jediwebdude
Member
It was 2007. When our 3rd child arrived a year earlier, we realized we were outgrowing the '06 Audi A4 Avant (wagon). The replacement vehicle had to have a 3rd row seat and rear entertainment console (we do a lot of travel to see family). Since my wife would be the primary driver of this vehicle, I also wanted it to have the nav system (she's geographically challenged). We focused on mid-sized crossover SUVs: new style Acura MDX, new style Toyota Highlander, old style Honda Pilot, and the CX-9.
She didn't like the Highlander because it resembled my '07 4Runner too much (don't ask). She didn't want the Pilot because 2 of her friends were currently driving Pilots (geez). We had owned a 1st gen Acura MDX and loved it (drove it to 97K miles before trading in for the Audi) and we really liked the bold styling of the new 2nd gen MDX, but not the price. I wasn't keen on the CX-9 mainly because of reliability ratings for some Mazda cars. So it seemed the new MDX would be an obvious choice, but the cost was more than what we wanted to pay. We decided to test drive the CX-9 GT.
We were quite impressed with the CX-9. When I did feature comparisons with the MDX, I realized I would be getting nearly the exact same features in the CX-9 for about $8,000 less! Yes, the Acura would probably be more reliable, but adding on an extended warranty for the CX-9 would still be more affordable than the MDX. Plus, the CX-9 offered slightly better fuel mileage.
We found a GT in a showroom that had the towing pkg. While I use my 4Runner for pulling our trailers, I did like the idea of the transmission cooler since Texas roads are so dang hot in the summer. The "fleet manager" hooked us up with pricing below invoice (something Acura dealers wouldn't do), so the price diff between the CX-9 GT and the MDX ended up being around $10K.
I was afraid I would miss the fun handling of the Audi, and although I did, I found the CX-9 handled more like the Audi than my 4Runner. It feels light. The interior room is superb. The kids like the entertainment system (we use it on roadtrips only). The 6-speed transmission is smooth. Acceleration is excellent.
In June 2009, we took a 2 week family vac and drove from Dallas to L.A. via Amarillo/Albuquerque/Flagstaff, down to San Diego and back to Dallas via Yuma/Tucson/El Paso. This roadtrip caused me to appreciate the CX-9 even more. The 75 speedlimits meant going 80 MPH on desert highways for long periods of time. The loaded down CX-9 traveled at 80 MPH effortlessly and went up mountain roads with ease. The seats and ride were very comfy. We had all 3 kids sitting in the backseat since the 3rd row seats were laying flat because of luggage, yet the kids never complained about the room. The navigation system was very helpful during this trip.
Front-wheel drive cars I've had in the past sometimes suffered from unbalanced steering. The CX-9 doesn't. Its steering handles like a RWD vehicle.
Only issue we've had is the key fobs not communicating with the memory seating. Dealership reset them, and they again stopped working. We can still push the memory seat buttons on the side of the seat and the seat will slide to the correct position, so not a big deal about the key fobs.
Two gripes: 1) the OEM tires lasted about 20K miles (replaced them with better tires from Discount Tire); 2) the automatic wipers aren't very intelligent...we would rather have control of the intermittent settings.
The CX-9 is my wife's daily driver for going to work. She likes how it handles, loves the Bose audio system, and appreciates the nav system when she has to drive to unfamiliar territory. I drive it on the weekends since it gets better fuel mileage than my 4Runner. It continues to impress me.
I hope the reliability of this vehicle continues to stay on track. If so, we may keep it past 100K miles.
(2thumbs)
She didn't like the Highlander because it resembled my '07 4Runner too much (don't ask). She didn't want the Pilot because 2 of her friends were currently driving Pilots (geez). We had owned a 1st gen Acura MDX and loved it (drove it to 97K miles before trading in for the Audi) and we really liked the bold styling of the new 2nd gen MDX, but not the price. I wasn't keen on the CX-9 mainly because of reliability ratings for some Mazda cars. So it seemed the new MDX would be an obvious choice, but the cost was more than what we wanted to pay. We decided to test drive the CX-9 GT.
We were quite impressed with the CX-9. When I did feature comparisons with the MDX, I realized I would be getting nearly the exact same features in the CX-9 for about $8,000 less! Yes, the Acura would probably be more reliable, but adding on an extended warranty for the CX-9 would still be more affordable than the MDX. Plus, the CX-9 offered slightly better fuel mileage.
We found a GT in a showroom that had the towing pkg. While I use my 4Runner for pulling our trailers, I did like the idea of the transmission cooler since Texas roads are so dang hot in the summer. The "fleet manager" hooked us up with pricing below invoice (something Acura dealers wouldn't do), so the price diff between the CX-9 GT and the MDX ended up being around $10K.
I was afraid I would miss the fun handling of the Audi, and although I did, I found the CX-9 handled more like the Audi than my 4Runner. It feels light. The interior room is superb. The kids like the entertainment system (we use it on roadtrips only). The 6-speed transmission is smooth. Acceleration is excellent.
In June 2009, we took a 2 week family vac and drove from Dallas to L.A. via Amarillo/Albuquerque/Flagstaff, down to San Diego and back to Dallas via Yuma/Tucson/El Paso. This roadtrip caused me to appreciate the CX-9 even more. The 75 speedlimits meant going 80 MPH on desert highways for long periods of time. The loaded down CX-9 traveled at 80 MPH effortlessly and went up mountain roads with ease. The seats and ride were very comfy. We had all 3 kids sitting in the backseat since the 3rd row seats were laying flat because of luggage, yet the kids never complained about the room. The navigation system was very helpful during this trip.
Front-wheel drive cars I've had in the past sometimes suffered from unbalanced steering. The CX-9 doesn't. Its steering handles like a RWD vehicle.
Only issue we've had is the key fobs not communicating with the memory seating. Dealership reset them, and they again stopped working. We can still push the memory seat buttons on the side of the seat and the seat will slide to the correct position, so not a big deal about the key fobs.
Two gripes: 1) the OEM tires lasted about 20K miles (replaced them with better tires from Discount Tire); 2) the automatic wipers aren't very intelligent...we would rather have control of the intermittent settings.
The CX-9 is my wife's daily driver for going to work. She likes how it handles, loves the Bose audio system, and appreciates the nav system when she has to drive to unfamiliar territory. I drive it on the weekends since it gets better fuel mileage than my 4Runner. It continues to impress me.
I hope the reliability of this vehicle continues to stay on track. If so, we may keep it past 100K miles.
(2thumbs)
