19th Nov 2008, 05:24
Thanks for the info. I was planning to get one, but I felt the gas mileage is nothing close to what's advertised just by test driving it for about 15 minutes.
I hated the rear doors, they are very wide. It will be hard for us to take the in and out off the car seat in small parking spaces.
Good luck
7th Dec 2008, 15:42
This is the original poster of this car. The third row seats are very comfortable, even for adults, which surprised me.
The Honda Pilot that I wanted to get had what looked like to me a back part of the seat and the cushion part like a piece of wood, covered in foam and leather. It was very hard to sit in and tight space as well. The Ford Explorer was a little bit better.
The closest vehicle that almost resembled the CX-9 was the Suzuki XL-7. The only problem was it's too expensive. I can't see myself purchasing a half GM half Suzuki vehicle for what they were asking for.
Also the CX-9 is 8 inches longer than the XL-7. I hope that this info helps.
So far everything is good knock on wood. I will keep updating.
17th Feb 2009, 03:41
Hi;
I don't own CX-9, but regarding coolant - is it when you push the engine hard??? I have the same issue with my old 323.
24th May 2009, 19:29
Hello I am the original poster. I am coming on two years and 15 k miles, which is not much. Will take it to service again in June.
As for the person with the 323. I would check the overflow thank and see if it has a vent tube. My cx-9 has a vent tube which is installed similar to the vent tube that one has on a water heater to drain water. And I guess it only happens occasionally. It hasn't happened recently. I always glance down to check the gauges while driving to make sure everything is like in the normal range. I do this with every car that I have owned regardless of make.
The only thing I don't like is that some parts are kind of expensive that should be cheap, and the parts that should be expensive are cheap. Confusing I know. Well I will be updating in the future. Hopefully I can get 13 years like my Ford Windstar. I know that people here would probably wonder about that. It is true it was a reliable vehicle and I'm still driving it for short trips.
22nd Sep 2009, 16:29
I am considering the CX-9 (a move from my 2000 Nissan Maxima), and am concerned about the gas mileage performance and the overall maneuverability, since it is so much bigger than the car I have now.
10th Oct 2009, 17:08
For the person considering getting a CX9 to replace a Maxima, the CX9 is very maneuverable and surprisingly fun to drive for it being a crossover, and it has plenty of power, but fuel economy isn't the best 16 city/22 highway on the front wheel drive model... but I would advise you to go test drive one.
13th Oct 2009, 12:16
I am considering buying a used 2007 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring with about 24k miles. Any advice on the reliability of these vehicles?
25th Dec 2009, 13:02
This is the original poster of the CX-9 Touring. On a trip to Va, I averaged a little over 24 mpg on the highway. I was surprised because I was doing anywhere from 70 to 80 on the highway. I thought I would be getting the 21 mpg that it stated on the sticker.
As for the reliability of the car; it hasn't given me any problems to date, and I am at a little over 21 thousand miles. The only thing that has happened is that the taillight has a small crack. The lights still work, so I will be putting off replacement until I have to.
6th Mar 2010, 16:46
Hello, this is the original poster again. I am updating on the status of my CX-9. I have a little over 23k miles, and just took it in for its scheduled service. It has been pretty good so far, nothing has gone wrong yet.
As for the service, I only paid 24 dollars at the Mazda dealer for an oil change, tire rotation and full circle service inspection. I would have paid almost the same at a discount chain for the same service. To me it just keeps getting better and better. I guess the dealers are trying to stay competitive with the independents. I will keep updating as the miles accumulate.
17th Jun 2010, 15:08
Hello this is the original poster again.
I just took the CX-9 in for service on June 15. The car now has 25,400 miles on it.
Just had an oil change and tire rotation with the full circle service inspection. The cost was 44 dollars.
The only other things I had to get was the cabin air filter, which was 29 bucks and I did myself, and the rear wiper blade, which was 15 dollars and I also did myself.
You cannot use the regular wiper blades in the rear unless you pull out the rubber and swap them out. I won't do that for 15 dollars; I would just rather replace the entire blade, and besides it lasted me 3 years.
I will continue to post updates as the mileage and time adds up.
15th Sep 2010, 15:21
Regarding the Maxima owner, I actually own a 2000 Maxima alongside the CX-9.
As you would not be surprised to hear, the driving experience between the two are quite different, but I don't think you'd be unhappy.
For me, I have a Maxima with 17" wheels (factory) and the turning radius is miserable. The CX9 can actually cut a tighter circle than the Max, so that's good news for you. In parking lots, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a complaint about the Mazda.
On the streets and highways, the dynamic is in favor of the Maxima. The CX9 handles very well (at least for me with 20" wheels and 4wd), but there is nothing that will make this car any lighter. It's a heavy beast and that's just life. Again, for it's size, you'd be awfully surprised, but where the Maxima is nimble and low, the CX9 is a little softer around the edges. Big Mazda cornering is solid until you push a little too hard and find the limits -- you are welcomed by a good bit of understeer and tire groan.
The Maxima VQ is revvy and brisk whereas the Ford Cyclone is obedient. It will get the big beast moving, but you'll not be terribly surprised. Perhaps the later 3.7 is brighter, but I wouldn't know.
All in all, if I had to trade up my Max for a CX9, I don't think I would be unhappy, but I would miss pushing the limits and being able to push hard. I drive like a bit of a jackass, so maybe I expect a bit too much from a large SUV; if you drive like a reasonable person, and have never experienced self-induced understeer, you will probably be very happy.
If nothing else, you'll have a LOT more trunk space.
16th Nov 2008, 09:40
I am the original poster updating on my CX-9. It is almost 11 thousand miles already and the car hasn't given me any problems. I only do regular service at the dealer which so far has only been 55 dollars. One thing I do notice is that sometimes I can smell coolant. When I checked under the hood I notice that the overflow tank has a vent in it, which other vehicles don't have and I verified that the smell is coming from there. This is something new as I don't see other cars with it. Does anyone know what purpose this serves. Is this just a mazda thing. I will keep updating as the time and miles go along.