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2023 Mazda CX-9 Consumer Reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
33 reviews

Pricing

Edmunds suggests you pay
$35,626

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2023 CX-9, so we've included reviews for other years of the CX-9 since its last redesign.

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Pros
Cons
4 out of 5 stars

Not bad at all

Dallas Cowboy, 06/05/2023
2022 Mazda CX-9 Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
28 of 28 people found this review helpful

The good: - Handling is great, better than anything in this segment, without sacrificing the ride comfort (I have Touring with smaller rims though); - Acceleration from the turbo engine is decent, especially in the 40-70 mph range.No turbo lag at all. - Overall ride is smooth and composed, I'd say premium-like (think Volvo XC-90 with better handling); - Noise level - way quieter at highway speeds than my wife's Toyota RAV4; - Very good third row with cupholders, some additional storage and its own USB port; more suitable for kids/teenagers though; - Second row has it's own climate controls; - Remote start from the app (works from anywhere); - The knob interface is not as bad as I thought it would be, after getting used to it I no longer regret not having touchscreen; - Mazda finally fixed the problems it had 5-7 years ago (which were very weak AC and horrible headlights - no longer an issue). - Build quality and interior materials quality is great overall. Better than competitors from Toyota, Nissan, Honda, etc. in this price category (yes, I test drove them all, with the exception of Telluride - because it's more expensive and dealers were not willing to negotiate). Leather actually looks/feels/smells like leather and not like some PU. The Bad: - The collision mitigation system is VERY sensitive, even at the low radar setting. At least 2-3 times I almost caused an accident because vehicles behind me had to emergency-brake because of this system engaging; One good example is when a vehicle in front of me was turning right and I wasn't reducing my speed because I knew for sure I had plenty of distance for the vehicle in front of me to complete that turn - well, the system thought otherwise... Also, be careful when/if you change the lanes too aggressively as it might engage as well. - Experienced some pretty bad hesitation/jerking from transmission when accelerating from a rolling stop, especially downhill (appears to be some transmission issue hunting between 1-2 gears). Only happened 5-7 times and appears to be mostly gone after my dealer reprogrammed transmission at 7k miles; - Also experienced some transmission lurching/jumping forward at lower speeds (total of 5-7 times); once it happened when I pulled into the garage. The issue still happens occasionally and was not fixed with the transmission reprogramming by the dealer. Shifting into neutral and back into drive usually takes care of it, although sometimes it would require engine shut off/restart for it to go away. - Seats are not too comfortable; and no memory settings on Touring (you would have to get Touring Plus for that); - Keep an eye on oil level (I usually check it every other refuel, so far so good); The Ugly: - Depreciation is horrible, prepare to loose 20% of value in year 1; - If you drive aggressively prepare for some unpleasant surprises: my fuel consumption is 19.2 mpg and my front tires are at 50% after 10k miles. The tires that come from the factory on these are terrible and don't even have tread life warranty from the manufacturer. I also suspect the front brake pads won't last longer than 20-25k miles as the brakes feel weak for such a large vehicle. Overall I'd rate it 3.7 - 3.8 out of 5. 1 YEAR UPDATE: All of the above still applies. Great build quality and great handling. Very stable (and quiet) even at 100mph. All the transmission issues disappeared (knock on wood), haven't felt anything for the past 3-4 months. Seems like reprogramming by the dealer took care of the problem. MPG still sucks and haven't improved at all (still at 19 MPG combined). The best I've seen was 24-25 mpg (if I really baby it). Zero oil consumption issues after 12K miles (knock on wood again). The new comment for those who live in hot climates: the turbo SUBSTANTIALLY under-performs when it's above 90 degrees outside. We've had a heat wave here in TX with temperatures in 110-115s, and while during my morning commute the car feels normal, during my 4-5pm drive it sometimes feels like I have no turbo at all!

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5 out of 5 stars

Big bang for the buck!

SNP, 05/03/2022
2022 Mazda CX-9 Carbon Edition 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
26 of 27 people found this review helpful

Been driving my 2022 CX-9 Carbon Edition for three weeks now and I very satisfied with my purchase. I was a little nervous in in taking the plunge on this vehicle since the current iteration has been around for quite some time. I traded in a 2019 Passport Elite which I must say was a fine vehicle. It was super dependable, has storage for days and was easy to drive whether it was to the grocery store or on a road trip to the Carolinas. The Honda was like wearing your favorite pair if khakis; it never let you down, comfortable and not the least bit flashy. One must admit however the Passport especially the Elite model does exude an aura of style, toughness and personality that most Honda's do not. All praise for the Honda aside, honestly I do not miss it at all. The CX-9 (Carbon Edition especially) looks great, drives great, feels and handles like a much smaller vehicle. My Honda felt strong and sturdy while the Mazda in comparison feels quick and nimble. According to all reports the Honda is actually faster 0-60 than the Mazda but you would never know it by the way they feel. The CX-9 is quite and comfortablre and I cannot wait to get it on a road trip to Michigan in a couple months. I can nitpick a few items on the Mazda that are all generally small annoyances. The inside storage (center console and doors) is well below average and again in comparison to the Honda, miles behind it. The good news is with less space I will not store so much junk and perhaps my car will stay cleaner! Doors feel light and often times find myself seemingly having to slam them shut to get them to close properly. The 3rd row cupholders are really unnecessary and all they do it eat up potential storage space in the rear of the vehicle making it feel somewhat narrow. I'm sure the 2023 updated CX-9 (or CX-90) and other new Mazda SUV's will be fantastic vehicles too but it's not hard to see what there are so many CX-9's and CX-5's on the road today. The CX-9 still feels and looks like it belongs and the drive confirms my decision every time I get behind the wheel. Dollar for dollar, feature for feature you will be hard pressed to find anything with such a combination of satisfying drive, adequate space, contemporary looks for the money!

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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3 out of 5 stars

Terrible MPG

new CX-9 owner, 06/16/2022
2022 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
28 of 30 people found this review helpful

I recently bought a brand new 2022 CX-9 grand touring last month (all 2022s are AWD). I have about 1,000 miles on it now. I totally baby it. I have tried all types of gas. The tires are inflated perfectly. I barely touch the gas peddle as often as possible. I coast to lights and stops and try constantly to up my MPG. The first couple weeks I was averaging 14MPG combined. Now I am up to 18MPG combined. My mix is 80% highway and 20% city. I was almost going to by a Yukon but the MPG my dad was averaging on his 2022 was only 19mpg on the AWD gas version. So I decided against it due to the bad MPG. Now I have a smaller vehicle (CX-9), with a smaller engine (2.5 T) and less HP and the MPG is even worse!! The MPG ratings are such lies. This is a real review and not embellished at all. Good luck in your search.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Value
3 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Great SUV. Quality and features galore.

Happy owner, 01/19/2023
2023 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful

Over the years our “family” car has been an SUV. Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4, Acura RDX, then when kids came the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander. We leased a 2021 Mazda CX9 GT and we were impressed. Three issues; less room, so so gas mileage, and terrible infotainment. However, the rest of the car is so good we just leased a 2023 CX9 GT. OK, size is the same and gas mileage still so so (22 MPG combined). BUT, infotainment and nav vastly improved. The car is beautiful to look at inside and out. It has good power. Handles like a compact car, quality materials, pretty much every option you need and then some. They’ve even added the My Mazda app for remote starting and vehicle monitoring. Honestly, if you can live with the gas mileage and a little less passenger and storage space you have to take this SUV for a test drive.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Good SUV

mike, 01/25/2022
2022 Mazda CX-9 Touring Plus 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful

Impressed with Mazda so far! Great handling sporty ride drives like a luxury suv. Interior very upscale.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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