Really want to pull the trigger, but can't

[banjos-n-beer]

Thanks for sharing and now I understand...I can definitely sympathize with you as also being a Volvo owner however I guess we were lucky with ours as the 2010 didn't have the drive-e engine and stop/start feature which honestly is hard on the starter and doesn't really save significant fuel for its purpose. So far ours is turning 7yrs in Feb and no major issues so far (mechanically) just a few minor ones that were addressed during warranty period. My only justification for considering the CX9 would be the additional 3rd row/cargo space, better MPG than our 3.0L T6 w/c was only 16mpg, more upto date safety features and with all the added Bells and whistles it brings better value for money. I have no question on the reliability of mazda having a vehicle back in the late 90s. My wife really loves the volvo so it is becoming difficult to convince her though she may come around later on with much convincing. I can also drive the xc60 to the ground however I have a feeling that soon issues may arise and the repairs would be costly so I am trying to salvage its remaining trade value so I can use that as my downpayment should I get the CX9. I simply look at it as an upgrade in terms of the features. The only negative is where our location is there aren't a lot of CX9s available so they come very scarce into the dealerships and the ones that come in are trims/colours that I don't like. We may have to order from scratch to get the vehicle we want which will take at least 3 months. Good thing is we're not in a hurry so 3 months or so would be fine for us.

I recently visited my little brother and they have a new loaded XC90 T5. While taking a trip to the store we were chatting about the vehicle, and one thing he was complaining about was the start/stop feature. It was really quite obnoxious, but more so when you're running AC full blast in a hot Virginia summer while sitting at a red light. Further, you could feel a slight "slamming" every time it started back up again. Luckily I showed him how to disable it. Unfortunately you have to do that every time you initially start the vehicle. But after a bit of time it would be second nature to remember to turn it off immediately after start-up.

But it was a solid vehicle, for sure. Nice heavy doors, quality leather, and a massive touch screen seemed relatively easy to navigate. But they weren't really happy with the power of the engine (his wife had wanted a BMW or Mercedes of some sort), particularly with DC and other metro traffic areas. I also showed them how to put it into sport mode, which made the throttle response faster along with holding gears longer. Plus it had plenty of room in the 2nd row for an adult and two child seats. It did however have a rattle coming from the massive glass panoramic roof.

I'm not sure how long they'll keep it, but I imagine they might swap it out in a few years for another luxury SUV. I just recommended that they might want to lease if they're going to go the BMW/Mercedes/Audi/Jaguar route.

I told them about the new CX9, but it might be a tad too small for them, plus their careers and neighborhood almost elevate them to luxury vehicles by default. Having said that, they do still have their old Ford Escape that has treated them very well.... but it mostly sits in the garage since they now both work from home.

 

[SeCX-9]

A little FYI to those doubters.... http://www.caranddriver.com/features/best-mid-size-suv-mazda-cx-9-2017-10best-trucks-and-suvs

 

[HerbM3]

Just curious, what made you decide no?

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

3 factors:

1. Living in Florida with the undersized AC. This thread: https://www.mazdas247.com/forum/sho...many-complaints-about-the-AC-It-s-the-windows

2. The front passenger seat not raising up and down.

3. The infotainment woes and lack of CarPlay.

 

[phxzoom]

3 factors:

1. Living in Florida with the undersized AC. This thread: https://www.mazdas247.com/forum/sho...many-complaints-about-the-AC-It-s-the-windows

2. The front passenger seat not raising up and down.

3. The infotainment woes and lack of CarPlay.

I've always said it... to each its own. I respect your decision. Buying a new car is a big decision and it's not supposed to be taken lightly. Just my 2 cents on your concerns:

1. On the A/C, it's been an issue for some and a non-issue for others. Keep in mind that you'll always find more people complaining on the internet; happy drivers rarely go into forums and say "Hey, I love how my A/C works!". In my case, I felt comfortable taking the risk and bought mine after getting feedback from other Arizona members on this forum who picked up theirs during our fabulous 100degree+ summer and the A/C worked fine for them. I've always tinted my windows with top quality film anyways for skin protection, so it was a non-issue for me to tint our CX-9 all around. Plus windshield sunshades are pretty much a must in Arizona too, regardless of A/C performance. I'll be the first to say come summer time if I'm still happy with my decision. I can see how this could be a deal breaker for you. Our heat is dry, but I've dealt with plenty of humidity in the past.

2. The passenger seat not raising up seems like a concern extremely particular to you. I'll tell you this, my wife is on the shorter side of 5 feet (she'll kill me if she finds out that I said that) and she absolutely loves the CX-9 from both the driving and passenger sides. This is actually her daily driver. I only get to drive it weeknights if we go out and weekends. We haven't had any car in which the passenger seat raises up, and to be honest with you, that's the first time I've heard that as a deal breaker.

3. The infotainment, like with the A/C, it has been an issue to some, but most definitely not to all. I haven't had one single issue with it yet, and I'm not even running the latest firmware. On CarPlay, yeah sure I'd love to have it. I've had iPhones for the past 7 or 8 years. I love and have been a strong supporter of Apple even before the iPhone. But at the end of the day, for me CarPlay is a "nice" to have, not a "need" to have. The infotainment does everything I "need" as it is. That's just personal preference, and I can see how this could be a deal breaker for you.

Having said that, I wouldn't think twice about buying the CX-9 again. I had to make some compromises, but there's no such thing as the perfect car, more so at this price point. The biggest compromise I had to make was not having a pano roof, but I just didn't like the styling of the non-luxury options that came with pano. And sure, there are other things that the CX-9 doesn't have that I wouldn't mind having, but for me it was either this, or spend $15k, $20k or even $30k more on a luxury brand SUV that had some of those other things (because none of the options I was looking at had everything I would've liked). And I'm extremely happy with my choice. Again, not trying to sway you one way or the other, just my 2 cents. Good luck with your search!

 

[tekbiz]

We have Signature trim.
Infotainment has been fine for me, no issue. That being said, I don't talk/text when driving...I think I have made 5 calls since I bought it (July). Just not a priority for us, not part of our daily life. I work from home, so no commuting.
It can be a little slow to boot up, but that's an issue with other cars I rent for work. NAV works well. Dial controller works well, and voice recognition has worked, the few times I used it.
Infotainment wasn't a priority for us when we bought this: We're in our 40s, and not tied to our phones. I see why others may need it more than we do, with work, etc....but it was low on our list.

I am at 6,000km so far, and lifetime mileage is at 10.4L/100km (22.6 MPG). That is ~60% city driving / short trips. On longer trips, I have dipped into the 8s (~27 MPG), but that was long, 2 lane roads with speeds at 90-100km/h.
On the 400 series highways, at 125km/h, it will net high 9s on flat ground (~24 MPG). But above that level, the mileage drops off quickly.

Our top priority was driving dynamics, and it delivers. Torque of the turbo is great, it rides firm but controlled. It's quiet, drives smaller than it is, and has a gorgeous interior. I would have bought it with an AM/FM radio and an AUX port. If there are flaws with the infotainment, it wouldn't have stopped me from buying it.

I know that there are a lot more deals being offered in the U.S. having seen in other threads but availability here in Cda is very scarce...just wondering if you got a deal on it here in Cda. See in our location I've talked to 2 dealers already and they don't offer any discounts on the CX since they are according to them highly in demand though I really doubt that as I've only seen 1 on the roads the past month or so. I think with the small market here in Cda the dealers just don't get that much allocation compared to the bigger markets like in the U.S. I've also noticed that the dealers here don't keep a lot of inventory in stock, an average of 2-3 units and usually the GS and GS-L trims. None so far in Signature and GT...

 

[JPL]

The CX-9 is winning most comparison reviews with best sellers and yet it is interesting that it carries on as a "niche" model in its class. For example, in recent months it has sold 1/12th that of the 3 year old Highlander when every review has picked CX-9 over Highlander.

 

[tekbiz]

We have Signature trim.
Infotainment has been fine for me, no issue. That being said, I don't talk/text when driving...I think I have made 5 calls since I bought it (July). Just not a priority for us, not part of our daily life. I work from home, so no commuting.
It can be a little slow to boot up, but that's an issue with other cars I rent for work. NAV works well. Dial controller works well, and voice recognition has worked, the few times I used it.
Infotainment wasn't a priority for us when we bought this: We're in our 40s, and not tied to our phones. I see why others may need it more than we do, with work, etc....but it was low on our list.

I am at 6,000km so far, and lifetime mileage is at 10.4L/100km (22.6 MPG). That is ~60% city driving / short trips. On longer trips, I have dipped into the 8s (~27 MPG), but that was long, 2 lane roads with speeds at 90-100km/h.
On the 400 series highways, at 125km/h, it will net high 9s on flat ground (~24 MPG). But above that level, the mileage drops off quickly.

Our top priority was driving dynamics, and it delivers. Torque of the turbo is great, it rides firm but controlled. It's quiet, drives smaller than it is, and has a gorgeous interior. I would have bought it with an AM/FM radio and an AUX port. If there are flaws with the infotainment, it wouldn't have stopped me from buying it.

I know that there are a lot more deals being offered in the U.S. having seen in other threads but availability here in Cda is very scarce...just wondering if you got a deal on it here in Cda. See in our location I've talked to 2 dealers already and they don't offer any discounts on the CX since they are according to them highly in demand though I really doubt that as I've only seen 1 on the roads the past month or so. I think with the small market here in Cda the dealers just don't get that much allocation compared to the bigger markets like in the U.S. I've also noticed that the dealers here don't keep a lot of inventory in stock, an average of 2-3 units and usually the GS and GS-L trims. None so far in Signature and GT...