Used 2023 Mazda CX-9 SUV Consumer Reviews
Used CX-9 for sale
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)
13 of 13 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.
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Exceeded expectations
C7 Corvette Guy, 06/04/2023
2023 Mazda CX-9 Touring Plus 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
I researched a lot of SUV vehicles in a variety of classes and settled on the Mazda CX-9. I wasn’t interested in spending big $ on a luxury class status symbol, but wanted a classy, sporty, practical vehicle with some get up and go. I knew that Mazda pushed the luxury envelope without the price premium. The Mazda met all those requirements. Our vehicle exceeded our expectations in every way. We drove 100 miles to Ocean Mazda in Miami to buy the car ($6000 savings vs local dealer), and rented a BMW X2 to get there (Hertz upgraded us because they were short of vehicles). On our drive home in the CX9 we realized that the performance, comfort, and features of our CX9 exceeded the BMW, even though I took it easy on the throttle for engine break-in. We’re only about 400 miles into our Mazda experience, but we love our new vehicle.
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2023 Mazda CX-9 for sale near you
Showing 3 of 34 listings
- Touring 4dr SUVMSRP: $25,939In-stock online
- Signature 4dr SUVMSRP: $29,99729 mi away
- Grand Touring 4dr SUVMSRP: $29,590In-stock online
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2023 CX9 Touring Plus
Andy, 07/06/2023
2023 Mazda CX-9 Touring Plus 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Had a 2008 Mazda CX9 and after 15 years I bought a slightly used (6200 miles) 2023 CX9 Touring Plus. Funny thing is the price for the new one all in was 40k and the price of the 2008 Grand Touring was 40k when I bought it new. I like the clean looking interior, ventilated leather seats and the touring plus with the black wheels looks great. Drives nice, quiet and handles well. Doesn't get great gas mileage at about 16-18mpg around town. I'm not easy on the accelerator but I don't drive that many miles so not a deal breaker. The engine sounds a little buzzy and not liking no touchscreen. I don't care about the third row as I keep them down all the time and use the extra room for hauling equipment, mulch and other supplies. It's just the right amount of space for me. Was trying to hold out for the CX70 but my old CX9 wasn't cooperating and the new CX90 was more money. Probably keep this for a couple of years and see how the CX70 fairs.
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2023 CX9 Breaks
Doc, 02/08/2023
2023 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
Car rides beautifully BUT, after only 1900 miles, the breaks became soft and would slowly go to floor when at a light. Dealer replaced the master cylinder and problem persists. It's been in the shop almost two weeks as they attempt to identify the problem.
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Driving enjoyment over utility, thats the CX9.
AJL, 02/07/2024
updated 09/19/2024
2023 Mazda CX-9 Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
This is the second Mazda I've owned, the first being a 2008 Mazda 5 (minivan). Mazda's tagline at that time was "Zoom-zoom" and it's still fitting to their vehicles. Mazda puts a premium on the driver and driver enjoyment in their vehicles. Honestly, I've had a BMW 5 series and a 3 series as rental cars and when I got back into this giant Mazda crossover, I wasn't missing much driving enjoyment even though the CX9 is a large and heavy crossover compared to those sedans. That might say more about current BMW than Mazda but I digress. If you like to drive and outright space and utility are not needed, the CX9 is very good. The engine and transmission work very well together. I use premium fuel in mine which raises the power from 227 to 250. Could be all in my head, but it's much happier on premium fuel and it's a difference you can feel, though only slightly. Transmission could use another gear or two; this is only a 6 spd automatic and most others in this class are 8 speeds or more now. At 80 mph, this engine is turning 2500 rpm. This means mileage suffers because the engine is working fairly hard ( though it's very smooth at all times). All highway, steady with the cruise set at 80 means 22 mpg is the best you'll see. Around town with a lot of hills and traffic, 16-18mpg is common. It is a comfortable vehicle. It's quiet and smooth on the highway. Due to the way the engine makes power and the engine/transmission smoothness as well as the handling, it's also very easy to be going faster than you think you are when you're not using cruise control. 90mph when you want 80 is no problem for the CX9. The handling is very confident especially for this class of vehicle. It actually isn't a big deal to drive it fairly hard, it responds well and the brakes are pretty good too. The difference in driving dynamics between the CX9 and our 21 Honda Pilot are night and day. The Honda drives well, but very much like an appliance. The Mazda has a lot more character and capability to it. The CX9 does not have a touchscreen interface for its entertainment system. It uses a rotary controller (similar to a BMW if you're familiar). It's cumbersome at first, especially using CarPlay, but once you get used to it, it's actually better than a touchscreen. Mazda's claim is that it takes less attention away from driving and I can believe it. Sound from the audio system is pretty good, the higher trim packages with the Bose are likely even better. Ours is a basic Touring trim, but it still has leather, heated seats and remote start as well as other creature comforts like power seats. The fit and finish are very well done, this is a Mazda made in Japan after all. Really, the only downside is the lack of space in the vehicle. There is more style over substance here in terms of passenger comfort and storage space. The 3rd row is nearly unusable unless you're 8 years old or less or very small in stature and getting back there is not easy. Not compared to our 2021 Honda Pilot. It's still not great in the Honda, but infinitely better than the CX9. Also, due to the sloping rear roofline, the Mazdas cargo area isn't nearly as useful as the size of vehicle suggests.If you do plan on people in the 3rd row, they will also be resting their heads on the ceiling if they're over 5'7", so if you have tall kids or are planning on a car seat back there, the Mazda may not be for you. The CX9 also lacks a lot of cubby holes and other interior storage which is critical in this class of family cruisers. Now that vehicles are so good, it's the small things that make or break most ownership experiences. The remote start is controlled from a subpar phone app. Also, the remote start turns off the car when you open a door or the hatch, which is stupid to me. On the Touring trim at least, the vehicle does not turn on the seat heaters when cold. One big complaint is that the climate control system is fairly weak ( common among Mazda's apparently, our 5 was no different) but also the fans are very noisy. You have to unlock the doors to open the hatch from the drivers seat. If you like to drive and plan on no more than 4 people in the car, leaving the third row folded down, this is a good choice. It is a comfortable and capable vehicle for a family of 4 or less, though it still lacks some cargo space compared to other options. Fuel mileage is mediocre and it does prefer premium fuel, adding to the cost but also the enjoyment. It has some quirks, all cars do. But if you need room for family or gear (or both) the Mazda lacks the space of others in this class. We leased this CX9 (replacing a 2020 Honda Odyssey minivan) and my wife didn't particularly like, nor could she get comfortable in the CX9. So when my lease expired a few months later, I took over the CX9 and we purchased the used 21 Honda Pilot Touring I've mentioned. The Honda is not nearly as fun to drive, but it is much more useful and that's why you get this class of vehicle ( if you don't want a minivan.) Update: 6 months to go in the Mazdas lease and it's everything I said in my original review. It's the "drivers choice" for three row crossovers ( I would imagine the all new CX90 is as well) but you do give up a lot of utility compared to a similar Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander or Kia Telluride. If space isn't that important but driving feel and response are part of your requirements, the CX9 is a good choice. Fuel mileage is still only so-so (25 mpg is the best I've seen, but mostly 22mpg all highway and 16 around town). I've had no issues with it and it doesn't use any oil. I still find the climate control weak and noisy and some quirks have become more irritating ( the app is slow and buggy, you can't open the rear hatch with the engine running unless you use the release on the hatch) but it's been a solid vehicle. Its much more athletic and enjoyable to drive than it should be for a giant 3 row crossover that doesn't have a European badge on it.