New owner in CO - 2010 GT AWD

[CO CX-9]

Hey everyone - I just purchased my 2010 CX-9 AWD in Dolphin Gray this past Saturday.

It was the first time I had taken one out for a drive, and I had the intention of taking some more time to try other vehicles out, but they did the whole "what can we do to earn your business," and I made an offer that I thought was really aggressive, and to my surprise they took it. So that was fun!

So I traded in my 2007 Highlander on this CX-9. Grand Touring model, but with no additional options. My Toyota was very functional and reliable, but I wanted something that was more luxurious and sporty, with a 3rd row.

I'm in Denver, and we've already had quite a bit of snow as compared to prior years, so I already went to Discount Tire and ordered a winter tire package, with Blizzaks and 18" wheels. I had already done some reading and knew about the apparent issues with the Bridgestone Duelers, so I knew when I bought the car I'd be looking to get some dedicated winter tires. But the stock setup will be great in the Spring, Summer and Fall.

The only other car I really considered (after taking brief test drives of the Pilot and Highlander) was an MDX. But wanting to stay in the low $30's would've meant going with a 2-3 year old one with probably 20-30k miles, and truthfully, I like the CX-9 every bit as much. The MDX's appeal came mostly from an affinity I have toward Hondas after owning several of them and having good experiences. If the initial quality of the CX-9 continues on and the vehicle is reliable, I'll be a very happy Mazda owner.

 

[gpalm44]

I just bought my CX-9 here in Denver a few weeks ago, and have really loved how it has handled in the snow this past week. Coming from LA, I'm not used to winter driving so I'm curious as to the difference a new set of tires would make. Obviously I have seen the numerous, numerous posts regarding the poor quality of the Duellers for winter driving.

 

[SeCX-9]

Hey everyone - I just purchased my 2010 CX-9 AWD in Dolphin Gray this past Saturday.

It was the first time I had taken one out for a drive, and I had the intention of taking some more time to try other vehicles out, but they did the whole "what can we do to earn your business," and I made an offer that I thought was really aggressive, and to my surprise they took it. So that was fun!

So I traded in my 2007 Highlander on this CX-9. Grand Touring model, but with no additional options. My Toyota was very functional and reliable, but I wanted something that was more luxurious and sporty, with a 3rd row.

I'm in Denver, and we've already had quite a bit of snow as compared to prior years, so I already went to Discount Tire and ordered a winter tire package, with Blizzaks and 18" wheels. I had already done some reading and knew about the apparent issues with the Bridgestone Duelers, so I knew when I bought the car I'd be looking to get some dedicated winter tires. But the stock setup will be great in the Spring, Summer and Fall.

The only other car I really considered (after taking brief test drives of the Pilot and Highlander) was an MDX. But wanting to stay in the low $30's would've meant going with a 2-3 year old one with probably 20-30k miles, and truthfully, I like the CX-9 every bit as much. The MDX's appeal came mostly from an affinity I have toward Hondas after owning several of them and having good experiences. If the initial quality of the CX-9 continues on and the vehicle is reliable, I'll be a very happy Mazda owner.

Welcome and enjoy the car.

I have my Blizzaks in the basement which should have been put on already, however you'll love how they handle in the snow. Flying down the highway at 60MPH in a blizzard!

 

[xarthan]

yeah i got my blizzak from tire rack last week, currently sitting in the garage. Waiting for it to warm up a bit before i put em on.

 

[CO CX-9]

Thanks for the welcome and greetings.

I really like the Dolphin Gray - I suppose it's basically the replacement for Galaxy Gray, but has a greenish tint to it. I generally like whites and silvers, but I really liked the Dolphin Gray for being a bit different, and I think it's really sharp with the black interior. I've had more white cars than any other color, and probably would've gone with that again if they had one with a black interior. Seems most of the white ones have beige (is that that only way they come?).

As for the tires, the night I bought my CX-9, we got about 4-6 inches of snow, and with the single digit temperatures, the roads have stayed pretty snow-packed since then. I haven't had any issues slipping or sliding around, but I've also been driving very conservatively, since I'm still getting the feel for the car.

With all the feedback out there on these stock 20" tires, I just bit the bullet and ordered the winter tire package. I figured I could definitely get through this season with the tires being so new, but I didn't want to regret that decision in January, when snow tire supplies will be depleted. This forum was a great help with choosing an 18" wheel - I went with the exact same setup as another user based on their pictures posted - Blizzaks on Sport Edition ST-3's.

Now I just need to figure out a good iPod charger/mount, all-weather mats, cargo cover, DVD system.......

 

[jcpharm]

Thanks for the welcome and greetings.

I really like the Dolphin Gray - I suppose it's basically the replacement for Galaxy Gray, but has a greenish tint to it.

Actually, i think it replaced the Black Cherry Mica from the 2009 line (which i have) which probably replaced the Galaxy Gray you mentioned.

With all the feedback out there on these stock 20" tires, I just bit the bullet and ordered the winter tire package. I figured I could definitely get through this season with the tires being so new, but I didn't want to regret that decision in January, when snow tire supplies will be depleted. This forum was a great help with choosing an 18" wheel - I went with the exact same setup as another user based on their pictures posted - Blizzaks on Sport Edition ST-3's.

Had the same line of thinking but since i don't get as much snow here in NJ as you do in CO, i went with the 20" Pirelli STR As as an all-season. Today is a slush-filled rainy day and had no problems speeding along at 60+MPH on the highway.

Now I just need to figure out a good iPod charger/mount, all-weather mats, cargo cover, DVD system.......

for my iPhone, i just got a Kensington LiquidAUX1 Deluxe car charger/mount/AUX input and it seems to be working fine for me.

 

[Lindyrect]

I purchased an AWD, but received an FWD. The dealership went good for it (ate many accessories and services) and since I will not be in really snowy area I accepted. This being said if you have a FWD with the original Duellers (07' models), not sure if the model of tire has changed, they quite plainly suck. Sire wear all around was down to the wire band at 35K and single drive traction is horrid.

 

[fellowkillla]

(group)welcome to the mazda family.

 

[cccx9]

I purchased an AWD, but received an FWD. The dealership went good for it (ate many accessories and services) and since I will not be in really snowy area I accepted. This being said if you have a FWD with the original Duellers (07' models), not sure if the model of tire has changed, they quite plainly suck. Sire wear all around was down to the wire band at 35K and single drive traction is horrid.

What dealership screwed that up? I live in NOVA and bought from Brown's Fairfax Mazda...

 

[SeCX-9]

Well, it snowed 8 inches here in central Mass and I had not had a chance to swap out my stock Dueler's. So, with 25K miles on the tread, I took them out for a quick trip to CVS at lunch, after most of the snow had cleared off the roads and boy did I find out how much they suck! I was so scared reading the online exchange last year that I put on the Blizzaks before even attempting the first snow.

The roads were mostly slushly and patches of mixed ice and pavement but when I tapped the breaks...the ABS kicked in like no tomorrow. I could not believe that they were THAT bad. Even driving up my residence street which had even more snow, the TCS light was almost solid as the crap duelers attempted to plowed through the snow. I was scared Sh*tless to go back out until I got the Blizzaks on.

Called NTB at 4pm (2 miles from my house) and asked how swamped they were....NOT. Drove down and had them installed and I was back out the door by 5pm. Apparently the mad rush was yesterday before the storm.

Feel MUCH safer with the Blizzaks back on. No more TCS light!

 

[CO CX-9]

In response to the posts above...

I do think the tan leather is really rich looking, but I would worry that it's a bit harder to take care of too. Now I take really good care of my cars, but with two young boys, I wouldn't want something marking up the lighter interior that I couldn't clean off. And I think the black is really sharp and sporty.

And I can't wait to get those Blizzaks on - not that I've had any problem so far, but I'll just feel a bit more confident with the winter tires and wheels on.

So about a week into CX-9 ownership and I'm really liking the car. About a year ago I bought a used Highlander for a second car - something for the Home Depot runs and carting the kids around. But I found that I ended up driving my SUV around most of the time, leaving my other car in the garage. So I wanted a new SUV to replace the Highlander that was not only nicer and richer in features, but sporty in nature as well. Obviously the CX-9 was a good choice.

I really like the proportions of it - longer and shorter than the other 3-row SUVs. So it looks more like a tall wagon to me, versus a boxy SUV.

One thing I'm still getting used to is that length - it's a long vehicle! I have to be bit more precise when I pull in my garage.

I do notice the ride is a bit harsh on bad roads, but I was prepared for that. I'm happy to take that trade-off for sportier handling. And on good roads, it rides real nice.

So, there are some of my initial thoughts, with more to come I'm sure.

 

[sjg]

A few thoughts on sand/tan leather interior

We also chose the sand/tan interior. Ours is and 09 and I understand that the leather and cloth materials have been upgraded. This is a good thing. The leather in the 07-09's is very stiff and somewhat cheap feeling. Sometimes it requires reminding oneself that it isn't vinyl. It's still comfortable enough and it looks great. We decided on sand/tan because the interior has a lot of black in it already. The lighter interior breaks it up nicely and most of the interior trim below the belt line remains black regardless of your color choice. Particularly with the Touring or Sport trim where the vertical elements of the dash are piano black, the lighter interior provides nice contrast. This is my first time with light color seats and they are harder to maintain. I'm at just over 3K miles and have already had several spots/marks on the seats to address. All cleaned up nicely but what a pain.

 

[Lindyrect]

What dealership screwed that up? I live in NOVA and bought from Brown's Fairfax Mazda...

Ourisman Mazda of Laurel MD. You can understand the flash of rage when I picked the window sticker off the back seat after getting home and seeing "FWD".

 

[sjg]

badges

Ourisman Mazda of Laurel MD. You can understand the flash of rage when I picked the window sticker off the back seat after getting home and seeing "FWD".

Other discussions have covered the AWD badging on these cars. My 09 had the AWD badge on the hatch door and on the sticker but I was still under the car in the dealer's lot to confirm.

 

[Lindyrect]

The whole process to too damn long the first day to locate a vehicle in New Jersey and I had to wait in the dealership for 4.5 hours the day I picked it up. That being said I was just so happy to get in the car and get home before 10 pm. Very good lesson learned. Also I bought the vehicle the first year it was made and I was not all up to snuff on the AWD badge thing

 

[100$ GUY]

This thread is worthless without pics! (stfu)