Long-Term Road Test Wrap-Up
Date: June 2009
Current Mileage/Months in Fleet: 40,000 miles/13.5 months
Average Fuel Economy/Range: 18 mpg/362 miles
Service: $261
Normal Wear: $0
Repair: $0
The results of long-term tests occasionally have been easy to predict. An Italian car, for example, in all likelihood would break—a lot. A pickup truck probably would prove extremely versatile, capable, and reliable. But the Mazda CX-9 was difficult to pin down. After all, it was basically the largest, cushiest, and most-expensive-est thing the Zoom-Zoom folks had ever built; the company’s most famous effort is a cheap (yet transcendent) two-seat roadster, fercrissakes. Could it build a good, satisfying seven-passenger crossover?
As it turns out, we had little to fear. Mazda had churned out a nearly perfect family hauler, even from an enthusiast’s perspective. Built for the 2008 model year, our CX-9 was a $35,290 top-spec Grand Touring model with an additional $6500-plus worth of options strapped to it. The total: $41,855. So, yes, our CX-9 was almost fully loaded—hair shirts make us look fat—but we’d have loved it just the same without all the goodies. The secret? A fantastic driving experience.
Trip after trip, mile after mile, we had universal love for the CX-9’s steering, ride, and handling. Indeed, although the Mazda weighed just over 4600 pounds, it cornered with the verve of the company’s fun-to-drive cars. The fantastically accurate steering was called sports-car-like, and some of us noted that the steering wheel itself felt smaller in diameter compared with those of other big crossovers, further enhancing the sporty feel.
Popular Long-Hauler
Our larger long-termers usually draw long-haul duty for their cargo- and people-carrying capacities rather than any fun-to-drive factor, but a dynamic chassis and a well-controlled ride—website executive editor Mike Dushane said the Mazda rode and handled like something far costlier—meant our staffers viewed the CX-9 as more than merely a pack mule. The first two rows kept butts happy during long hauls, and even though the third row wasn’t as accommodating, it wasn’t bad for brief jaunts. With the final row folded, the CX-9 swallowed 48 cubes’ worth of stuff, plenty for three people on a long trip or four on a short one. We did wish for a few more cubbies up front for small items, however.
As is usually the case, the passage of 40,000 miles saw the CX-9’s test numbers shift around a bit. The Mazda’s 273-hp, 3.7-liter V-6 hauled it to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds when it was new; the final test saw a 10th shaved off that time. The 0-to-100 sprint increased by a full second, however, going from 20.3 to 21.3, and 0 to 110 took 28.3 seconds versus an as-new 27.1. The final mileage figure for 40,000 miles was 18 mpg, 1 mpg better than the EPA’s combined fuel-economy estimate. That’s not particularly good, especially in an age of ever-more-aggressive CAFE fuel-economy targets, but it is better than the typical body-on-frame-type SUVs that crossovers have virtually eliminated.
A Few Minor Problems—but No Big Deal
There were some issues. A couple of pieces of interior trim had to be replaced under warranty after the finish flaked off. Getting the aux-in jack to work required a $223 splitter. The trip computer didn’t provide fuel-economy or range data. The ergonomics for the radio controls needed improvement. The post-factory remote start wasn’t well integrated and would allow only the driver’s door to be unlocked when activated—annoying when you’re trying to load a legion of people in a snowstorm. The struts on the driver’s door creaked and groaned. Interior rattles occasionally would appear and disappear. You had to unlock the entire car before the power hatch would work. And although its function and operation were good, the resolution of the infotainment/navigation screen was jaggy and the menus seemed unrefined. (See previous updates on our CX-9 for more information.)
Taken as a laundry list, our complaints might seem more substantial than they really were; in reality, none of them was much beyond slightly annoying. Plus, many of the issues were corrected for 2009 or during a substantial 2010 refresh. The newest models have revised head units with dual volume and tuning knobs, for example, and the aux-in jack and Sirius radio now harmoniously co-exist from the factory.
ScanGauge and Winter Tires
We gained a fully functional trip computer by using the $170 ScanGauge II, which plugs into the OBD II port. We installed the device on the dash near the driver’s-side A-pillar, where it was unobtrusive. It will display up to four different pieces of data, and the backlight is adjustable to one of several colors; we matched ours to the CX-9’s red cluster lighting. The buttons on the box itself are unmarked, but reading the manual proved too much effort for our lazy-ass staffers, so our ScanGauge largely stayed programmed to display rpm (to the single rev!), intake temperature, instant fuel economy, and exact mph—the four pieces of data we deemed most useful in the CX-9. Other information options include fuel pressure, engine load, throttle position, and ignition timing; the ScanGauge can spit out detailed fuel-consumption and cost data and read engine error codes. There might be more inexpensive options out there, but for dataheads, it won’t get much better than the ScanGauge. (If you don’t mind the eco-dork name, you can save 10 bucks by ordering the Fuel Efficiency Adviser, since it’s the same thing as the ScanGauge II.)
The only other major add-on we tested on the CX-9 was a set of Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 winter tires, which ran $980. In short, they were awesome. Combined with the Mazda’s excellent all-wheel-drive system (a bargain at $1300 over front-drive models in 2008; the difference is $1400 for 2009), we were virtually unstoppable in what was one of the worst Michigan winters any of us here can remember. Snow blanketed Ann Arbor for weeks on end, and the CX-9 plowed through it like, well, a plow. No one reported getting stuck; indeed, reports were of how sure-footed and fun the CX-9 was in the slippery stuff. (Well, associate editor Jared Gall tried to drive through five-foot snow drifts and high-sided the CX-9, but we don’t count that as getting stuck because it was so hilariously dumb.)
Excepting the Self-Inflicted Ones, Costs Were Low
Thankfully, the snowy shenanigans didn’t prove dangerous to the CX-9’s sheetmetal. No, instead, we had to worry about the deadly parking lot. Three separate incidents left our Mazda slightly battered, and repairing all the damage required a hefty $2200-plus to fix. First, another vehicle hit the rear bumper while the CX-9 was parked, slightly perforating the plastic cover and requiring a total replacement. One staff member scuffed the front bumper playing a low-speed kissing game with a pole; a refinishing was in order. And on a windy day—60-mph gusts were reported—Dushane had the driver’s door ripped out of his hands, whereupon it bashed into the plastic side-mirror housing of the adjacent car, resulting in a large vertical crease just behind the door handle. (The other vehicle was unscathed.) Dushane claims the CX-9’s “weak sheetmetal” was to blame for the dent. Maybe it was weak hands.
Although we didn’t have any major incidents, we were glad to find that the CX-9 received Good ratings—the top result—from the IIHS in front and side crash tests. (It was, however, deemed Marginal for rear crash/head restraint performance.) NHTSA gave the Mazda five stars—again, the top result—for front and side crash performance, too.
Total service costs for the Mazda during its stay were a very reasonable $261, which is the sum of five regular maintenance stops (oil changes, inspections, etc.). Mechanically, the CX-9 proved virtually bulletproof, and our only warranty repairs involved the previously mentioned interior trim and a leaking left rear-axle seal, the latter of which was discovered during the 37,500-mile scheduled service. There was one recall, for a possible short-circuiting power-seat harness in 2007–09 models, which we had taken care of by our local dealer for no charge.
When the CX-9 showed up, we were a bit bemused at the prospect of a 40-plus-grand Mazda, but we ended up utterly infatuated with the crossover’s blend of performance, driving pleasure, comfort, style, and luxury. It looked rich and classy inside and out—all CX-9s come with the same handsome interior and exterior styling and quality cabin materials and fit and finish—and every mile turned was a happy one. For that level of satisfaction, almost any price seems fair. Farewell, Mr. CX-9. We miss you already.
