Your wishlists: Top 3 performance items

[FOM09]

Just picked up a 2008 GT AWD in Liquid Platinum and joined the forum. Immediately I started looking for some common bolt-on hop-ups. As you all know, not much exists.

What are your top 3-5 products? Mine might look like this:

Cat-back exhaust
Cold-Air intake
Tuner Reflash
Lowering springs
Carbon fiber accent bits

Anyone else? I am thinking about developing something for these and want to try and hit the right spot.

- AB

Andy Bettencourt
Flatout Motorsports

 

[Wisconsin Proud]

Nah......it's a family cruiser.......there's a thread like this that got blasted. 274 hp is enough...more will just get you in trouble.....and please, no fart mufflers(hand)

 

[CX9 SportOwner]

Nah......it's a family cruiser.......there's a thread like this that got blasted. 274 hp is enough...more will just get you in trouble.....and please, no fart mufflers(hand)

100% Agree. ADULT family car...


Cat-back exhaust Can't see a benefit here. Already has a split rear exhaust with twin resonators. Unless you really like "Phrrrrrrttttt!". Most cat backs are poorly engineered and actually diminish performance, anyway.

Cold-Air intake CX9 already has a cold air intake. All the ones I've seen didn't intake cold air. A metal pipe with a cone filter isn't automatically a CAI.

Tuner Reflash CX9 has adaptive performance, so if you drive it harder, it already retunes itself for more performance. I can hit 0-60 in 7 flat. AND we can still get 22-23 MPG if we want to.

Lowering springs Great way to screw up a very well tuned 4500lb SUV that rides smooth AND corners well.

Carbon fiber accent bits ICK


My list is:

Higher towing capacity

Eco-Boost type V6. (That would negate the need to do any 'tuning')

 

[xarthan]

Cat-back exhaust on a CX9? hahaha

 

[Davicho]

I am game for a cat-back exhaust! Family hauler or not the 3.5L in my CX-9 would purr (a la Infiniti FX or G)very nicely with one of these. Count me in for a cat-back exhaust on my wish list!!!

 

[FOM09]

Not suggesting anything, just looking for ideas if there are any. Won't debate the validity of what can work or not, anything we did would have to have dyno-proven increases if it were for performance.

Sounds like this isn't the market. Me? I am always looking for some tasteful bolt-ons for whatever I drive.

 

[Foggy]

every other AWD out there is geting some type of forced induction now a days.

so i'm going with a Supercharger.
engine bay is cramped enough to try and fit a set of twin turbos in there and besides, the engine is a varient of the Ford Duratec 37 engine which is going into the 2011 Mustang and you know that the Mustang crew will soon come up with some sort of kit.

 

[Davicho]

Sounds like this isn't the market.

Whoa whoa whoa...not so fast! Not everyone here is not into adding a few simple mods. Like I said, I am totally game for a cat-back as long as is not to intrusive.

 

[IslandTractor]

My list is:

Higher towing capacity

Eco-Boost type V6. (That would negate the need to do any 'tuning')

I agree those two things plus a better more flexible nav solution would make it about perfect. I'd actually prefer a smaller displacement V6 eco boost with same HP but better fuel economy than the current engine. Perfection would be adding a 210hp 380ft/lb diesel as with the MB ML320/350 to get 22city/28highway. I'd pay $2-3K more for that without hesitation.

I still have a hard time believing the CX9 cannot safely tow significantly more than 3500lbs as currently configured so long as a class 3 hitch is installed. I think Mazda decided to offer only the Cat 2 hitch and as that is by definition limited to 3500lbs they just set that as the limit. I really don't see anything about the CX9 that is so different from the ML which has a 5000lb tow with gas and 7000lb tow limit with diesel. If I recall correctly the Pilot is rated at 5000 as is the MDX and all the Ford/GM equivalents too.

 

[CX9 SportOwner]

I'll add a liftgate light that activates the dome lights, too.


I agree that the car itself is probably built well enough to handle Class III.
My best guess on the towing is still the transmission cooling, if not the transmission itself. The CX9 uses a trans cooler built into the radiator, rather than an outboard unit in front of the radiator. Maybe during testing the CX9 was able to tow 4500lbs safely, but not loads heavier than that. Since Class III is 5000lbs, they chose to step back to Class II to avoid owners trying to tow beyond it's capabilities. Just a guess.
Even with an after market cooler, it's a crap shoot to know what the real limit would be. Someone would have to keep adding weight until the CX9 failed to be sure what the limit and weakest link are.

Maybe if towing classes were setup every 500 to 1000lbs, CX9 would have a higher limit.

 

[IslandTractor]

Maybe if towing classes were setup every 500 to 1000lbs, CX9 would have a higher limit.

The oddity is that trailers are for the most part only available in less than 3500, 3500 and 7000 lb increments due to axle ratings. That means that it is not worth even towing a standard medium duty 3500lb rated trailer such as a Uhaul 5x8.

As passengers, unloaded trailer weight and anything in the vehicle need to be included in the tow capacity rating, adding a 200lb driver plus 350lbs of passengers (one big ass wife or a slimmer hipped model with a couple of school age kids) plus 100lbs of luggage and a 1000lb empty weight trailer (unloaded 5x8 Uhaul utility for example) leaves you with less than one ton of trailer cargo (200+350+100+1000=1650 subtracted from 3500=1850lbs net towed capacity. Not much at all and almost not even worth towing a 5x8 utility trailer. That puts you down into the small Uhaul or even Harbor Freight fold up type trailers that can be pulled by a compact SUV with a 4 cylinder engine. Puny.

I just don't believe the CX9 is that wimpy even without a more robust transmission cooler. The Aussie CX9 is rated higher than the US model presumably just because of different hitch and I recall the version down under is rated to tow somewhere around 4000-4500lbs. If so then it is not a transmission issue at all but just a marketing decision (bad one) to not offer a Class 3 hitch and 5000lb rating. I smell a zoom zoom marketing call rather than a carefully calculated engineering decision on this.

 

[CX9 SportOwner]

Could be. Aussie CX9s are rated at 4400lbs, or 2 Metric tons. Weird. MAYBE, though, they have better trans coolers down there. There some other significant differences to make me think that's possible.

We should get the Aussie owners to confirm the trans cooling vs. the US models.

I did notice the Pilot towing is 3500lbs for FWD models, and 4500lbs for AWD with Premium recommended. How does AWD make a difference, especially when it's not actually on most of the time? Or are they like the CX9, where only AWD have the heavy duty cooling?

I want answers, dammit.

 

[tonyj]

Yes I nice cat-back exhaust would sound nice on the 9. Like a Borla or maybe a Flowmaster

 

[CX9 SportOwner]

Given the configuration and shape of the system, I doubt anyone will make such a proprietary system for a niche vehicle.

 

[tonyj]

CX9SO you have a point there, BUT if they did make one, it would sound nice

 

[IslandTractor]

Could be. Aussie CX9s are rated at 4400lbs, or 2 Metric tons. Weird. .

I'm guessing that even the Aussie limit of 4400lbs is based on the hitch capacity not the true towing capacity of the car. If there is an additional transmission cooler that is cheap and easy to install. I just don't see what is really different between the CX9 and the ML350 or MDX both of which are rated at least at 5000lbs. Not sure whether Mercedes does anything different with the diesel ML350 as that is rated to 7000lbs. I think that simply requires a weight distributing class 3 set up.

From a trailer hitch website:


CLASS II TRAILER HITCHES
Class II hitches are weight carrying (WC) hitches rated up to 3500 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) of 300 lbs.
A Class II tow hitch usually has a 1-1/4" square receiver opening.
A higher class drawbar does not increase the towing capacity of the hitch.
Class II hitches usually attach to the bumper or vehicle frame.

CLASS III TRAILER HITCHES
Class III hitches are weight carrying (WC) and also are weight distributing (WD) depending on the vehicle and hitch specifications.
Not all Class III hitches are rated to be both. See the specific hitch for that information.
Class III hitches used as weight carrying are rated up to 6000 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) of 600 lbs.
Class III hitches used for weight distributing are rated up to 10,000 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) of 1000 lbs.
A Class III hitch usually has a 2" square receiver opening.
A higher class drawbar does not increase the towing capacity of the hitch. To use this class of hitch for weight distribution requires a weight distribution system.
Class III hitches attach to the vehicle frame only.

 

[Davicho]

Could be. Aussie CX9s are rated at 4400lbs, or 2 Metric tons. Weird. MAYBE, though, they have better trans coolers down there. There some other significant differences to make me think that's possible.

We should get the Aussie owners to confirm the trans cooling vs. the US models.

I did notice the Pilot towing is 3500lbs for FWD models, and 4500lbs for AWD with Premium recommended. How does AWD make a difference, especially when it's not actually on most of the time? Or are they like the CX9, where only AWD have the heavy duty cooling?

I want answers, dammit.

I work for a Honda dealership in the parts dept. I just looked up a radiator and a trans cooler for a 2010 Pilot and they both (2wd and 4wd) use the same radiator and trans cooler. What is different is fan motors and fan blades depending on 2wd or 4wd.

 

[CX9 SportOwner]

That's it? Fans? How do fans add 1000lbs of towing? Even the CX9 uses a different radiator as well as more fan control to increase towing.

 

[Davicho]

That's it? Fans? How do fans add 1000lbs of towing? Even the CX9 uses a different radiator as well as more fan control to increase towing.

I don't know but everything else they (2wd/4wd) share. Same engine block same heads, same suspension components (minus the rear springs) and obviously different rear sub-frame to accomodate the rear diff. and of course ECM, but everything else is completely identical.

Hmmm...things that make you go hmmm! I bet this low tow rating in our CX-9s has to do entirely with legalities to prevent law suits.

 

[IslandTractor]

I bet this low tow rating in our CX-9s has to do entirely with legalities to prevent law suits.

That's my conclusion too. 5000lbs is a much more reasonable tow limit for a vehicle of this size and power.