The all-new Mazda CX-9!
 

Just drove the all-new 2016 CX-9 and was wondering if anyone else has and your opinions and comments on it.

Thanks!

Better yet, what was your take on it? Still waiting for our dealership to take delivery of the two we have en-route. From the pics I've seen, Mazda brought back the WOW factor.

Brought home our CX-9 Signature today ...
 

I just took delivery of my first ever Mazda, a 2016 CX-9 Signature. I traded in my BMW 535xi wagon, and this Mazda is nicer in many ways. Interior material quality are on par with the BMW if not better. The design, layout, functionality, and ergonomics are spot on. Paint quality is absolutely beautiful. The car feels pretty different to drive (this is also my first "SUV") s the driving position is probably the biggest difference...but still quite fun and agile. I wish the steering were a little heavier and more solid feeling, but it is direct and responsive. Obviously it is more lightly dampened for around town driving, not high speed cornering. The 4 cyl turbo certainly does not lack power. If anyone is worried about the HP figure, I can assure you that you that the 310 ft/lb torque more than makes up for it in real-world driveability. It can actually put a smile on your face, which is more than I can say for anything else I tested! (Pilot, Highlander, Pathfinder, Sorento...)

I was hoping for a bit more cargo space behind the 3rd row, but leg room in the passenger cabin is really pretty generous. The vehicle is large at around 200" but it feels much smaller to drive. It is also incredibly quiet. I mean...really, really quiet.

I couldn't be happier with the vehicle, and look forward to taking it on our first road trip this weekend!

We picked up ours yesterday, GT with black/black. Would've love to get the Signature but I didn't want the red leather. Everything is top quality. It's very similar to my '16 Mazda6 GT, better in some ways and lacking in others. I love the 9's heads up display - much better than the 6. The infotainment screen is bigger but the maps don't seem as nice. The side mirror doesn't have auto dimming. The passenger power seat doesn't adjust up and down.

The lane assist is very cool, and I like that the steering wheel vibrates. The engine is snappy, can't wait to try a tank on premium to see if I can notice the difference. The engine sounds so much better than the standard 2.5L. And the cabin is extremely quiet - after the CX-5 it is very noticible how quiet it is.

It handles just as you would expect a Mazda to handle. My friend has a 2010 CX9 and I had him drive it and give comparison notes. He said it handles and accelerates about the same as the V6.

The tires are crap, as usual, and I'll probably be replacing them at 30,000 miles. Many accessories aren't available until August, so don't be expecting all weather mats and other items any time soon. The car is very imposing on the road - there's nothing like it and it stands out.

The ambient lighting is a nice touch, and you can adjust 3 levels of brightness. Stereo is good, lots of bass - sounds better than the 6's speakers.

That's all I can say for the moment, only 100 miles in it so far..

Trims and prices paid
 

For those who just brought the 2016 CX-9, congratulations! It is a fine SUV. For the benefits of those of us who hasn't made the same leap yet, besides sharing your first hand impressions, would you mind sharing information on the trim you got and price you paid for your new CX-9?

Also, what is your impression of the lane-keep assist? I have not been able to find much information on Mazda's implementation of this safety feature and would like to hear first hand impression from those who has actually used it.

Thanks.

I'll follow up with price paid for my GT, but as for the lane keep assist so far it does very well.

You have 3 options for lane departure alert - beep, rumble (which makes an audible rumble noise through the speakers, comes from the side that is crossing the lanes), or steering wheel vibrate. I use vibrate. When you cross a lane it uses torque steer to guide the car back to the center of the lane. It doesn't actually move the wheel but you can feel it torquing the car in that direction. It's effective but not overbearing. You can overcome the torque and force the car across the lane. I (carefully) tried to see what would happen if I let the steering wheel go, if it would keep its lane. It flashes a warning on the heads up display that you must keep your hands on the wheel at all times, so somehow it knows when you let go. It can get a little twitchy on curvy highways. So if the lane curves left it can sometimes think you're about to cross the right side line and apply pressure when it's not necessary. If there's a car or semi next to you when it happens it can be a little unnerving thinking it's going to nudge you into the other vehicle. It's not dangerous but it's a weird sensation, and something you're likely to get used to over a short period of time. It's easily turned off by a button on the dash when you don't want it tugging too much. Overall it's a great feature.

That was a great overview of the lane keep assist feature! Since the system does not actively try to keep the car in the center of the lane, I wonder if the car ends up bouncing back and forth with a tired driver. In any case, I am glade Mazda has the lane keep assist feature now. I will try it out when my local dealer has a GT or a signature trim available. Thanks.

Hi ksu,

Did you check Hine? I think they have both GT and Signature in White. I gave them my email address so they will contact me when Black/Machine Gray are available.

Please share with us on the price that you paid. I am also in the hunt for the GT. My other choice is Ford Explorer Limited.

Thanks.

Sticker was $42,800 which includes destination charge. I paid about $41,000 after discounts.