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SUVs Mazda CX-9 2008 Mazda CX-9
69 messages, Last post on Jul 12, 2009 at 10:20 AM
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Replying to: mdhutton (Jan 20, 2008 3:53 pm) Dealers will typically just let you pay labor if you bring in your own oil (i.e. they won't charge you for their oil). I do this all the time with my car, since the grade they use is not what I like. Of course, you do have to be careful with the bill, since they might charge you for their oil anyway! |
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Replying to: pulleydog (Jan 18, 2008 7:37 pm) Great bit of reviewing. Unlike the others, I'll say thank you for investing the time in keeping us informed. Other posters tend to blow hold or cold, so don't understand when a reviewer can find some middle ground, especially one that's an owner. I have a 08 CX-9 GT, its not perfect by a long chalk for instance, there's something about its beautiful svelte like design that attracts mud. Compared to other black cars, mine always looks filthy even after a wash. The mileage is not great, but hey, anyone buying a 4400 lb vehicle shouldn't have any illusions (I haven't even tried to calculate my MPG, as I know as I'll lie in bed at night breaking sweat trying to work out how to increase it). I'd love to see Mazda borrow Land Rover's 3.6 V8 diesel which (top selling Range Rover in Europe) before Ford sells the unit to the Indian's - then we would get performance with economy. Against this are the countless aspects I love. No car is ever going to be perfect but the CX-9 is pretty darn close. On balance, its a great car (so far) . The test of the pudding is my wife likes driving it against her initial prejudices |
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Replying to: pulleydog (Jan 18, 2008 7:37 pm) These are not Ford door handles, so, I don't really follow you there. Mazda uses those door handles on most all Mazda models, with no complaints I can recolect. Remember, the CX-9 was designed by Mazda, built by Mazda in Japan. I brought my own Mobil-1 0W20 full synthetic oil to be used. I don't know if that will have any affect on the gas mileage, but I'll find out. Your salesman / service manager should have told you Mazda does not recommend full synthetic. I think you will be wasting your hard earned money on oil that only benefits Exxon/Mobils bottom line. |
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Overall I am very please with my 2008 CX-9 Grand Touring AWD. I love the blind spot motoring for my wife. I have owned Lexus, Toyota's, and Ford's in the past. I have 3000 on the car without any issues. I was wondering if any other CX-9 owners have experience excessive water coming out of the mirrors after you wash the car. It makes it difficult to dry you car when water splashes down the side after you drive it. I have tried stick paper towel in behind the mirror, folding the mirrors and drying, even an air compressor to blow the mirror out. Any ideas?
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Replying to: aviboy97 (Jan 21, 2008 8:53 am) Do you mind sharing what they do recommend? No synthetic at all? Part synthetic? Thanks
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Replying to: aviboy97 (Jan 21, 2008 8:53 am) In any case, synthetic is probably best on a turbo car since that turbo spins like mad. My car is a twin-turbo, so I use synthetic as "insurance". For non-turbo engines that are driven normally, I would tend to agree that mineral oil is just fine. |
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| After looking at many different suvs for my family, I decided to get a CX-9. I originally liked the GMC Acadia, until I sat in one and gave it a once over. I have always enjoyed my Toyotas so I had to go look at the new Highlander. I liked it compared to the Acadia along with its long list of great features. When I saw the CX-9 in my car magazine, I had to go also look at that. After I test drove it, I was very surprised as to how nice a car like this could be. That same day I called my contact at Toyota and arranged a test drive in a Highlander. With my hopes high, I took it off the lot and drove it about one mile. What is Toyota doing? After owning four Toyotas in the past and one Lexus I could not believe how disappointing the Highlander is compared to the CX-9. Has Toyota lost there drive to keep trying since they are the Top Dog? I have never owned a Mazda and hope it is everything I think it will be. After 3000 miles the car is a dream with a few minor irritants. If anyone is thinking of buying one, you have to take a test drive and compare. If any other CX owners have found any great web sites or service issues I would love to hear about it. | |
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Replying to: mdhutton (Jan 20, 2008 3:53 pm) What an insightful post! Let's see... Wind noise: I just can't say whether not having the rails on my car makes it any quieter. You really told us a lot there. If you paid attention, I was replying to an earlier post by another CX-9 owner, who made some personal observations regarding several aspects of his new CX-9. One, being Wind Noise. I am acutely aware of wind noise and I feel this vehicle doesn't generate a lot of wind noise on the highway. My experience with roof rails / cross rails made me wonder if the noise he heard was in part, being caused by the rails. If others were concerned, maybe they could test drive vehicles with and without roof rails to help determine this. I guess I should have done more research on this myself, maybe rent a decibel meter and give you more definitive numbers on the differences. Sound system: I also decided against the Bose / Moonroof package Most CX-9 owners will opt for this package, so some information would be helpful. What part of "the standard sound system sounded just fine to me" and I didn't feel the extra money was warranted, didn't you understand? Again, this was in response to the previous owner commenting on how disappointed he was with the Bose system. My comment was to get people to think about the choice and decide if the $1800 was really worth it. FYI - These forums are for ALL owners, not for 'most owners'. Gee, I bought the Sport - less than 25% of all CX-9's sold. Maybe I should be banned from the forums for being in the minority. Gas mileage: I do notice a significant drop in mileage when I am 'in-town'. Yup...most cars do that. I guess I needed to spell it out for you. If you'd been following the concern a lot of CX-9 owners have over the gas mileage, you'd know there have been a lot of people writing in that their gas mileage is much lower than they expected. My 'significant' drop in mileage around town, mirrors what others have found - that we aren't even getting close to the sticker. I do however, get decent mileage on the highway. Fit / Finish: I don't think I've read any complaints about the interior door handles on the CX9, but having known about the poor job Ford did with the door handles in the '06 Explorer (which is why we got the '07) I do think the front door handles could have been designed better. Let's see...no real complaints, but Ford made a bad one at one time, so you found it necessary to offer a fix to a problem that doesn't exist. Do you own a CX-9? I can't tell. If you do, it would make me understand your reason for even commenting on my post the way you did. If you don't, then you probably don't know what I'm even refering to. With my driver's door wide open, I have a heck of stretch to reach the door/pull handle. If someone is looking at the CX-9 for their next vehicle, I think it was appropriate to point this out. Someone's 5' 1" wife, may not even be able to pull the door closed. Just as I appreciate reading someone else's comments about their vehicle, this could be a very real concern for some. I can just imagine what it would be like to have kids back there - swinging open those doors and hitting the cars parked next to them - yikes! Some type of protection for your doors (and for the cars next to you) would seem to be almost a necessity. Or you could teach your passengers to be aware of their surroundings and be careful. What planet do you live on? I don't have kids, or plan to have anyone in the 2nd row. Again, pointing out the hazards of those huge doors. Something, someone may not notice on a test drive. Driving Experience: I think the issue, therefore, is the overall suspension of this vehicle and not really related to the wheels/tires. If you want to call it a "Sport" ride, go ahead.... I will just call it simply UNCOMFORTABLE when hitting bumps, potholes, expansion joints, etc. The jolts come right through. It IS a "sport" model, just doing what it's supposed to do. OMG, I must be SO STUPID. You mean, SPORT, really means it's supposed to drive 'sporty'??? Isn't that funny..... the Touring and the Grand Touring drive the same way... The point here, Einstein, was to mention that although there have been a lot of comments on how the 20" wheels/tires ride roughly, I am not convinced the 20-inchers are to blame, since the 18"s ride can be just as harsh. I don't remember the test drives being so 'bumpy'. Should have done a better test drive. I drove 5 different CX-9's over various road conditions. Not everyone drove exactly the same. Some tires were over-inflated, some were Sports/Tourings/GTs. I guess I should have called you because you apparently know how to do it right. Acceleration is okay, but you can hear the engine when you put your foot down and I'd rather have a quiet car all the time. Most cars get noiser when they rev higher. Been going on for years. Maybe most, but not all. This is a Duratec engine and one of the more common complaints with some of their engines is the loud, unrefined sound they can emit under heavy acceleration. I'm not saying this is an unrefined engine, but it does get loud when you put your foot down. I've owned 4 other vehicles that I could barely hear the engine - at any time. Perhaps a result of more sound insulation between the engine and passenger compartments, but nonetheless, the CX-9 is not a quiet experience when accelerating. Miscellaneous: I brought my own Mobil-1 0W20 full synthetic oil to be used. Wow! You paid for an oil change AND brought the oil. With the help you're giving the dealer's profit margin, seems they should have tried harder on your programming issues. Keep doing this and you'll erase the $1800 you saved on the Bose/Moonroof package. Not that it's even relevent, but I bought both the oil and filters on sale. The total cost at the dealership (labor and oil disposal) was less than $15. Taking all into consideration, getting this oil change with an oil filter that cost me less than the dealer's - which is rated better at filtering, and changing to full synthetic, which will be better for the engine over the long term, and might give me better mileage, cost me about $15 over the standard dealer oil change. It would take me 120 oil changes to "erase the $1800" and I don't plan to keep the vehicle for 600,000 miles. As I look out at my side mirror, I can always see the reflection of my interior side vent in the mirror. If this area was black, I probably wouldn't even notice it in the mirror. (The reflection is actually off the window) - minor, but annoying. Again, a b |
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