Used 2023 Mazda CX-9 SUV Consumer Reviews
Used CX-9 for sale
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
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)
3 of 3 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.
Worth of Praise
Benedict Park, 12/08/2024
2023 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Bought the MY23 Grand Touring in November 2023. It is one of the best handling three-row SUVs/CUVs two years into ownership. Although this model no longer exists with replacing CX90/70 FR structure vehicles, I wanted to share some of my experiences, as I enjoy reading those by others on Edmunds.com. Before going further, I'd like to add that I was once an automotive OEM engineer in R&D and did testing in vehicle electronics and electrics. Also, I have driven 200+ vehicles so far, which I don't do anymore, but these experiences provide me with better guidance. 1. Things Gone Right (1) Driving Dynamics - Drives so much better than any three-row front-wheel-based vehicle that I drove (Excluding the recent Toyota Highlander/Grand iterations) (2) Powertrain Accelerates with gusto thanks to the 300 lb-ft of torque. The horsepower is a bit lagging at 210hp, but I have no complaints, as the torque really helps in times of need. (3) Interior Quality - Leather and plastic are well appointed, on the better side of quality, with cushions. (4) Good space I rarely use the third row (this is for emergencies when visitors arrive), and hence, the rear space is spacious: we haul as big items as a cello without having to lower the second row. (5) Seating Comfort The front and second-row seats are all comfortable, even during long drives (7+ hours/day). (6) Apple Carplay - Both Apple Carplay and Google Android Auto work in wired format. It does not work with the OEM HUD system, but it is very useful overall. It is a pity that the display is not touch-sensitive, and hence one must use the rotary dial. However, this is better than the Acura's touchpad system. 2. Things Gone...Wrong? (1) Strange SW problems - Mazda is weak in software department, and not surprising that this is 1~2M/yr sized company. The SW department would be a weak point in R&D, as they will not be able to keep up with the trends due to the small size of the R&D capacity. Problems: The HUD height adjustment is done through the vehicle SW, and it keeps resetting to its default despite customizing. Also, the right side mirror, which previously shifted downwards when in reverse, now fails to do so. It does not seem to be an HW problem (the motor works fine) but a SW problem, which I am baffled by: this car does not have OTA, the over-the-air update function, as it is rather an old vehicle platform. (2) Speakers - It uses BOSE, but this vehicle's tuning is not good as my other vehicle, the MY23 Honda Accord Touring. The latter has 50% better clarity, I believe. (3) Remote Start Unlike other OEMs, Mazda provides an app to start the vehicle remotely for free, which is very pleasing. However, when you open the door after a remote start, the engine turns off, which defeats the purpose of turning on the vehicle when cold. This is different in Honda. I believe this is due to the company's R&D decision as their counter against product liability claims, but this is too restrictive to use and rather unnecessary. Overall, I bought this at MSRP during the COVID era, when new vehicle production was affected, and the prices for many new and used cars were inflated beyond MSRP. Would I buy this car new now? No, there are many better vehicles, but in terms of used vehicles, this is one of the better vehicles to buy. Also, note that I have had little mechanical problems so far. A workhorse of our family, we will be sad to see this go in the future.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
2023 Mazda CX-9 for sale near you
3 of 65 listings
- Touring Plus 4dr SUVMSRP: $31,32278 mi away
- Touring 4dr SUVMSRP: $28,99178 mi away
- Touring 4dr SUVMSRP: $31,38478 mi away
See all 65 listings
Good but far from great
RZ2023, 11/29/2023
2023 Mazda CX-9 Signature 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
5 of 8 people found this review helpful
Ride is smooth, but shortness also very obvious: 1. Mileage is even 20% worse than my 2013 Edge which has 3.5L v6 engine 2. No easy entry/exist with memory seat 3. Remote start won’t activate climate control 4. Lane keeping feature sucks, this even shouldn’t be called lane keeping 5. Outside is big inside is so small, glove box is so small, storage box is so small
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Key Design Gives it 1 Star!!!
Abe Classic, 02/27/2023
updated 03/06/2024
2023 Mazda CX-9 Signature 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
10 of 22 people found this review helpful
Been robbed 3 times so far because of the terrible key design and I even have a silicone cover on it to help stop it from pushing buttons. It unlocks my doors several times throughout the day and the lift gate about 2-3 times a day. Every time I park in a garage it opens the lift gate by itself and then the lift gate gets stuck against the concrete walls damaging it. Lift gate opening as I'm taking my pants off at night results in having it open all night long while I'm sleeping. It happens so often that the MyMazda app stopped sending me notifications that the lift gate is open or the doors are unlocked. I'm actually selling my mazda after months SOLELY because of how horrible the key design is. Lost over $1500 in equipment stolen from me during these thefts. Update: been robbed 2 more times since this post. Mazda still has no alternatives for these terrible key fobs. Update: I’ve given up on using this car. It unlocks all the time. Will never purchase a Mazda again.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Great option for families
Martin Reviewer, 03/20/2023
updated 03/22/2024
2023 Mazda CX-9 Touring Plus 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
3 of 6 people found this review helpful
We have got the Touring Plus trim. Great car. The only key missing items are bumper sensors and foldable mirrors. Good and quiet ride, with a luxury environment, and a great balance between performance and space.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value