2019 Signature vs. 2018 GT: Driving impressions (Dealer loaner car)

[BRnPA]

I dropped my '18 GT at the dealer today for a little work and got a '19 Signature as a loaner. There certainly is a difference: Besides the obvious interior differences, the ride is quieter, handling is stiffer, shifts are smoother, and the seat bottoms seem a little wider.
Ride - The '19 is on the Falkens and I'm riding on Ecopias. Huge difference! The '19 handles much better!
Quieter - In my '18, I can really hear my engine and exhaust. Not so in the '19. Probably upgraded the noise insulation behind firewall, under body, and cavity spaces.
Shifting - I can feel the shifts in my '18 whereas the '19 is less overt in the shifts. Not sure if this is a tranny software difference but it's noticeable.
Seats - Maybe it's my imagination, but my butt feel better in the '19 seats regarding the seat bottom width. Just a tad wider, though it could be an illusion.
Summary - Not that I'm ready to trade my '18 for a '19 but I'm convinced that an eventual tire upgrade would make a big difference and I think it might be worth looking into where I can apply some dynamat to cut some of the engine & exhaust noise that I hear. No surprise that the '19 Sig. is more 'refined' than my '18 GT. Just my $0.02.

 

[alekii_405]

Interesting. I have Falken Ziexs on my '17 GT. I am surprised to hear that they went to Ecopias for 2018. To that end, my tires have been pretty decent in terms of ride quality and wear, but they are less than marginal in winter driving performance. That said, I do anticipate getting at least 50k miles on my set at the end of the year.

Dynamat around the spare wheel area should help. One of the mods many suggest is to using polyfill inside the sub enclosure. Primarily improves the sound, but I would imagine it aids in tempering the resonance

 

[sm1ke]

Thanks for the insight!

 

[BRnPA]

Interesting. I have Falken Ziexs on my '17 GT. I am surprised to hear that they went to Ecopias for 2018. To that end, my tires have been pretty decent in terms of ride quality and wear, but they are less than marginal in winter driving performance. That said, I do anticipate getting at least 50k miles on my set at the end of the year.

Dynamat around the spare wheel area should help. One of the mods many suggest is to using polyfill inside the sub enclosure. Primarily improves the sound, but I would imagine it aids in tempering the resonance

+1 for the Dynamat. I actually did both of these DIYs late last year. Subwoofer and stuck a bunch of Dynamat-like sound deadener where the spare tire sits. Helped some but the '19 Sig. is really quiet. sm1ke has a Signature so I'd be interested in his perspective if he ever has the chance to drive a GT.

 

[sm1ke]

+1 for the Dynamat. I actually did both of these DIYs late last year. Subwoofer and stuck a bunch of Dynamat-like sound deadener where the spare tire sits. Helped some but the '19 Sig. is really quiet. sm1ke has a Signature so I'd be interested in his perspective if he ever has the chance to drive a GT.

Unfortunately the only other CX-9 I have driven was a 2017 GS (Canadian equivalent to the Sport) as a loaner when I was getting my oil changed. I did notice a bit of a difference in cabin noise, but I thought it was primarily due to the different tires. I'm thinking that my 2018 Sig probably sounds about the same as your 2018 GT.

This article states that there is additional sound deadening in all 2019 models, in the form of a thicker headliner and thicker floor mats. It also mentions a suspension tweak to make it "more refined" for 2019.

 

[BRnPA]

Unfortunately the only other CX-9 I have driven was a 2017 GS (Canadian equivalent to the Sport) as a loaner when I was getting my oil changed. I did notice a bit of a difference in cabin noise, but I thought it was primarily due to the different tires. I'm thinking that my 2018 Sig probably sounds about the same as your 2018 GT.

This article states that there is additional sound deadening in all 2019 models, in the form of a thicker headliner and thicker floor mats. It also mentions a suspension tweak to make it "more refined" for 2019.

Drove the '19 for about 25 miles tonight. It does handle better but I think it's mainly the tires. They track really well. Noise levels are a tad lower and there is some difference in the headlights: We have been discussing why the '19s and '20s headlights are rated higher than older models. I think they are aimed slightly higher... I may ask the dealer tomorrow if they are aware of the headlight changes. Oh, and one thing I really like is the ability to turn the cabin lighting off completely. No more overhead LED bothering me. I wish my '18 had that feature. And the seat definitely is a tad wider.

 

[BrettLevy85]

Drove the '19 for about 25 miles tonight. It does handle better but I think it's mainly the tires. They track really well. Noise levels are a tad lower and there is some difference in the headlights: We have been discussing why the '19s and '20s headlights are rated higher than older models. I think they are aimed slightly higher... I may ask the dealer tomorrow if they are aware of the headlight changes. Oh, and one thing I really like is the ability to turn the cabin lighting off completely. No more overhead LED bothering me. I wish my '18 had that feature. And the seat definitely is a tad wider.

You can easily put tint over the overhead LED. I put 35% over my overhead LED. Works wonders. Might go to 20% or 30% to block out more.

 

[BRnPA]

I spoke with the service manager this morning while picking-up my car. Here's what she said:
Ride - Substantial changes were made in '19 on the steering components and the way the AWD software controls the ride. That's why the steering seems easier/lighter on the '19 w/o loosing that "connected to the road" feeling. And the Falkens are better driving tires than the Ecopias.
Quieter - Agreed that more sound insulation was added to the '19s.
Seats - The Signature leather, which is more subtle than the lower models, gives more when you sit on it. I measured the seat portion where your butt goes and they were the same in both the '18 and '19 models but my posterior felt better (less squished) in the '19.
Overall, sm1ke is correct: The changes were made to provide a more refined experience without loosing drivability. Now I just need to figure out how to get my newly installed Apple Carplay to work...

 

[BRnPA]

Oh, and one more thing: The mileage app on the '19 said I was getting about 27 mpg the short time I had it (~50 mile driving). Much better than the 23 mpg I get with the '18 around town. Might be anecdotal but I wanted to put it out there.

 

[sm1ke]

We have been discussing why the '19s and '20s headlights are rated higher than older models. I think they are aimed slightly higher... I may ask the dealer tomorrow if they are aware of the headlight changes.

Did you happen to ask the dealer about the headlight changes as well?

Oh, and one thing I really like is the ability to turn the cabin lighting off completely. No more overhead LED bothering me. I wish my '18 had that feature.

Just a note regarding the overhead LED. I went out to check and see if I could turn the overhead LED off, and I can. Here's how I did it:

1. Go to the Home menu.
2. Access the Settings menu.
3. Scroll to the Vehicle tab, then select Lighting.

You should see this screen. Mine is set to Bright, but I can also set it to Medium, Dim, or Off. I'm thinking it should be the same for the GT, but it would be good to know if it isn't.

 

[BRnPA]

sm1ke - Yup, I did ask her about the lights and she said that she wasn't aware of any changes. When I was driving the '19 last night, I did notice that the beams were set a little higher than on my '18. I wonder if that's all there is to the difference... Thanks for the pointer on the ambient lighting. I have mine set to low and I did notice this morning that there is an "off" selection. I might just apply some tint like BrenttLevy85 mentioned. I like having a little light - just not as much as the LED puts out on low.