nice) and a heated steering wheel (something I thought I would never use until I had it - now I use it all the time). In addition, Mazda, did in fact increase noise and vibration dampening in the 2018 CX-9 and I would say to the point of being considerably noticeable. That was enough to send us back to the dealer a second time.
We took the 2017 Signature back and upgraded to the 2018 Signature (same color). Immediately, I noticed a difference in the straight-line handling and noise levels. Those two things added an extra sense of quality and comfort. The new seat adjustments on both sides makes for a more comfortable ride as well. The G-Vectoring addition is silent during normal driving and unless you take your CX-9 out sometimes like I do to run the canyons (yes you can in a CX-9!), you probably won't be able to tell the difference. Since I am someone tuned-in to drive-train and suspension adjustments, I notice the difference almost right away during 'spirited' driving on normal roads/streets. Disclaimer: I do not recommend that anybody go out and drive their CX-9 the way I drive mine. I get the most performance the road conditions allow from mine, but that always comes with the risk of running afoul with law enforcement.
The 2018 CX-9 is just better, IMO. Not worlds apart from the 2016 or 2017, but slightly more tuned to its capabilities thanks primarily to the G-Vectoring, which you really do need to experience come alive at lest once in your CX-9 life. I'm expecting the G-Vectoring to really shine during highway driving with heavy rain, where hydroplaning is notorious under certain kinds of road conditions. That's where I expect to really see the new AWD torque vectoring algorithms to kick in and start doing their job. However, I have been in the canyons once already with the new 2018, and I find that entering and exiting corners with lateral stability and control is even more pronounced - where it was already darn good in the 2017. Even more so now, the 2018 adopts the entry line you set-up going into the corner and somehow seems to know precisely where you desire to exit. Getting in tune with the driving dynamics of this version of the CX-9 is a bit easier, IMO.
Once again, I have to say that Mazda knocked it out of the park. Though our time with the 2017 was short (4 months), the past couple of weeks with the new 2018 has essentially been a proofing paper on the new 2016 re-design. While I still think the CX-9 deserves a Six Cylinder Turbo Charged powerplant producing a minimum of 300hp, having the Four Cylinder Turbo Charged powerplant producing 310lb/ft of torque at the low end does provide enough go-power to make the overall driving experience about as fun as you can make it for a seven passenger carrier. With the new Mazda 2018 CX-9 Signature, I have zero complaints!
Now, for my frustrations.
Dealers! Here we go again!
I went back to the same dealer for this trade-in deal. I brought the 2017 back in pristine condition in 4 months minus 7,000 miles. The dealer initially offered $35k. I knew Kelly Blue Book was between $34,000 and $36,000, so I figured that they were going to come after me on the back-end of the deal during the new 2018 purchase phase. I had $3,195 residual value remaining in extended warranty that I could cancel and use if needed. I proceeded to counter with an all-inclusive offer of my own.
My counter offer: "I'll do the deal, but only under the conditions that whatever your math looks like in the final analysis, the total cash price price to me does not extend beyond your initial offer for the 2017 plus the residual value remaining in my 2017 extended warranty - which I am official canceling as of right now."
They were actively selling new 2018s at $45k+. They ultimately sold me the 2018 for $43k. I asked them to include the new Front and Rear Bumper Trim Accessory package at no cost to me and they agreed. They said the refund check on the extended warranty cancellation would take 15-days. However, and this is where things start going downhill, we could not take delivery that day because they did not have our color in stock and needed to do a swap with another dealer. Problem? They never told us this until the moment after we signed. So, just like the 2017 purchase, we drive home having done a deal but without our new vehicle.
The next day we head to the dealer after work to finally take delivery. When we get there, there is no Front and Rear Bumper Chrome accessory package installed on the vehicle I see waiting near the front door. Sales rep says, your CX-9 is waiting outside! I say, "That can't be ours. There is no chrome accessory package installed." The GM walks over looking as if he just ate a domestic Canary without a bottle of water to wash it down and says: "We couldn't find the chrome package, so we had to order it. As soon as it comes, our parts department will call you." I turned to my Wife and said to Her: "I knew it. I knew they would try to deliver without the kit installed. I knew it." The Sales Rep says, "Don't worry. You are getting it for free!" I looked at her as if she just dropped in from outer space and then proceeded to do my pre-delivery inspection.
The 2017 was delivered to us with a minor scratch on the passenger side door. So, I took this delivery inspection rather seriously. I first began a microscopic scan of the exterior - took about 30 minutes total on the exterior paint alone. I went over every square millimeter of the paint. I found no visible scratches or abrasions. However, it was clear that the vehicle had been sitting outside on the other dealers lot and nobody bothered to wash it properly before having us come pick it up. You could tell that someone had merely sprayed some water on it, wiped it and left. There was literally mud sticking to the roof. How mud got to the top of the roof like that, I'll never know. So, they sprayed everything but left the roof completely untouched. I pointed all of this out to the Sales Rep.
I then began my inspection of the interior. I spent another 30 minutes going over every detail. I found two scratches in the back of the Napa Leather headrest of the third-row on the driver's side. Deep enough to not be removable with a simple wet clothe wipe. I found another scratch in the dashboard paneling as it wraps around to meet the passenger side door. The gap between those two pieces is where someone had nicked the soft touch material to the point where a wet wipe would not be sufficient to remove the damage. I found shoe prints all over the Napa Leather seating, literally everywhere you looked. It was as if someone had literally been dancing inside the vehicle on the seats. The glass was horribly dirty and every single floor mat section was completely out of place and mismatched (right side placed on the left and left side placed on the right). Everything was ass backward.
I then began my inspection of the engine compartment. I checked fluid levels and luckily those were good. I was shocked at this point. I checked the fuse box and looked for unseated and burned out fuses. The air box for a properly installed air filter. I checked all on-top electrical connectors and found two of them were loose. I checked for general fitment and unnecessary play in all on-top engine accessories. I smell tested the engine oil. I then connected my ODBII scanner and searched for DTC codes. I then began checking wheel lugs, did a visual brake inspection and tire pressure checks. Tire pressure ranged from 71psi to 52psi. The PDI sheet had a check mark next to "Tire Pressure Check" which I had confirmed on the spot as being a total lie.
I then entered the vehicle and ran an ACC test. Making sure that every switched circuit worked, I then did full vehicle lighting test. I was basically 1.5 hours into this inspection when I noticed the fuel gauge was on absolute "E." There was not a millimeter between the digital needle and "E." It was like adding insult to injury - a slap in the face. My Wife, told the Sales Rep. The Sales Rep brought a technician over to take the vehicle out for fuel. I said, no thanks. At that point, I did not want anyone from that dealership touching the vehicle, let alone driving it.
After making a few more Mazda Systems checks we buckled up and drove off to the nearest gas station. You can't make this Q$%$Q% up.
Two weeks later, we find out that Sales never sent the accessory kit order to Parts. So, in speaking with Parts on the phone yesterday, I found out that they just ordered the part today. I called and confirmed with several other dealers that the part could have been ordered before 2pm and delivered to the dealer the very next day! Beautiful. Just beautiful. As if that was not enough, 12 days after we cancelled our extended warranty, we still don't know when our refund check will arrive or even if it is being processed. The refund check amount was miscalculated and I had to engage in several emails just to get their cancellation department to recognize the error!
Here we are nearly two full weeks after the "deal," with no Trim Accessory Package and no clue about our extended warranty refund - other than obligatory, "we're working on it and seek to provide you with excellent service."
For the second time in 4 months we absolutely love our new CX-9! We do not love the way we get treated by our Dealer, repeatedly.