Used 2016 Mazda CX-9 SUV Consumer Reviews
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Solid Near Luxury Contender
Byeh, 08/08/2016
updated 08/13/2018
2016 Mazda CX-9 Signature 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
117 of 118 people found this review helpful
8/12/18 UPDATE: 50k miles on Battle Star Galactica now, the only quality concerns we noted are: 1) Navigation hiccups are gone now and system is stable. When are we getting Android Auto again? 3) Tailgate continues it's failure to open about 5% of the time (car beeps 3 times). Annoying but barely 4) Subtle vibration of driver's sideview mirror at speeds above 70 mph in windy conditions. Other than those minor gripes, the car still does everything it originally did exceedingly well. I would still purchase this car again today. ORIGINAL REVIEW: We recently picked up a 2016 signature and this car is nearly perfect for our needs. We already own a 2014 Mazda3 and bought this to replace a 2009 RX350. We cross shopped this car with the 2016 RX350. While the fit and finish on the new RX is undeniably excellent, the major problems with it are 1) the infotainment system requires extraordinary precision/attention and thus is extremely distracting/dangerous to use while driving and 2) the rear cargo area has a higher load floor and less cargo space than the 2nd or 3rd gen RXs. MSRP on the signature model I got is $45,215 and I paid $43,800 excluding taxes, fees, and registration. A comparably equipped RX350 would retail for $10K more easy. I'll be the first to say that the CX-9 loses out if you're looking for the most utilitarian vehicle with maximum cargo capacity. It's smaller interior volume (mostly due to height) mean it doesn't have the biggest cargo capacity (some 30 cubes less than the Pilot). That said, the super long wheel base and overall length provide solid leg room in all three rows and the interior is more than comfortable for adults. It just won't be as airy as some when it comes to headroom. But what it lacks in utilitarianism it makes up for in spades through superior driving dynamics, solid execution of tech, and premium design. I find this Signature trim far more luxurious than the top trims of any of its direct competitors and even more attractive than MDX or QX60. To me the ideal buyer of the Signature trim of this vehicle is someone that wants a 3 row near luxury SUV but doesn't want to pay luxury prices or, as was my case, simply found the alternatives unappealing. Onto the pros and cons: Cons: Front side air vents point too far out and don't direct airflow towards front passengers effectively. Very narrow 2nd row middle seat (outboard seatbelt buckles are almost blocked by a rear facing Britax convertible car seat) No ventilated front seats (would have been nice given hot CA summers) No panoramic moon roof No live traffic integration in the nav app. Live traffic is viewed in a separate view and is only shown on a macro map. No Android Auto or Apple Car Play Pros: Power out of the turbo 4 is very competent. Anyone who balks at the 227 hp rating on regular octane clearly hasn't test driven it or experienced the 310 lb ft of torque that comes on at 2000 rpm. Nappa leather seats are super comfortable Deep cargo loading area with 3rd row folded Heads up display very crisp and bright with a ton of info (lane departure, lane keep, radar cruise, nav with lane guidance, tach, speed, gear, blind spot monitoring). Radar cruise maintains distance and accounts for lane changes and merging traffic decently well. It can be heavy on the brakes when coming up on slowing traffic. That said, the system anticipates cars moving faster than you that merge close to you and won't brake in those situations. Lane departure and keep assist only intervene when necessary and only correct enough to guide you back. Smart City Braking not overly aggressive as some reviewers have indicated (braking earlier avoids unexpected intervention and also conserves brake life). I've never had it activate on me. Blind spot actually beeps when a car is detected and you have your signal on (most competitors only have side mirror indicator lights) Styling is the most attractive/luxurious in segment Infotainment system and controls are very intuitive with low learning curve Suspension absorbs road imperfections well yet offers minimal body roll in corners Very quiet ride on par with RX350 and MDX Fully independent rear HVAC zone works very well and even includes upper and lower air ducts/flow control and auto setting Ambient lighting (flood up front, front door pulls, all door pockets, center console) adds a luxurious ambiance. LED headlights are bright and have a very even distribution and clean cutoff. Auto high beams are also incredibly precise, turning off automatically even when there's only one car way off in the distance on either side of a split freeway.
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Chose Mazda Over Infiniti?
Chris, 11/08/2016
2016 Mazda CX-9 Signature 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
49 of 50 people found this review helpful
I've had an Infiniti FX35 for the last 5 years and loved it. It has been a great family vehicle, the quality was nice and the reliability was top notch. My only wish was sometimes that it had a little more trunk space. I was prepared to buy another one last week, now a QX70. However, before I pulled the trigger I had to do due diligence and cross shopped the Acura MDX (slightly bigger than the Infiniti with 3 rows) and yes, the Mazda CX9. The Acura drove pretty nice, but for the price I didn't like it as much as the Infiniti and it looks more like a mini van to me than an SUV, which is counter productive to buying an suv. Seeing the new bodystyle of the CX-9 made me immediately think of it as being similar to my FX-35 body style I'd come to love, only stretched out slightly for the 3rd row giving more room. I decided to check them out and I'm so glad I did. Mazda has always been nice, but not luxury vehicle nice. I tested out both the Grand Touring and Signature level trims, noting the main differences being subtle: the real wood and dark brown interior in the Signature model with led lighting in the grill vs the Grand Touring with either black or beige interior and black accents vs the wood, both have 20" wheels and nav so the Grand Touring is a great buy if you don't mind black or beige seats only. About a $3k difference. What sold me on the Signature was the dark brown interior I loved; looked a lot more luxurious and reminded me of my 2002 SE Miata I once had with a similar interior. Paired with the pearl white exterior my wife had to have, this was a great compromise; She the got color she wanted, I got the interior I wanted. Had I not read that it had a 2.5 turbo I would have believed it had at least a 3.5L V6 under the hood. Side note: Though the exhaust note is 4cly, the power band and torque definitely are not! It would be easy for mazda to transplant this powertrain to a 3 & the 6 to make mazdaspeed versions and I hope they do! Love the tech safety features that though they are becoming common on a lot of modern vehicles, the way they are implemented here makes them feel like luxury exclusive items. The interior though is what really sold me on this vehicle, its really nice. I do not feel like I stepped own from an Infiniti to a Mazda, but rather that I upgraded. From the NAPA leather, to the aluminum and real wood accents throughout, a plethora of tech and safety features, smooth and very quite ride! There's some youtube videos comparing the new CX-9 to the Audi Q7 and initially I thought that was apples to oranges, but but after testing it out and now owning it, they have very similar quality. Now that Mazda has separated themselves from FORD, they have the independent ability to re-brand themselves into an even classier company and they are doing it with the CX-9. If you haven't driven a MAZDA lately, you owe it to yourself to do so before buying anything else!
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Drivers 3-row CUV more upscale than before
jcpharm, 08/04/2016
2016 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
29 of 30 people found this review helpful
Wrote this on kbb already so just adding my 2 cents here as well. Quick take: Pros(+) nice exterior/interior (albeit subjective) considerable low-end torque gives more than adequate acceleration with no discernable turbo lag great handling for the class (drives much smaller than its size) MUCH quieter than other Mazdas Heads Up Display (HUD) is pretty cool and safer since you don't have to look around as much at the dashboard or nav-display - even blindspot warnings appear in the HUD) safety package (for GT trim) includes blindspot monitoring, lane-departure warning/assist, adaptive headlights, auto-highbeam, automatic brake support, rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control) Fuel-efficient for the class (21/27 - 23 combined EPA) CONS(-) Cargo area is probably amongst worst in class (71 cubic ft vs. Honda Pilot 100 cubic ft) AC does not seem as strong as before no ventilated seats, no heated rear seats, no panoramic roof, no handsfree auto liftgate Not a lot of extra power after 2-3k rpm (but honestly i haven't had to push the engine in those ranges) 6-way power drivers seat adjustment vs. 8-way (height) adjustment in competitors 3rd-row seats are probably only usable for small kids Towing rating is 3500# which is below competitors overall, the cons don't mean that much to me since i only have 2 kids, don't tow, and don't need a ton of cargo but for those who need those things, those might be deal-breakers. personally the steering/handling and interior quality and quiet but comfortable ride are what did me in. so overall i really like the car and think you get a lot of value for the money.
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As fun to drive as the old one, just better
Cedric, 09/21/2016
updated 04/10/2023
2016 Mazda CX-9 Signature 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
16 of 16 people found this review helpful
Our 2010 CX-9 Grand Touring was still in great shape and we have enjoyed every 60,000 miles we drove in it but wanted to get a new car with all the modern bells and whistle and upgraded safety (the recent test report of the small overlap crash test of the old CX9 were not exactly making us happy). I loved the new model since I saw the first pictures and was very intrigued about the Signature trim level and the new 2.5 turbo engine. I had the new Jaguar F-Pace (look, performance, chassis, V6 supercharged engine and handling) and the Volvo XC90 (that interior!!!!). I daily drive a fun RWD coupe with a manual gearbox during the week and I want our family car to be fun to drive as it is the only car I drive during the week-end with the family and cargo (2 young kids). Living in Colorado, we take a lot of trips in the mountains and I want a car that is fun to drive on these roads and that allow me control. The 2010 CX9 was fantastic in the fun to drive department and I did not want to replace it by anything less engaging. I was wondering how the new engine would handle and I was absolutely not disappointed, the low end torque is immediately available and the car always feels more powerful than it really is. EVERYTHING is nicer in it compared to the old model, the materials and quality is impressive for its class and price. The Jaguar is nice but you need to add a lot of extra to get it to that level ($60k), still more powerful and truly plays in the luxury segment though. Handling, brakes, transmission, technology, everything works seamlessly. Update after one year: still love it, only one nagging detail: why can't I unlock all the doors when I unlock the lift gate??? UPDATE: We bought our 2016 CX9 Signature during its first model year. This is the only car I ever purchased with an extended warranty because I was concerned about potential issues with the then brand-new and unproven 2.5 SkyActiv Turbo. I only wasted 2 grand because, knock on wood, the CX9 has been as rock solid as our previous 3.7 V6 2010 CX-9 that we had before. I only regret that I did not wait one or 2 model years because Mazda added a few features to the CX9 over the years: auto hold, Apple CarPlay, Mazda Vectoring Contol, and ventilated seats. We still love long road trips with our CX9, the turbo 4 has always been surprisingly potent and efficient for such a large vehicle. After 50k miles, the beautiful interior still looks new, with no creakings or wear. I wish my 2019 Genesis G70 were as well built in that department. The ONLY detail we HATE about this car is that when it rains, and you open the tailgate, all the water drips on the top of the tail lights and splashes everything and everyone near it. This is a really good car, but I would advise picking up a later model year to get all the goodies that weren't available in 2016.
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Driving matters - Mazda stays true to this!
Olaf Roepke, 09/06/2016
updated 03/07/2018
2016 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
15 of 15 people found this review helpful
Very happy with my CX-9 GT. Have put 1,500 miles on it and love it. Great ride, high quality materials, torquey engine (although hp a bit on the weak side with regular gas). Love the active safety features, Lane Assist works really well, blind spot monitoring is a big plus. Gas mileage is at least in the low 20s in mixed driving. Only complaint I have the tank shows DTE = zero when there are still 2.5 gallons in the tank! Update at 8,000 mls: All the above is still true, there a few minor things that are a bit annoying: Outside mirrors don't adjust with power seat preset, Nav system starts up a bit slow, A/C a bit weak on 90+ days. None of this is bad enough to make me regret my purchase though! Update at 22,000 mls: Still love the car, great MPG, handles really well, still my only downside is the Infotainment system that randomly crashes once in a while and AC/heating were better in my previous non-Mazda vehicle.
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