And so it ends

Sweet! Congrats on the new ride! Just curious, did you get a good/fair value from the insurance payment from the accident? Was it also a good deal from your dealer on the 2021 CX9? The Signature in white looks great for sure with that new brown Napa leather!!!

It was not great. But they started so low that I took anything I could get. They offered 25K for the car - and I showed them everything on line with similar or more miles for 29-32 and they went to 29.

My dealer was great. They found me a car and got it to me quickly. They also let me drive away while still waiting for the insurance check (still have not gotten it).

The price paid was very close to what I paid in December 2018 for my original CX-9, which made it a really good deal!
 
So, not an exciting pic by any means but here are some thoughts on the 2021 versus the 2018.

Overall, the ride and feel feels very similar to the 2018 model. From a noise point of view, there actually seems to be some more tire and engine noise as compared to my 2018. I had put new Pirelli tires on my 2018 and it had made a huge difference in both driving and noise, so that might be clouding my judgement.

I miss the old auburn leather seats and dash. I really liked that. I have the chesnut brown and it is nice but does not have the same wow factor as the auburn.

The steering feels lighter as compared to the 2018 for some reason, not sure why. And the whole feel is harsher. Might have to check tire pressure.

The 360 camera and new screen are fantastic and the whole system starts up much faster. Car play is on immediately. I also notice that the plugs seem to keep charging your phone even after the car has been turned off. I don't believe my old car did that.

The wireless charging pad is nice but it is at a 45 degree angle, So my phone just slides off and can't charge. Silly if you ask me.

One thing that I did notice is that the infotainment system is still very basic as compared to what is found in the Mazda 3. The look and layout is the same but the content is very different. This version has the same basic content as my 2018.

The 2018 system had a bug were if you had auto headlights on, auto high beams on, and auto wipers on, if the wipers came on first and lights second, the auto high beam function would not work and the high beams would just come on. That is still in this version.

The seats feel narrower for some reason -almost as if I am sitting on the bolsters. Surprised at that.

The center dash is kinda a mess and not changeable in any meaningful way. I actually preferred my old 2018 dash set up.

The rear captain chairs are really nice. Very premium feeling. I don't think the old versions leaned as far back as these and you can really go to sleep back there!

One mistake I made was not realizing that the rear cargo cover had inserts that went into the car. I took the cover from my old car but not the inserts. When I went to put on the cargo cover, it seemed too short. Only then did I realize the covers just hide the holes, you need to put inserts into them for the cargo cover to fit. Got to see if I can get those somewhere!

The AWD system also looks to have been modified. With my 2018, with stock tires, if it was wet and I would make a hard left turn, I would get wheel spin. Well, with the 2021, doing the same basic thing had no spin, no torque steer, no nothing. Just went. Feels much better. I should mention that when I replaced the tires on the 2018 model, that wheel spin was reduced dramatically but this seems even better.

Overall, the 2021 represents the pinnacle of this model , but at the same time, makes you realize that this generation is ending its time. A lot of the cool design elements and features of the Mazda 3 will end up in the CX-9 and I already told the dealers I am trading this in for the new inline 6 CX-9 when it comes out!

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So, the harshness and light steering might be related to tire pressure. Just checked it and all tires were at 50 PSI!
 
So, the harshness and light steering might be related to tire pressure. Just checked it and all tires were at 50 PSI!

Sheesh, PDI techs are still just as good as they used to be, haha.
 
Sheesh, PDI techs are still just as good as they used to be, haha.

I know. The dealer got the car in from another dealer and I guess they did not have time for those sort of things. Dropping the pressure to 35 PSI brought back the ride I remember.

Got to say, I am really liking some of the upgraded tech. The camera and screen are fantastic and the kids love the captains chairs. The connection with the my Mazda app is really nice as well.

As much as I like this car, I am also very excited to see the next generation. The improved tech found in the Mazda 3 with a new inline 6 engine and a rear wheel drive AWD system will make for a very impressive and nice vehicle.
 
Sheesh, PDI techs are still just as good as they used to be, haha.
They’re only good at removing all the protective plastic films from exterior and interior panels, seat coverings as well as plastics from the alloy wheels but not checking details like proper tire pressures! Last Dec when I took delivery of my brand new Mazda 3 there was barely any windshield washer fluid in the reservoir...only found out when I tried using it nothing was coming out. I really don’t trust PDI techs even if they show you they’ve gone over the checklist...so the freight & PDI fee you pay is mostly just - freight!
 
They’re only good at removing all the protective plastic films from exterior and interior panels, seat coverings as well as plastics from the alloy wheels but not checking details like proper tire pressures! Last Dec when I took delivery of my brand new Mazda 3 there was barely any windshield washer fluid in the reservoir...only found out when I tried using it nothing was coming out. I really don’t trust PDI techs even if they show you they’ve gone over the checklist...so the freight & PDI fee you pay is mostly just - freight!

If I ever buy another brand new vehicle, I'm going to talk to them about that fee. No sense in paying for a PDI that isn't done.
 
When I picked up my new 2019 CX-9 GT I had the same poor dealer prep experience. Tires inflated to 50PSI, no washer fluid, wheel locks not installed just tossed into the glove box, etc. Not very inspiring.
 
My car was CPO when I bought it, with only 8k miles on it, and it came with a nail in the rear tire. :) Tire pressure was high though in all other 3 tires - 44-45psi when I went home (short drive). This is when I saw the nail on the side of the rear tire. Went back to the dealer, and they agreed to put a brand-new tire. No questions asked. That was nice of them. My dealer was overall very detail oriented and professional during the whole purchase process. Not Lexus like, but one of the better dealer experiences I've had. It was a good start.
 
Yeah, tire pressure aside, I have been very, very happy with my dealer. He got me a car quickly, at a fantastic price and routinely send me texts to see how things are going.
 
I traded in a 2009 CX 9 GT for a 21 Touring (don't need all the bells and whistles anymore). I too noticed it felt more narrow. I am a big guy 6"6 350 and I still fit well but I think the center console area is wider than my 2009. Wich makes it feel tighter. The dimensions for Hip and Shoulder room are within an inch of my 2009. I figured my big ass had flattened out my seats in the 09. But with only 200 miles on it so far I still have some breaking in to do.
 
Yeah, I am 6'1 and 200 lbs and things are starting to feel more normal now. I have flattened the seats good!

Loving the car. There looks to be some handling tweaks as this car goes around corners much better than the 2018 car. Not sure if they did something to the g-vectoring or the AWD performance but at speed, going around a corner is much more rewarding. Car is flatter and the rear comes around nicely.
 
Yeah, I am 6'1 and 200 lbs and things are starting to feel more normal now. I have flattened the seats good!

Loving the car. There looks to be some handling tweaks as this car goes around corners much better than the 2018 car. Not sure if they did something to the g-vectoring or the AWD performance but at speed, going around a corner is much more rewarding. Car is flatter and the rear comes around nicely.

What tires did it come with?
 
One thing that I did notice is that the infotainment system is still very basic as compared to what is found in the Mazda 3. The look and layout is the same but the content is very different. This version has the same basic content as my 2018.
What kind of content did you get on the Mazda 3 that is not in the 2021 CX9?

Interested as we have a 2021 CX9 and not sure what other content could be available.
 
What kind of content did you get on the Mazda 3 that is not in the 2021 CX9?

Interested as we have a 2021 CX9 and not sure what other content could be available.

You get individual tire pressures. The sound system has some more options from what I remember. When we were at the dealer looking at their CX-9 options, the dealer told my son to go drive the Mazda 3 Turbo - I decided to go with him. These were only a few of the things I noticed being different. There could be more. There were digital manuals and such.
 
What tires did it come with?

Falkens. Never had a car with them before. I think my 2018 came with Bridgestones.

The difference in ride and handling with a car with proper tire pressure as opposed to a car with 15 extra PSI is comical. I was really disappointed at how light and harsh the car was when I first got it. Feel stupid for not checking it but very happy now.

The paddles are really nice as well. Coming into a traffic circle, you can easily shift down, pull around and the car will have moved back into auto and drive away happy.

I loved the 2018 and thought that the 2021 would just be the same thing but I am really liking all the new changes.

One thing that is silly is the infotainment system in regards to channels. You used to be able to use the steering wheel knobs to shift favorites up or down. Now it just rewinds the station (XM). So you have to bring up the tuning controls to shift XM stations. And you can shift down your favorite list but can't shift up your favorite list. Really stupid.
 
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