Honda Pilot vs Mazda CX-9 vs Toyota Highlander

442 messages, Last post on Oct 24, 2009 at 8:44 PM

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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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#323 of 442 by citivas Nov 26, 2008 (1:17 pm)
Good to hear about the CX-9. Nice improvements to an already great car. Mazda does seem more responsive to consumer feedback than, say, Toyota, which still hasn't corrected the single-piece third row bench despite it being a top complaint from people for years. How hard could it be? On the "fuel computer," what is its range of functionality and how is it physically integrated into the car (i.e. is it in the dash, the center console, overhead, etc)? The Mazda site doesn't seem to have been updated to detail the '09 improvements yet, beyond a press release (that you have to search for) which describes them only generally. Does it show discrete pressure for each tire or give any maintenance feedback or is it just trip/fuel? I like how my Honda will tell me when and what type of service and that I don’t have any need to worry about it until it chimes in. It’s also nice how it doesn’t simply determine an oil change by time or miles but by more comprehensive criteria. Some people have gone over 10,000 miles before it determined they needed an oil change and Honda considers that appropriate and more accurate. I also like how the computer allows discrete user settings tied to the individual keys, so my wife any I can have different preferences for things like when the doors auto-lock/unlock, how long the interior and exterior lights stay on after turning the car off, etc., though even more control over things like radio station presets and default climate control settings as some of the luxury brands have would have been even better. It’s unfortunate that it still defeats user control of the nav when driving 5 MPH or greater (which my Mazda dealer didn't even realize until I showed him on the test drive), though the core problem is that Mazda, Toyota (and I think GM) all license their navs from the same Australian-based company that does it this way. I understand the legal reasons why, but I don't accept them. Honda/Acura, Garmin, Tom Tom, Navtec, etc. all accomplish the same protection with a simple disclaimer screen the driver has to accept at the beginning of each session. I understand the idea of not tempting the driver with a dangerous behavior, but that completely undermines the potential for a passenger to manage the navigation, as we do in our household on longer trips. Oh well, I learned a long tie ago you really can’t have it all. There are always trade-offs. The CX-9 gets pretty close though… Replies to this message: aviboy97 (Nov 28, 2008 8:45 am)
#324 of 442 Re: Spacing behind the third row.. [golic] by citivas Nov 26, 2008 (1:36 pm)
Replying to: golic (Nov 26, 2008 1:00 pm) I spent less time with the GM vehicles than some others so I wouldn't consider myself a good authority. Of the three (Buick Enclave, GMC Arcadia, Saturn something-or-other) my gut reaction is to focus on the Buick for one simple reason: If GM and/or Chrysler are forced to go through restructuring they are likely to discontinue some of their brands and focus on those that are the most successful. Of those three, Buick is the most successful, particularly overseas (it is a popular brand in China believe it or not). I wouldn't put money on either the GMC or Saturn brand surviving long term (or if GMC does survive it may only be for trucks). The other benefit of the Buick brand is it is considered premium (like Honda’s Acura) and often the dealers provide better service benefits like free loaner cars and car washes after servicing, etc. Despite this, they are priced almost identically for the top trims so there is very little disincentive to get their luxury brand, assuming you were in the market for the "loaded" version like I was. If you want a more economical trim, I didn’t look into it but my guess is you’d be better off with the GMC or Saturn. If those issues don't concern you, you should decide based totally on styling preference. All are essentially the same car mechanically but they have very different trims. Oddly enough, I kind of liked the GMC a little better than the Buick myself. The Buick had choices I thought were designed to appeal to my parents more than me (like a large part of the center console being designed to feature an old fashioned analog clock) but that is totally subjective. Though I did like the cool blue ambient lighting in the Buick… If you’re going for the GM line, do a lot of pricing research here first (these boards, not the Edmunds “real world pricing” tool which is rarely aggressive enough). I found GM dealers and marketing less than straight-forward on pricing. When they last did their huge “employee pricing” promotion in the summer the discount was less competitive than I knew from here that people were already getting and well less than the comparable discounts on the Hondas or Mazdas, for example. If you are paying above dealer invoice on these vehicles at this time you probably can do better… Good luck. Replies to this message: guy1974 (Nov 26, 2008 5:04 pm) nxs138 (Nov 26, 2008 9:42 pm) guy1974 (Nov 27, 2008 11:35 am)
#325 of 442 by ceric Nov 26, 2008 (4:18 pm)
When it comes to gadgetry, to each one's own preferences. I love CX9's Smart Key Start and Entry, HID, Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) System. None of them can be found on Pilot. There are always some gadgetry available on one model that is not on the other. Among all, the $200 BSM is an outstanding value. Own one and you will understand. (especially useful in dark rainy nights) What a great invention from Volvo (to Ford then to Mazda).
#326 of 442 Re: Spacing behind the third row.. [citivas] by guy1974 Nov 26, 2008 (5:04 pm)
Replying to: citivas (Nov 26, 2008 1:36 pm) Interesting comments, now there is the Chevy version and Chevy will survive. Regarding Buick, they are doing very well in China but they, along with GMC and Pontiac (who are all one division for sales purposes), could disappear from North America. Replies to this message: nxs138 (Nov 26, 2008 9:42 pm) guy1974 (Nov 27, 2008 11:35 am)
#328 of 442 Re: Spacing behind the third row.. [guy1974] by nxs138 Nov 26, 2008 (9:42 pm)
Replying to: guy1974 (Nov 26, 2008 5:04 pm) The Traverse is likely the way to go if you want GM. Since Chevy actually does sell small cars, it's a better bet on surviving than GMC, for example, but for me I just like the look of the Traverse better (but I did buy the CX-9 over all the GM products, couldn't get over the hesitant transmission and lack of bluetooth. The Traverse just seems like a nice fresh start, with direct injection and a nice bump in horsepower). Replies to this message: guy1974 (Nov 27, 2008 11:35 am)
#329 of 442 Re: Spacing behind the third row.. [nxs138] by guy1974 Nov 27, 2008 (11:35 am)
Replying to: nxs138 (Nov 26, 2008 9:42 pm) I am looking at the Traverse and will get to sit in and test drive the CX9 in a few days time. Interested to know why you chose the CX9 over the Traverse. I agree with you the Traverse is good looking and a clean design. Bluetooth is a feature in the Traverse, although I won`t be using it. My main concern is the transmission, I know 07 and 08 models of the lambda had some issues but wondered if that had been solved by the bump in HP and more reprogramming.
#330 of 442 Re: [citivas] by aviboy97 Nov 28, 2008 (8:45 am)
Replying to: citivas (Nov 26, 2008 1:17 pm) The fuel computer display is integrated into the LCD screen in the center of the dash. There is an "info" button on the right side of the nav screen the you push, and the fuel computer will display in place of the clock. You can cycle through your current MPG in real time, average MPG since system was last reset and how many miles until empty. Mazda does not have a system that alerts the driver as to when service is needed. My 1991 Accord had a system like that, amazingly. There was a little green square in the gauge cluster, and when service was needed, it turned to red.
#331 of 442 Nav system? by 4kids3dogs2cat Nov 29, 2008 (6:13 pm)
Can someone tell me about the typical integrated Nav system in one of these cars? How useful are they? If I go with the CX-9 and want the power rear gate, I must buy the Nav system too. So I wonder if I will use it instead of mapquest. Whenever we go on long trips to an unfamiliar destination or just to a local kids birthday party, we just go to mapquest on our home computer and print out the directions and take them with us before we leave. What extra advantages does an in-car Nav system get you? Thanks! Replies to this message: citivas (Nov 29, 2008 7:33 pm)
#332 of 442 Re: Nav system? [4kids3dogs2cat] by citivas Nov 29, 2008 (7:33 pm)
Replying to: 4kids3dogs2cat (Nov 29, 2008 6:13 pm) I tested the navs quite a bit becaue it was one of the main decision criteria for me. And I use the one in the Pilot I eventually got often... The nav in the CX-9 and Toyota are basically the same because each of them source it from the same company. The UI is a little different (I prefer the Toyota's) but that's about it. It is pretty good. It found even reasonably new streets in my test. It is as good as the typical Garmin or Tom Tom at the point it was released for comprehensiveness and accuracy, but those portables have the advantages of easy online updates which the integrated systems do not -- you can get the dealer to update the DVD every year or two but that's not quite the same... All of them integrated systems accept voice commands and in my experience do so even better than the portable units. I was able to get the Toyota to successfully and accurately navigate from the dealership to my house entirely with voice commands, never touching the display, after some trial and error. That's good because the downside of the nav in the Toyota, Mazda and GM, etc. is that it refuses to accept new input while the car is moving 5 MPH or faster, as a safety precaution, and there is no way to legally override this (there are some hacks described online that aren't pretty and invalidate your warranty), even if you have a passenger who could safely operate it. That is not a problem on the portable units. The higher-end portable units also are starting to have great extras line real-time traffic navigation, real-time updates based on conditions reported by other users on the road, real time info from the Internet, etc. The Honda uses the same system in the Acura which is considered one of the best integrated systems available. The only feature the Honda drops from the Acura is real-time traffic, otherwise they are identical. I have owned a Garmin and Tom Tom portable and greatly prefer my Honda system over both, in terms of accuracy, UI, control, voice command, etc. It is the best system I have used from any car or portable in terms of effectively and rapidly re-routing if you go off-route, by accident or on-purpose. And it has a very effective "active lane guidance" system which visually helps you at complete interchanges, etc. know exactly which lane to be in. Works very well. We bought it from a dealer in a part of the state we had never been to before and my wife returned home in our other car using our Garmin. I got home no-problem and she didn't, all because of the lane guidance. It also llists the streets and turns by name, not just "at the next street" etc. which helps. Overall I am very happy with it. Oh, and it works while you drive, unlike the others... Again, none of them are better than the portables for updatability or real-time data (except the Ford cars with Sync, which hopefully will come to Mazda eventually). But they are all way, way better than printing off of MapQuest. Good luck.