Sporty and Large interior
Steven McLeod on 07/10/2016
Performance: 0
Comfort: 0
Fuel Economy: 0
Fun To Drive: 0
Interior Design: 0
Exterior Design: 0
Build Quality: 0
Reliability: 0
Comfort Rating:
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating:
Reliability Rating:
Safety Rating:
Technology Rating:
Value Rating:
We bought our 2012 CX9 used a year ago. It is nible and decent in the snow. It gets about 18 mpg around town and 22 mpg on the highway. We have not had any reliability issues. One thing though, it seems to burn synthetic motor oil, it may have been too thin. When I changed the oil using conventional 5w20 it fixed the problem. IT is room and nice for car pooling or sticking appliances in the rear. All in all very happy with car.
Mrs. J
YOLANDA JACKSON on 06/05/2016
Performance: 0
Comfort: 0
Fuel Economy: 0
Fun To Drive: 0
Interior Design: 0
Exterior Design: 0
Build Quality: 0
Reliability: 0
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 5
Safety Rating: 5
Technology Rating: 4
Value Rating: 3
Lotta car for the money!
Jim Hobbs on 01/18/2016
Performance: 0
Comfort: 0
Fuel Economy: 0
Fun To Drive: 0
Interior Design: 0
Exterior Design: 0
Build Quality: 0
Reliability: 0
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 4
Reliability Rating: 5
Safety Rating: 4
Technology Rating: 5
Value Rating: 5
I tow a small trailer with the CX-9. It does a great job!
Brake Booster - Your car won't stop
Cookie on 10/13/2015
Performance: 0
Comfort: 0
Fuel Economy: 0
Fun To Drive: 0
Interior Design: 0
Exterior Design: 0
Build Quality: 0
Reliability: 0
Comfort Rating: 3
Performance Rating: 4
Interior Rating: 2
Reliability Rating: 3
Safety Rating: 1
Technology Rating: 3
Value Rating: 4
Mazda is having an issue with brake boosters in the CX-9. Mine failed today at 52K miles. I couldn't stop the car pulling out of the garage and rolled it into my side yard. I took it into the Mazda dealership, and they know there's an issue. There's a service bulletin, and they replace the brake booster for free. I can't believe they haven't recalled the car - this could cause a serious accident.
There is an issue with the diaphragm in the brake booster failing in hot climates. I live in Ohio. It can get hot here, but give me a "brake" - literally. The dealership cannot tell me if the new brake booster has the same issue. I'm assuming it does since I've read about these failures happening in the CX-9 since this design was released. The car is at the dealership every 5K miles for maintenance - they didn't catch it there either. You'd think they would check since it's a recurring issue.
I'm beyond disappointed Mazda allows the car to be on the road with this type of failure possible. I wouldn't buy this car again.
Mazda cx-9 Grand Touring awd
Donna G on 08/19/2015
Performance: 0
Comfort: 0
Fuel Economy: 0
Fun To Drive: 0
Interior Design: 0
Exterior Design: 0
Build Quality: 0
Reliability: 0
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 4
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 4
Safety Rating: 4
Technology Rating: 4
Value Rating: 4
I love the vehicle and the mazda line of cars. The problem I am having is that I dont put a lot of miles on the suv and things are happening, things that I never heard of before in my life owning other vehicles, like; the heat shield bolts rusted off and Mazda had to put bolts back in to secure the heat shield $50.00 for 15 minutes. I think it should of been under warranty. I only had 30,000 miles on it. Then Sunday out and about my husband says something is wrong with the braks going to the floor. Today I take to service station and they tell me its the power booster unit. I call mazda and they say its under the extended warranty and it will be towed to the dealership from the garage. I only have 31,000 mile on it now. Then in the newspaper there is a recall on the suspension they can rust and come loose. when they had my car up on a rack they were showing me where my bolts rusted on the heat shield, they was a lot of rusted parts under my car!!! What else is going to go bad on my Mazda cx-9 Grand touring that I like a lot but might have to think about trading it in!!!
CX-9 hits the spot
tomlovescars on 03/27/2015
Performance: 4
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 5
Fun To Drive: 4
Interior Design: 5
Exterior Design: 5
Build Quality: 5
Reliability: 4
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 4
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 4
I've had it for 3 years......almost perfect....I wish you could get the grand touring without the 20" wheels....the ride is a little harsher, but the bigger problem is the constant TPMS light turning on every time you hit a decent bump. Just too finicky and pretty pointless given the vehicle.....I had a sport for a loaner and the 18" wheels ride much better and can't really tell with the handling
Average at best
kph1983 on 02/17/2015
Performance: 4
Comfort: 3
Fuel Economy: 3
Fun To Drive: 4
Interior Design: 3
Exterior Design: 5
Build Quality: 3
Reliability: 3
Comfort Rating: 3
Performance Rating: 4
Interior Rating: 3
Reliability Rating: 3
Just sold 2012 CX9 after three years (35,000 miles). Decent SUV for price.
Pros: Appearance, good performance/handling, interior space. The CX9 looks sporty and handles/accelerates well for a large vehicle. Large interior space with decent room in the third row.
Cons: Gas mileage, ride comfort, cabin noise, The CX9 does not get anywhere near the advertised gas mileage. 18.5 combined driving and 21.5 on strictly highway trips. Not a very comfortable ride if you are in the car for longer than 1 hour. Suspension felt stiffer than other large SUVs and could feel all bumps on road. Car had small annoying rattles on both interior/exterior.
Fun to drive, but not so reliable
wv_mazda on 03/19/2014
Performance: 4
Comfort: 4
Fuel Economy: 3
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 4
Exterior Design: 3
Build Quality: 2
Reliability: 2
Comfort Rating: 4
Performance Rating: 4
Interior Rating: 4
Reliability Rating: 2
We have a 2012 CX 9 and have enjoyed it until it was slightly out of warranty.
The car has a strong motor and for a third-row vehicle is pretty fun to drive.
It also performs well in the snow.
The brake booster failed last week at 42,000 miles, nearly causing a traffic accident for my wife.
This is a recurrent problem with the 2010-2011 CX 9.
My guess is you will have problems with 2013-14 models as they hit 30-50k mileage, since the brake system is unchanged.
It is unfortunate Mazda chooses not to address safety concerns in a family vehicle.
I would look at the Hyundai Santa Fe in this class.
Love Love Love it!
nicclements on 01/23/2014
Performance: 5
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 5
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 5
Exterior Design: 5
Build Quality: 5
Reliability: 5
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 5
We bought this car new in 2012.
I waited this long to review to make sure I just wasn't being reactive.
This car has it all.
As a 'soccer' mom, I'm constantly picking up and dropping of kids, swapping car seats, and running errand.
The sliding 2nd row makes it easy getting car seats in and out, and fitting even adults in the 3rd row. The power liftgate is handy.
There's plenty of room for fitting our 60lb dog and all our bags back there (though I would recommend buying a liner).
This week was the first time really testing it on snow and it did great.
Not only is it quick, agile, and fun to drive...It's just plain makes life easy.
I recommend this car to everyone!
2012 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring Review
tim218 on 08/13/2013
Performance: 4
Comfort: 4
Fuel Economy: 4
Fun To Drive: 4
Interior Design: 4
Exterior Design: 4
Build Quality: 1
Reliability: 1
Comfort Rating: 4
Performance Rating: 4
Interior Rating: 4
Reliability Rating: 1
Pros: Driving feel, features
Cons: Reliability. interior rattles, gas mileage
The car handles very good for such a big auto.
I find the driving experience to be enjoyable.
The family (6 pax) just returned from a 1600 mile trip.
We used a thule attachment on the roof and found the overall driving experience to be very enjoyable.
Right before our trip, the front differential started to leak and had to be replaced.
The car only had 10,000 miles on it.
A fairly major job that almost derailed our vacation.
Fortunately for us, the dealer had the part in stock.
A little research online revealed this has been a habitual problem for this model.
Pretty good value & great handling
abarge527 on 02/16/2013
Performance: 4
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 5
Fun To Drive: 3
Interior Design: 4
Exterior Design: 4
Build Quality: 4
Reliability: 2
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 4
Interior Rating: 4
Reliability Rating: 2
We bought the vehicle after exhaustively comparing it to the Toyota Highlander and Acura MDX.
In the end, we bought the Mazda because (a) the only area the Highlander was better was fuel economy, and (b) the MDX, while a better car in terms of luxury, features, and style, was considerably more expensive and given a feature-by-feature comparison, the Mazda was a much better value.
Overall we are happy with the CX-9 and don't regret the decision.
After having it for 2+ years, we are in a position to offer a long-term review of plusses and minuses which we hope the manufacturer reads and makes use of.
Very pleased with my cx-9
carfanonedmnds on 02/04/2013
Performance: 5
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 5
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 5
Exterior Design: 5
Build Quality: 5
Reliability: 5
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 5
We have owned our cx-9 for 9 months. I just hit 8500 miles.we have taken it on one 12 hour each way road trip and have been very impressed. The seats did great on the road trip, for adults & kiddos.
I love the handling of the vehicle, feels like driving a car. I get compliments on how nice the interior looks and I have the sport model.
Visibility is great. Only complaint is very rarely the sun hits just right on the chrome where the gear shift is and reflects off making it a Little hard to see, but again this has been rare. I love having the blue tooth & like that mazda stocked this vehicle pretty well for an entry level model. Mine has added power seats,heated seats/mirror.
Great car for the money
cbwb on 01/29/2013
Performance: 5
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 5
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 4
Exterior Design: 5
Build Quality: 5
Reliability: 4
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 4
Reliability Rating: 4
We've owned this car for 13 months and have put 30,000 miles on it with no mechanical problems or breakdowns.
We bought this car because it was larger, better equipped, and lower in price than a Ford Edge.
Great performance, comfortable, decent MPG.
The only annoying thing is the keyless entry/ignition system.
The remotes occasionally will not work. The local dealer replaced the remote batteries one time, but says there is no problem.
Still have the problem every couple weeks.
Love the car, but the dealer service department is condescending and blows off any mentions of a problem.
Don't know if that is a Mazda thing or just this dealer.
CX-9 AWD rocks the rockies
hoodoo on 01/15/2013
Performance: 5
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 5
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 4
Exterior Design: 4
Build Quality: 5
Reliability: 5
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 4
Reliability Rating: 5
Been driving this car for 2 months now. Has done many things well; like carry 6 adults, grocery shopping, drive on snow/ice, skiing, highway, city, big mountains. First Mazda we have owned and it is so nice to drive and handles well in the mtns, where we live. Great as family wagon AWD, commuter, weekender, SUV replacement, power driver seat, steering wheel adjustments, good view out the windows, big outside mirrors (heated as well), power outlets, storage in far rear compartment, kids really like the car overall, build quality seems very solid.
Great Driving SUV
bfyerxa on 12/30/2012
Performance: 5
Comfort: 4
Fuel Economy: 4
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 4
Exterior Design: 3
Build Quality: 4
Reliability: 4
Comfort Rating: 4
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 4
Reliability Rating: 4
I've been following the CX-9 in publications so I knew its "Zoom-Zoom" reputation.
Meanwhile my wife always wanted an Acura MDX (too much $$$ for my blood). Then on vacation last March fate stepped in and we got a free CX-9 upgrade for our rental.
Needless to say, 2 weeks with the CX-9 and my wife wanted one bad.
Finally, the deals were good enough this fall to pull the trigger.
Simply put, this thing drives great for an SUV.
It drives no "bigger" than our 09 Accord and in fact has a slightly smaller turning radius.
My wife came back from running errands and stated "it is actually calming to drive".
We will see how it holds up in the long term (no problems yet).
Best vehicle I have ever owned...so far.
realtorscott on 12/27/2012
Performance: 5
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 4
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 5
Exterior Design: 5
Build Quality: 5
Reliability: 5
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 5
Highly recommended.
Feels like you are driving a luxury sedan.
CX-9
vts747 on 11/15/2012
Performance: 5
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 4
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 5
Exterior Design: 5
Build Quality: 4
Reliability: 4
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 4
Feels like smaller sporty car. My 12 hour long, 850 mile long road trip last summer wasn't as exhausting as usual, thanks to smaller steering wheel, sporty seats and carlike handling. Steering is sporty and precise. Seats feel carlike and comfortable for a long trip.
Top Notch Choice
sawyer98 on 11/15/2012
Performance: 5
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 5
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 5
Exterior Design: 5
Build Quality: 5
Reliability: 5
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 5
Purchased a 2012 CX-9 GT. I'm fussy about build quality. I didn't find a single quality issue with my car. Every seam, all the paint, every fit was perfect, inside and out. An excellent value and definite upgrade from others in it's class...and I checked them all. The 20" tires are "firm", but I expected that. Mileage combined has been about 23.5. Also what I expected. I leave the 3rd row folded down to increase capacity. No problem. My local dealer provided the best buying experience I've ever had. Service dept is excellent and every employee has been friendly and helpful. Maybe I'm just lucky?
STAY AWAY!
esso on 09/04/2012
Performance: 2
Comfort: 1
Fuel Economy: 1
Fun To Drive: 1
Interior Design: 1
Exterior Design: 1
Build Quality: 1
Reliability: 1
Comfort Rating: 1
Performance Rating: 2
Interior Rating: 1
Reliability Rating: 1
I would never buy another Mazda again.
After a month the driver seat started making squeaking noise.
Try to schedule an appointment with Mazda dealership, the hell freeze sooner than you'll get an appointment.
Everyone is rude, unprofessional.
I even contacted Mazda Corporate and did not get anywhere.
As of this time I am planning to sell the car and buy something American.
Horrible car company, horrible customer support.
What good is their warranty, when you cannot get any help.
The only thing what you get from Mazda is a LEMON.
I have tied a bag of lemons to my car and I am driving around our town like that, to let everyone know not to buy one.
Grand Touring Rocks!
crisrn on 08/01/2012
Performance: 5
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 5
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 5
Exterior Design: 5
Build Quality: 5
Reliability: 5
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 5
We've had our CX-9 for just a week and we love it!
It is very comfortable and it does not feel like we are driving a mid-size SUV.
When going on the freeway, the accelerator is extremely responsive.
The turning radius is surprisingly sharp, which makes parking in tight spots and u-turns effortless.
The ride is also very smooth, even with the 20 inch rims.
Glare on Steering Column due to Mazda insignia
kingbee0602 on 06/28/2012
Performance: 5
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 5
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 5
Exterior Design: 5
Build Quality: 5
Reliability: 5
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 5
Love the new CX-9, except with the large windshield, I keep getting glare bouncing from the almost mirror-like center plastic/chrome implanted insignia in the middle of the steering wheel.
It is very disconcerting and can be very distracting.
Guess I will have to cover it with electrical tape or something to eliminate the glare from the sun.
My CX-9
mycx9 on 06/23/2012
Performance: 5
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 5
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 4
Exterior Design: 4
Build Quality: 4
Reliability: 5
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 4
Reliability Rating: 5
Overall, I love the car- style, handling, features, value. The gas mileage is the same as my last suv, so no surprises there. The interior is beautiful, but dust and dirt do show on the dark leather and mats. A bit surprised by the amount of plastic used on the front exterior and hope it lasts. I like that there are few chrome accents inside limiting glare - something seen in many other cars. There is however, no way to escape the amount of direct sunlight coming in when driving due west. This may have to do with windshield design and shape of the vehicle- a small price to pay for great visability. My family just came from our 1st road trip through the mountains and the car performed great!
Left my family stranded on the highway
konigsmark on 06/05/2012
Performance: 1
Comfort: 4
Fuel Economy: 3
Fun To Drive: 1
Interior Design: 3
Exterior Design: 3
Build Quality: 1
Reliability: 1
Comfort Rating: 4
Performance Rating: 1
Interior Rating: 3
Reliability Rating: 1
So far our experience has been awful.
First, we live 5 hours from the closest Mazda Dealership.
So I drove down early in the morning and bought the 2012 with 26 miles on the car total.
On the way home, I start smelling gasoline.
I figured it must be a new car smell, I've never owned a new car.
Then the next day after purchasing the vehicle, the transfer case explodes on the highway.
The car is filled with my family and we were out of cell phone range.
Thankfully, some people stopped to help and a couple hours later our brand new car was towed to Pueblo, Colorado (5 hours away) to be repaired.
I just want a safe car for my family.
Top Choice...Again!
bg53 on 05/29/2012
Performance: 5
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 5
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 5
Exterior Design: 5
Build Quality: 5
Reliability: 5
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 5
Just purchased a new 2012 CX-9 and traded in the 2008 model.
Prior to the purchase I thoroughly researched all of the alternatives, just as I had done in 2008 and still came back to the Mazda.
They fixed all of the little things that I had complaints with on the 2008 model (i.e. no trip computer, doors failed to lock automatically when in drive, and single entry into the center armrest).
The Highlander was a close 2nd, but the extra space the CX-9 provides, along with the sporty drive made the choice clear.
I just hope that the new one will be as reliable as the one traded (knock on wood).
First Mazda - Impressed so Far
jk96 on 05/23/2012
Performance: 5
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 5
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 5
Exterior Design: 5
Build Quality: 5
Reliability: 5
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 5
We have 3 children and were looking to downsize from a Ford Excursion to a mid-size SUV.
Our requirements were seating for 7, leather interior, and easy access to the third row.
We drove every mid-size SUV out there in the under 40k price range and found the CX-9 was our favorite with the new Dodge Durango a very close second.
Ease of rear access on the Durango killed it for us.
I needed something my 6 year olds could do themselves and the Mazda was a breeze.
Doors opened wide, easy slide second row for rear access, and the fact that I could still fit 3 kids in the 2nd row and fold the rear seats for cargo space if needed was a huge plus.
Great value lots of options for the money.
Great Find!
gr8sail on 01/27/2012
Performance: 5
Comfort: 5
Fuel Economy: 5
Fun To Drive: 5
Interior Design: 5
Exterior Design: 5
Build Quality: 5
Reliability: 5
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 5
I needed to consolidate cars. My 13 year old 4Runner died and while I absolutely loved my Infiniti M45 Sport, I decided 3 cars ('99 MX5 Miata 10th Anniversary edition) was one too many. I wanted the cargo ccapacity of the 4Runner and the handling of the M45.
I got both in the CX9 Grand Touring. This car is great! Terrific handling, good acceleration (it's not the M45) and enough high end features and gadgets to keep me happy. Mazda understands
the importance of good ergonomics. The dash and controls are laid out well. The leather seats are very comfortable.
There is plenty of room, front and back, ingress and egress is easy. A perfect combination of performance and functionality