Interested in buying a 2014-2015 CX-9, need input
- Thread starter John.R
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- Canada
Edited thread title to be more descriptive.
I'm not familiar with the Sequoia's ride quality, but I would start by searching for reviews from sites like Car & Driver, Consumer Reports, Motortrend etc. to see what they say about the Sequoia, then doing a similar search to see what they say about the 14-15 CX-9 and compare.
The 1st generation CX-9 has a couple of known potential problems. One of them being the transfer case on the AWD version, and the other being the water pump. If the transfer case fails, you lose AWD but still have FWD. The water pump issue is more of a design flaw - if the water pump leaks, it will leak right into the engine, which can cause a ton of damage. That means keeping an eye on the water pump so you can replace it at the first sign of trouble. Replacement itself is also an issue, as its more involved than a typical water pump replacement.
This is just what I've read though, I don't have first hand experience with the 1st gen, but I'm sure others will be able to provide more knowledge and insight.
I'm not familiar with the Sequoia's ride quality, but I would start by searching for reviews from sites like Car & Driver, Consumer Reports, Motortrend etc. to see what they say about the Sequoia, then doing a similar search to see what they say about the 14-15 CX-9 and compare.
The 1st generation CX-9 has a couple of known potential problems. One of them being the transfer case on the AWD version, and the other being the water pump. If the transfer case fails, you lose AWD but still have FWD. The water pump issue is more of a design flaw - if the water pump leaks, it will leak right into the engine, which can cause a ton of damage. That means keeping an eye on the water pump so you can replace it at the first sign of trouble. Replacement itself is also an issue, as its more involved than a typical water pump replacement.
This is just what I've read though, I don't have first hand experience with the 1st gen, but I'm sure others will be able to provide more knowledge and insight.
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Used to drive a pre-owned 08 and never had complaints about the ride or seat comfort even during cross-country road trips, though mine was on the 18" rims. Handled well for an SUV, will be a lot more responsive than your Sequoia. I'd recommend you go drive one in person at a Carmax or see if a local dealer has one in stock. No matter how many articles/videos/anecdotes you review, the only way to see if the car is right for you is to experience it yourself.
I only drove the CX-9 between 60k-100k miles and it only needed basic maintenance, can't speak to how well it will do after that. I recall reading about some issues with AWD versions at higher mileage, but I have no real experience because mine was FWD and low miles. In 2015 I ended up replacing the CX-9 with a Volvo XC90 after finding the IIHS small overlap crash results.
I only drove the CX-9 between 60k-100k miles and it only needed basic maintenance, can't speak to how well it will do after that. I recall reading about some issues with AWD versions at higher mileage, but I have no real experience because mine was FWD and low miles. In 2015 I ended up replacing the CX-9 with a Volvo XC90 after finding the IIHS small overlap crash results.
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Regarding the handling and ride quality, the Sequoia is a body-on-frame vehicle, while the 1st gen CX-9 is a unibody design based off of the Ford CD3 platform (source).
Unibody designs are generally much more road compliant than body-on-frame designs, so it's pretty much guaranteed that the CX-9 will ride/handle better, but as @jefferson88 mentioned, the best way to get a feel for the CX-9 is to go out and test drive one at a user car dealership.
Unibody designs are generally much more road compliant than body-on-frame designs, so it's pretty much guaranteed that the CX-9 will ride/handle better, but as @jefferson88 mentioned, the best way to get a feel for the CX-9 is to go out and test drive one at a user car dealership.
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My wife's 09 CX9 had 185k miles when we sold last month.
PTU started to leak around 120k miles and was replaced.
Other than that, normal maintenance and wear/tear is all it had.
I did 1 drain/fill for transmission fluid and spark plugs around 120k miles.
Shocks/struts done about a year ago.
Never even changed the coolant, water pump, or brake fluid.
As for ride, definitely drive one to find out.
The ride was firm, but not rough. Ours was a Grand Touring with 20" wheels.
Definitely a nice vehicle to drive and ride in.
PTU started to leak around 120k miles and was replaced.
Other than that, normal maintenance and wear/tear is all it had.
I did 1 drain/fill for transmission fluid and spark plugs around 120k miles.
Shocks/struts done about a year ago.
Never even changed the coolant, water pump, or brake fluid.
As for ride, definitely drive one to find out.
The ride was firm, but not rough. Ours was a Grand Touring with 20" wheels.
Definitely a nice vehicle to drive and ride in.
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The ride in the first generation CX-9 is pretty good. It's better on versions with the 18 inch rims, and marginally worse on the GT which came with 20 inch rims.
The first generation has been pretty reliable outside of the aforementioned AWD issues, the water pump, and the brakes (warped rotors). For what it's worth, the reliability data in Consumer Reports puts the older CX-9's at about average in terms of reliability.
I'd avoid a AWD version personally. The water pump is more of a wild card - nobody is really sure how frequently they fail and to be honest the rate seems pretty low, but the consequences of a failure can be catastrophic engine damage.
The second generation came out in 2016. It is nicer inside, quieter, and gets better mileage but is significantly smaller inside despite having similar exterior dimensions as the first generation.
The first generation has been pretty reliable outside of the aforementioned AWD issues, the water pump, and the brakes (warped rotors). For what it's worth, the reliability data in Consumer Reports puts the older CX-9's at about average in terms of reliability.
I'd avoid a AWD version personally. The water pump is more of a wild card - nobody is really sure how frequently they fail and to be honest the rate seems pretty low, but the consequences of a failure can be catastrophic engine damage.
The second generation came out in 2016. It is nicer inside, quieter, and gets better mileage but is significantly smaller inside despite having similar exterior dimensions as the first generation.
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