Honda Pilot vs Mazda CX-9 vs Toyota Highlander

478 messages, Last post on Nov 27, 2009 at 7:13 AM

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What is this discussion about? Mazda CX-9, Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Car Comparisons, SUV

2009 Honda Pilot vs. 2008 Mazda CX-9 vs. 2008 Toyota Highlander - Although we've been hearing about a mad dash to get out of sport-utility vehicles and into fuel-efficient compacts, the reality is that seven- and eight-passenger crossover SUVs like the 2008 Mazda CX-9, 2008 Toyota Highlander and 2009 Honda Pilot aren't going away anytime soon. (more)

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#123 of 478 Re: [nxs138] by citivas Jul 29, 2008 (10:02 am)
Replying to: nxs138 (Jul 29, 2008 9:28 am) Our stroller fit fine behind the Highlander with the 3rd row setup when we tested it several times... I guess it depends on the stroller model. If your goal is the most room behind the 3rd row, you should look at the '09 Pilot which has more than the CX-9. It has more seating capacity and legroom too... I agree that some people are very defensive about their particular cars and sometimes feel the need to "dis" the competitors as a way of somehow elevating their preferred car. I wish people could just have a straight-forward discourse on the pros/cons. I will almost certainly end up with one of the these three cars soon but whichever one I get will be a compromise of my requirements and the fact that I pick one and own it won't suddenly make me blind to those limitations or a "cheerleader" for the car / critic of the others. They all seem like great vehicles and its frustrating no one got it 100 percent right for me, but oh well. Which is best will still come down to each individuals priorities. My problem is I don't have any one priority that outweighs the others... At the end of the day I have one thing that is still holding me back on each of these vehicles, more than the other little things for each: 1) Highlander: lack of a split 3rd row. Really dumb. 2) Pilot: Lack of responsive acceleration or braking. 3) CX-9: Sub-par electronics / radio / tech integration. Each of these things is really important to me. Some of you may not care that much about the car tech and if so I would recommend the CX-9. Some of you don't care about the third row in which case the Highlander is a great choice unless you are picky about the "feel" of the drive, in which seriously consider the CX-9. Some of you may not care about responsive acceleration in which case the Pilot is a compelling choice unless you don't like the retro-SUV look or are a bargain hunter (in which case, again, the CX-9 is a great choice right now). Some of you want the comfort of a top tier rated brand (not just for reliability but for breath of after market options, # of dealers, etc.) in which case if you are hung up on that save yourself the stress and skip the Mazda. The Mazda fans can counter all they want but if someone doesn't feel good about it or trusts CR or whatever, let them; no need to try and talk them out of their perception... Replies to this message: nxs138 (Jul 29, 2008 11:40 am) ceric (Jul 29, 2008 1:51 pm) aviboy97 (Jul 30, 2008 6:54 am) maltb (Jul 30, 2008 8:16 am) citivas (Jul 30, 2008 1:08 pm) and 6 more...
#124 of 478 Re: [citivas] by nxs138 Jul 29, 2008 (11:40 am)
Replying to: citivas (Jul 29, 2008 10:02 am) The only CUV missing from your list is the Acadia/Outlook. I believe it has the most room behind the third row, and drives nicely (except for a bit of gear hunting and transmission hesitation). No bluetooth, though, you have to pay a monthly fee for their OnStar to get the equivalent technology. Nonetheless, I think it's the closest thing to a minivan replacement at the moment. My wife and I didn't like the transmission hesitation, and it felt "big" to drive, so it didn't make our list, but otherwise it's a nice vehicle. And we also didn't need a minivan replacement--else we would have bought an actual minivan.
#125 of 478 by citivas Jul 29, 2008 (1:49 pm)
I limited my list to those in the title of this tread (and they are my finalists) but I did test drive and research many more including the GM models (GMC, Buick and Saturn). The fact that they still didn't have an integrated bluetooth option was a deal breaker for me, but I also didn't like the drive (sluggishness of acceleration, etc.) -- so it sounds like the same problems you had. I liked the Acura but was disappointed they had no ipod or even aux option at all and I didn't like the fuel econ. Also its third row was less usable than any of the three in this comparison (though it did split). The Lexus didn't have a 3rd row. The audi and BMW had ridculously small third rows. Etc.
#126 of 478 Re: [citivas] by ceric Jul 29, 2008 (1:51 pm)
Replying to: citivas (Jul 29, 2008 10:02 am) Let us be clear to people who plan to buy. The "sub-par electronics" of CX-9 refers to the integration of iPod interface and Sirrus Radio, correct? I have neither and I see 0 problem with the electronics of my CX9. The Highlander also turned me off at first sight of the 3rd bench. I never even test-drove it. I waited for the Pilot until I saw the 1st photo release from Honda. I went to Mazda dealer the next day. To each his/her own. Buying a vehicle is such a complex formula. Some of us are owners of those vehicles already. Let us focus on providing experience, knowledge and information to help those who plan to buy. I own Honda stocks. I should be an advocate for Pilot, really..... not CX9. Replies to this message: aviboy97 (Jul 30, 2008 6:54 am) maltb (Jul 30, 2008 8:16 am) citivas (Jul 30, 2008 1:08 pm) nxs138 (Jul 30, 2008 6:23 pm) and 1 more... cx7lover (Jul 31, 2008 7:15 am) and 3 more...
#127 of 478 by citivas Jul 29, 2008 (2:13 pm)
See, that sounds defensive which was my point... In any event, the only reason I abbreviated my reply was I had already gone into extensive detail on it about 85 posts ago in this thread. For me there is a general lack of sophistication to the user-controllable electronics package of the CX-9 compared to the competition. I am not saying it doesn’t work or isn’t reliable or that the stereo is under-powered, etc. I have no issue with those things. I am saying I value a complete “tech” experience – a display that tells me the temp, inside and out, that shows me the tire pressure of my individual tires, that shows me statistics about my trips or overall car performance, that shows me extensive data about what I am listening to, whether it be the radio, satellite, CD or iPod, that allows me full control of my iPod (since for MILLIONS of people that is the sole source of their music listening and the CD is now irrelevant), etc. I want to be able to change car configurations from this display, I want it to be easy to glance at and read. And I want it all factory integrated with no need for dealers or after market people to mess with the wiring, etc. I think in a few years not having all this integration will be like not having power windows or door locks. It’s just slightly ahead of the curve to expect it in a vehicle now as standard but I choose to have that expectation and much of the competition is meeting it. I think the Mazda is a great car but for those that prioritize this user tech it is a real weakness in the overall package.
#128 of 478 by msam Jul 29, 2008 (2:17 pm)
Thanks for sharing. Currently, my preference stands as follows: a) Mazda CX9 (gripes - would prefer a little less longer vehicle, improved electronics including trip computer) b) Honda Pilot (gripes - acceleration and braking, center console layout) c) Toyota Highlander (gripes - no split third row, higher price for the options I am interested in) d) Acura MDX (gripes - not sure about reliability, overall costly including premium grade fuel) I should say that I am waiting for what the 2009 models of Mazda CX9 and Toyota Highlander have to offer to make up my mind on one. Maybe I will wait until the 2010 models!! Too confusing because a lot of vehicles offer a lot of good things. Replies to this message: sethnaga (Jul 29, 2008 6:15 pm) msam (Jul 30, 2008 2:35 am) sethnaga (Jul 30, 2008 5:29 am)
#129 of 478 by citivas Jul 29, 2008 (2:35 pm)
While I have no insider knowledge, it seems like you may have to wait a while on the 2009 Highlander. Whereas Mazda dealers are saying the new CX-9 is "coming soon" etc., all the sources I have seen for Toyota refuse to even speculate and there is virtually no info out there on when it is coming or what will have changed. I think Toyota is keeping the date fluid and pushing it out as long as possible to use up 2008 inventory which they still have a LOT of. We may not see the new Highlander until well into the fourth quarter. If I knew for sure they were fixing the seat split in the new model, I would wait for certain. I just don't have any faith they will. For all of Toyota's pluses, they are not known for being quickly responsive to customer feature requests or being introspective about the flaws in their own designs. I bet we may see some new colors and not much else.
#130 of 478 Re: [msam] by sethnaga Jul 29, 2008 (6:15 pm)
Replying to: msam (Jul 29, 2008 2:17 pm) msam 1) First of all Acura MDX is out of this league since it is a Luxury SUV. 2) If you are in to buying luxury SUV, you need to look at different list - RX 350, FX etc 3) You statement that you are not sure about Acura reliability- you need to do more research before deciding to buy - Acura/MDX is one of the most reliable SUV out there with RX 350 4) If one should buy a 40K+ performance SUV, they should be able to afford premium fuel. Replies to this message: msam (Jul 30, 2008 2:35 am) sethnaga (Jul 30, 2008 5:29 am)
#131 of 478 Outta gas here by ch1rravu Jul 29, 2008 (8:12 pm)
We do, really, ran out of gas. Any interesting points we can share and discuss here on this Comparo ? One observation - Yota folks may not be the first folks to jump at adding new configurations/options real-fast, but they sure are the best in fixing current-set of any small issues, along the way. If there are any problems left by first year model run, consider all (if not most) of 'em fixed in 2009 year update, but gotta wait till 4th quarter current rate of SUV/CUV sales everywhere. Wish Highlander gets mild-increase in steering resistance for 2009. Dunno what to say about 2009 Pilot yet, haven't driven one yet. But, I do want to figgure if mileage has improved on this model yet !! So far reasonable consumer reviews on edmunds. Wonder which vehicle going to get good awards in 2009 and beyond ?
#132 of 478 Re: [sethnaga] by msam Jul 30, 2008 (2:35 am)
Replying to: sethnaga (Jul 29, 2008 6:15 pm) sethnaga, Reliability-wise, that is what I would have figured. Yes, I am still doing my research on the Acura MDX. Up until the 2006 model, I am seeing a number of consumers report transmission issues and the rear impact rating to be poor. It seems like the major problems have been addressed in 2007, but still if you even look at the consumer reviews on edmunds, people are reporting way more problems than have been reported for these other 3 vehicles that I am considering. Of course, as far as the Pilot goes, we have to wait a bit more. I am considering the Acura and not many other luxury SUVs because it offers adult 3rd row seating with enough space behind the third row as well. It is not about whether I willl be able to afford the vehicle and the premium grade fuel. It is about - do I feel comfortable (not from a money standpoint) spending that much initially and on a regular basis. Replies to this message: sethnaga (Jul 30, 2008 5:29 am)