2013 good condition vs 2016 questionable condition

[Cferr1992]

My budget is about $13,000 and I can find some decent 2013-2015 Tourings and GTs in that range easily, which is what I was going to go with. I love the new generation though and found a 2016 Touring with 87k miles for a little less than $15,000 that has been in two accidents: one minor and one moderate. The damage appears to have been fixed, but the interior has some issues as well.

Link to the vehicle: https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/837986721/overview/?aff=fbsharapp

How weary should I be of this vehicle? It is 6 hours away from where I live but I'd happily make the drive if I could get into a 2016. Is this a good or bad idea?

 

[sm1ke]

What were the accidents and what was the damage? I'd be wary of buying anything sight unseen, so I'd need to at least drive it so I could put it through its paces (i.e. make sure it drives true, no weird noises or vibrations, etc.). That's just me though.

Interior look like minor driver's seat wear, a lot of steering wheel wear, and some wear in the HVAC control area. It also looks like the infotainment display screen is suffering from the delamination problem in the bottom corners. There is a SSP for that issue that extends the warranty on the screen to 7 years total, so you should be able to get the screen replaced by the dealer anytime before 2023. Refer to this thread for more info on the screen replacement.

It seems that this dealer isn't aware of the SSP for the screen, so you could try to shave a few more dollars off the price by mentioning the screen issue. Then when you get the car, you just take it to a Mazda dealer for free replacement under the SSP.

If you really want the car, set aside a full day or plan a weekend trip to drive there so you can see it in person and test drive it. IMO, unless you need a new car right now, I'd just wait for another used CX-9 to pop up locally.

 

[youri]

The interior condition seems to indicate that this wasn’t really a car that was well taken care off. I am not sure how you could get that kind of damage on the airbag indicators above the HVAC control. I would personally go for a well taken care 2015 GT over a 2016 touring that was not necessarily well loved by its previous owner.
If you add the 2 accidents to the equation, i would pass on this one.

 

[jal142]

I would not buy either if you don't have enough money set aside to replace the engine should it let go. Unfortunately, these cars both have some troubling engine gremlins that while unlikely will cost you multiple thousands to fix should they occur.

I'd pass on that 2016. The mileage is rather high, the interior looks well used, and the moderate damage included the entire right side of the car and the front, so half of the car has likely been resprayed. Plus, the early second generation cars are showing some ominous engine issues.

Which brings us to the previous generation. I'd give a lukewarm endorsement if it was not AWD, had lowish miles or the previous owner had replaced the water pump. Otherwise, you are once again jumping into something that has a chance of a very expensive failure.

 

[Cferr1992]

What were the accidents and what was the damage? I'd be wary of buying anything sight unseen, so I'd need to at least drive it so I could put it through its paces (i.e. make sure it drives true, no weird noises or vibrations, etc.). That's just me though.

Interior look like minor driver's seat wear, a lot of steering wheel wear, and some wear in the HVAC control area. It also looks like the infotainment display screen is suffering from the delamination problem in the bottom corners. There is a SSP for that issue that extends the warranty on the screen to 7 years total, so you should be able to get the screen replaced by the dealer anytime before 2023. Refer to this thread for more info on the screen replacement.

It seems that this dealer isn't aware of the SSP for the screen, so you could try to shave a few more dollars off the price by mentioning the screen issue. Then when you get the car, you just take it to a Mazda dealer for free replacement under the SSP.

Yeah I for sure would check it out first

I would not buy either if you don't have enough money set aside to replace the engine should it let go. Unfortunately, these cars both have some troubling engine gremlins that while unlikely will cost you multiple thousands to fix should they occur.

I'd pass on that 2016. The mileage is rather high, the interior looks well used, and the moderate damage included the entire right side of the car and the front, so half of the car has likely been resprayed. Plus, the early second generation cars are showing some ominous engine issues.

Which brings us to the previous generation. I'd give a lukewarm endorsement if it was not AWD, had lowish miles or the previous owner had replaced the water pump. Otherwise, you are once again jumping into something that has a chance of a very expensive failure.

I know I need to keep a lookout for the water pump failure - was considering having that fixed immediately if I were to get any of the last gen. Otherwise I've heard mostly good things. I do want the AWD.

 

[speed3chris1]

I agree with everyone to pass on the 2016. The person that owned it trashed it. Plus 2 accidents. Treating a car like this the owner probably didn't keep up on maintenance like oil changes.

 

[BoughtCX9]

Agree with everyone here..don’t buy!

 

[JPL]

Wow, I've never seen so much wear on a leather steering wheel at this mileage. Guy had some rough hands!

If you really want a 2nd gen CX-9, hopefully you can save a bit longer and buy a clean one.

 

[Glaucus]

Take the VIN to a Mazda dealership and ask then to verify that that car is eligible for the screen replacement. Also, check if the oil changes were done on time. There's a chance they didn't do it at a Mazda dealership, but if they did, then at least you know the engine was taken car of. Also ask the same about the spark plugs, they should have been changed already once, maybe twice.

My dealership told me the above info with my car. I'm happy knowing that the prior owner performed the oil changes on time.