Well if Mazda really do want to go upmarket then they need to bring out more powerful versions, same as the Germans offer.
CX-5 Sales continue to set records
- Thread starter 7eregrine
- Start date
- :
- RDX Aspec Adv.
I've said it for years. People believing me now?
Yeah, seems the CX-5 is the real high volume item for Mazda. I can see why, it's a great SUV with great driving dynamics, a decent price point, good fuel mileage for what it is, and practicality for multiple needs. The CX-9 as it stands to reason is of course a lower volume seller, as it's more expensive and, while more spacious, more for larger families that can fully utilize the space.
7eregrine
The man, the myth, the legend
- :
- Land of Cleve
- :
- 2016.5 CX5
That's not at all true. The SUV is king. Minivan sales are tanking just like cars.
Which major segment in the automotive market is declining even faster than sedans? After all, the best-selling sedans are down 10% in the U.S. for the first half of 2017.
Well, minivans, that’s what. U.S. minivan sales were down 13% year over year for the first half of 2017.
Last edited:
- :
- 2021 CX-9 Sig
- :
- 2021 CX-5 GT
Yup, even the perennial king, the Honda Odyssey is down 20% this year. The local dealer is always calling to get us to trade our 3 year old model for the newest version. The deals are actually pretty good but our mini-van days are slowly coming to an end.
- :
- Denver, CO
You STILL haven't got a car yet? Have I missed something?
They don't have the 2018's yet in Aussie land if I recall correctly.
- :
- 2014 QX70 AWD
You STILL haven't got a car yet? Have I missed something?
>5,000 posts in less than 10 months, for a vehicle he doesn't even own yet.
I'd think saying he's excited is a bit of an understatement!
The CX-9 is a fine vehicle, but its strong points aren't high on the list of priorities for most families shopping for 7-seat vehicles. It looks good, has a classy interior, has a well-balanced semi-sporty suspension, turns well for the segment, provides some feedback from the tires, has great low-end torque and midrange, a responsive transmission, and it's quiet. The problem is that a lot of people shopping for a mainstream three-row family hauler don't care about any of that. They care about child seat fitment, perceived safety and reliability, ease of getting their kids and stuff in and out, whether the dog can fit behind the third row, etc. In those areas, the CX-9 doesn't rate so well. There are also people who just want a taller vehicle with a more utilitarian SUV-like look.
FWIW, my wife and I did compare minivans to the CX-9. Perhaps we are rare in doing so. We considered every vehicle under $50k with three rows of seating, and drove most of them. Our choice came down to the Chrysler Pacifica Limited vs. CX-9 Signature. Why? From my wife's perspective, they were the most car-like to drive and had the nicest interiors. From my perspective, they could both go around corners pretty well. I really had no interest at all in a minivan after driving the Odyssey and Sienna, but I was impressed with the Pacifica. And I'm not joking about going around corners. The Pacifica doesn't give you as much feedback as the CX-9, but it can be driven just as fast or faster. On a vacation in Vermont last summer, I took the van through the Appalachian Gap (VT-17) and walked away from a Miata that was trying to follow me. I did cook the tires in the process and had to listen to my wife b**** about the smell afterward, but I had fun. Most minivan buyers aren't going to do anything like that, but it's nice that the designers cared enough to give it a fully independent suspension and worked to minimize body roll and understeer. The CX-9 was a bit better to drive, but it wasn't so much better that we could ignore the practicality of the van.
Chrysler 200: AWD, big V6, nice interior, big discounts.
Jeep Compass: A compact SUV that can actually go off-road, but with modern crossover styling
Downside of both: FCA quality
- :
- Denver, CO
Agreed 7. I don't know how it is where you live, Uno, but over here it feels like everyone and their mother has some sort of SUV (ranging from crossovers, to full size SUVs). I really don't see mini-vans that often. I see them, sure, but not in the same numbers or even close to the same numbers as SUVs.
What I see with regard to your point of the dollar being king is a lot of crappy SUVs that have deep discounts like Rogues.
- :
- RDX Aspec Adv.
SUV $$$$ compared to Minivan.
- :
- 2021 CX-9 Sig
- :
- 2021 CX-5 GT
Our 2015 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite was 45K. These things are not cheap.
- :
- Denver, CO
Unless they are buying really used POS minivans, they are certainly more expensive than say a CX-5 new. Bigger SUV's maybe more comparable in price, in which case I am still seeing far more SUVs than minivans.
Just a quick google search at what they start at for lowest trims:
Toyota Sienna: Starting at $30,750
Honda Odyssey: Starting at $29,990
Dodge Grand Caravan: Starting at $25,995
Chrysler Pacifica: Starting at $26,995
Kia Sedona: Starting at $27,000
Start factoring in higher trim levels and its still comparable in pricing to SUVs, and SUVs are winning.
Hell Mazda knows this too. They discontinued selling the Mazda 5 in the US. Nobody bought them anymore (though granted, they were on the smaller side of vans which could be part of that).
Last edited:
Minivans are in the same price bracket as mid-sized three-row crossovers (Pilot, Highlander, Explorer etc.), but are a lot bigger inside. Minivans are cheaper than full-size SUVs (Tahoe, Yukon, Suburban, Sequoia, Expedition, etc.) which are comparable to a van in terms of carrying capacity. So they aren't cheap in an absolute sense, but if you think of it in terms of who and what they can carry for the money (and size, weight, fuel economy), they're a better deal than a large SUV. They're just not fashionable.
My impression is that full size SUV sales are slowing in favor of three row crossovers unless the full size has great fuel economy. It’s probably region dependent. In the PNW, I see more Fiat Grand Cherokees, Ford Edge, and that size compared to Explorer Yukon or similar.
There is a growing market for a CX-9 type vehicle. VW Atlas, Subaru’s new Ascent, and others are coming out. Mazda May get lucky with their CX-X.
There is a growing market for a CX-9 type vehicle. VW Atlas, Subaru’s new Ascent, and others are coming out. Mazda May get lucky with their CX-X.
^Exactly Red and if you've got 2 kids add a cpl friends/cousins/inlaws whatever or even fam of 4 and drive to vaca spots geared up the minivan starts making sense..with 3 or more kids hard to figure why you wouldn't have one. Comparing Odyssey pricing to a cx5 is pretty goofy imo..
- :
- 2014 QX70 AWD
lots of hot soccer moms driving full size Tahoes, Suburbans, etc around here if they stick with the domestic brands. else its Q7, XC90, etc
