Congrats! Sounds like a good deal and I look forward to seeing the pics!
Here are a few things that you might find helpful-
I live about 50 miles north of Atlanta and I've always had black interior until now. After being parked in the sun all day on a 98 degree August day, I've actually measured an interior temp of 122! I also had to keep a towel in the trunk to sit on if I was wearing shorts on days like that to avoid 2nd-degree burns from the leather seats!
If the windows on your CX-9 aren't tinted, I highly recommend. Find a reputable shop that uses tinting that does more than just darken the windows. It can easily make an 8-10 degree difference on the hottest days. Also, get a reflective sun screen to put in the windshield whenever it's parked outside. Mazda has one that folds like an accordian and comes with a storage sleeve to protect it when it's not in use. It's about $55-60 or so.
Have you checked out the under-floor storage area in the back yet? If not, it's actually one of my favorite features and a great place for stuff like a sunscreen, umbrellas, jumper cables, etc. I also use it when I buy Clorox, Cleaners or even Milk so they won't ruin the cargo area carpeting if they leak. My 2006 Mazda3 5-door also has a tray under the floor, it's very cool.
It's interesting that you mention Birmingham. MedCenter Mazda in B'ham (Pelham, technically) has an internet parts business where they sell OEM Mazda Parts and Accessories at substantially discounted prices. The website is
www.mazdaparts.org and I've been doing business with them for almost eight years. They're very knowlegeable and helpful whether you email or call, their prices are great and they'll go out of their way to help if they can. I met a guy on here a while back who had just bought a 2008 CX-9 GT and wanted to add the OEM Sirius Sataellite receiver to the Bose system. It has been discountinued (they changed it for 2009 and it's the only one still produced). I emailed them asked if they could get ahold of one and what they'd charge for it. They responded in a hours and that's when I learned that it had been discontinued. But the guy also included a full list of every single Mazda parts dept in the country showing one of the receivers in stock! Service like that hardly exists anymore. =)
I also saw where you guys were discussing tires earlier. One of the few things I didn't like about the CX-9 when I was shopping for mine is that all Grand Touring models have Bridgestone Dueler tires from the factory. I hate Bridgestones from past experience and reviews at some of the tire sites make it clear that they still suck! I was planning to replace the tires as soon as I bought it, but just by sheer luck I took a walk thru the Certified Pre-Owned CX-9s at my dealer and saw a 2010 CX-9 GT that they had just put a brand new set of Yokohama tires on. I told them they had to swap them onto my new CX-9 or I'd walk and they gladly did! I even got the proof of purchase and warranty card that covers 5yrs/60k miles, which never comes with OEM tires on a new car. They OEM Bridgestones are classified as "Highway All-Season" which is a new category for SUV, Crossover and Truck tires. My Yokohama AVID ENVigor tires are "High-Performance All-Season". They're great in the rain, smooth and quiet on the highway and it handles almost as good as Mazda3. I've been a hardcore Dunlop man for years, so I was disappointed when I found out that they don't make any 245/50R20 tires...actually, there aren't a lot of companies that do. As long as these Yokohamas continue to perform as they have for the first 12k miles and they last like my Dunlops have in the past, I'll gladly stick with them.
Real quick story (I promise)- My cousin moved to L.A. 20+ years ago but she visits home (Georgia) as often as possible to visit her mom (lives in Alzheimer's unit of a nursing home). My cousin had been very sick and in the hospital back in December and wasn't cleared to fly. She desperately wanted to spend Christmas with her mom but the doctor didn't clear her for travel...until December 23rd. So she paid over $4k for her and her hubby and three kids to fly across the country on less than 24 hours notice! She started trying to find a rental car big enough for them while they waiting to board at LAX but no one had anything. So she called her favorite cousin who loves her like a sister (me) and I gladly offered to pick them up at the airport five hours later. I have a good working relationship with several of of the rental agencies in my area. As an insurance agent, I arrange cars for my customers (or the people they hit) almost daily. But no one had any cars anywhere.
My initial idea was to loan them my 2006 Mazda3 to drive while they were here. It would be a tight fit but beggars can't be picky. I knew that she couldn't drive a manual, but (mistakenly) assumed that her husband probably could. My CX-9 was only 25 days old (bought 11/30/12) and, with a knot in my stomach I insisted that they use it and I'd drive my Mazda3 for a few days. They were here for five days and they raved about how much loved it the entire 70-mile drive back to the airport!
She called me on New Year's Eve, two days after they returned to L.A. to wish me a Happy New Year. And to tell me that she was calling from her new 2013 CX-9 Grand Touring AWD! She had a 2008 Lexus GX470 that they had leased for 3yrs and purchased it in 2011 when the lease expired. I go out there at least twice each year to visit and I drive it the whole time I'm there. I loved it, it was Pearl White with a gray-beige (mushroom?) leather, real wood trim and leather/wood steering wheel, had the Nav & Mark Levinson audio, rear DVD player and drove like a dream. But the 3rd row wasn't a pain to deal with and didn't fold into the floor so cargo room sucked and it wasn't easy for the kids to get in/out either. The tailgate was also a pain because it's not a liftgate, it's hinged to on the left side and you need six feet of clearance behind you to open it. One thing I loved about it, and it was very uncharacteristic of Lexus, was the intake roar when you put your foot into it.....and that 4.7L V8 had some kick, too. But the fatal flaw was fuel economy, if you can even use the word economy. I was there for 10 days last summer and drove it about 400 miles, the trip computer showed 12.5mpg for my overall average....on Premium fuel.
She's had it for seven months now and couldn't be happier. They ended up with a much lower payment thanks to a 0.9% financing promo and she's thrilled with getting 17-18mpg average on Regular gas.
They expected the salesman to be surprised that they were trading in a Lexus on a Mazda. When they asked him if anyone else had done that before, he walked them over the used lot and there were two other Lexuses and she spotted BMWs and Mercedes SUVs. There were other premium/luxury brand models also but she doesn't know an Infiniti from an Acura so she wasn't sure what they were. Anyway, I think it's a pretty awesome testimonial to the CX-9! I test drove an Acura MDX and Infiniti JX35 before I sealed the deal on the CX-9. Granted, the substantially lower price of the CX-9 didn't hurt. But the fact is that it's fundamentally as good (or better in some areas) than SUVs costing $10-15k more! =)
Welcome to the Cult of ZOOM, my friend! =)
or 2007 Platinum Silver/black GT no nav(can always add it later with camera), with bose, and sunroof 73k miles, im going to go with the platinum b/c the dealer on the white one pissed me off and didnt want to play ball, Both cars are one owner off corporate lease. I will get the platinum for about 15.5 out the door. I already know I going to add the roof rails (OEM) and start changing the tranny fluid asap. what else do i need to do as im getting started back in the Zoom-Zoom world?
