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Comments
I am sorry but your impression was wrong.
On 2009-2010 CX9, the NAVI came/come with 1-cd player.
However, most people do MP3 now. The Player is capable of reading MP3. One CD with 7-800MB can handle about 200 songs. Sure, if you have 6-CDs player, you could have 1200 songs available to you, but do you really have that many you frequently play?
I would say that that was the reasoning of Mazda.
The navi system was moved from cargo area to the center stack. There is not enough room to accommodate both 6-CD player and the navi unit. Therefore, one has to go. Therefore, 6-CD player was reduced to a 1-CD player.
I always bring my TomTom while go on a long trip to the unfamiliar places... The portable GPS is much easier to use. I am also thinking about to purchase the Caska unit to replace my POS Mazda BOSE navigation head unit.
You know that because you have searched the entire internet?
I know enough to do it, but I just haven't found the need to yet.
Not a problem for me. Pull over.
My lazy [non-permissible content removed] is too heavy to pull over, haha.
Press the compass at the upper-left corner. It toggles between north-oriented and heading-oriented. Same for Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus' GPS unit.
As Davicho said, Denso makes GPS for Lexus/Toyota. Our GPS is closer to Lexus' ones than Toyota's, albeit some functions were removed. So, consider it a "stripped" version of Lexus GPS unit.
Map stinks? Yes. Your map could be old.
If your CX9 came with very old map, you should call Mazda corporate. They usually can reimburst you or send you a new disc. For example, if your 2010 came with a 2006.v1 map, you well-deserve a new disc.
1) I have a 2010 with the latest disks and it will route me out of the way by 20 miles on a 5 mile trip no matter what road preference I take. It is so unreliable, I can no longer use it for directions. I just use the map to watch where I am.
2) the changes of scales is criptically slow, it takes for ever to change the screen. All other cars I have change immediately when zooming in or out
3) How in the world can you turn off the annoying exit info on the right side of the screen when you are on an interstate.
While you are at it, there is no quick way to turn off the Bluetooth speaker phone. It is terrible when you have a car full of people and want to instally shut off the BT speaker to have a private conversation.
Does anyone know of a FW upgrade for the units that might fix these issues?
And no, you should NOT have to read the manual to change something as simple as the heading indicator/map view. Anyone that says that has not used a Garmin or similar unit, which is so intuitive, my 71 year old mother can figure it out (both directionally and electronically challenged to say the least) without reading a manual.
Also love, LOVE the CX-9, but the whole nav/A/V system is horrific IMO. Truly an Achilles heel (though on the newer models, surely they fixed this?)
I did extensive research and test driving of pretty much every 3-row crossover SUV on the market 3 years ago before settling on the 2009 Pilot. I hated the exterior and interior of the Pilot and the drive is just ok. I loved driving the CX-9 and preferred the look. But I couldn’t get over the crappy tech. The nav system sucked then too, as did the inability to have both sat radio and use of the AUX port (without after-market solutions) and the inability to have real on-screen control of full iPod’s via direct UPS-connections at the time (have they at least fixed that?). The AC controls were limited too.
Some people couldn’t believe I would chose my least favorite car by look or drive over tech, but I think the dealers who thing people only make decisions based on look and feel are living in the past. The Pilot had by far the best tech package in 2009 (it took until the next year even for the MDX to catch-up) and it was the deciding factor. Now I was hoping three years later I could have my cake and eat it too but maybe not.
Let me just say I LOVE my nav system on the Pilot. I am a gadget-freak who has been using car GPS systems since the earliest days and still own a portable unit for my wife’s car and our traveling. I have used many built-in systems and won’t buy a car until I have extensively tested the nav system in real world conditions. And I have owned every major portable brand, usually the top-end unit. With all that, the nav system in the MDX/Pilot (and now the new Odyssey) is the best I have ever used. My wife, who is not a techie, loves it too and borrows my car whenever she has to go somewhere unfamiliar, despite having the latest Garmin after-market solution. It blows our Garmin away. I was skeptical that the navigation wheel (also used by BMW) would be better than the touch screen but now that I’ve used both it is clearly superior for most real-world use. And Honda doesn’t make the unit virtually useless by with the nanny-feature of locking it down while the car is in motion (hello, have you ever heard of a passenger being able to program it while the car is moving)?
I guess the rant is I find it so disappointing that after three more years they haven’t prioritized fixing this. Honda licenses its nav from a third party too and there is nothing stopping other car brands from doing the same. Assuming Toyota stuck with the same system too, I’ll probably rule it out as well. I’ll test drive them both again of course, but they will have to be spectacular to cause me to given up my Honda/Acura nav system. Bummer, because I really liked the CX-9.
I agree, the CX-9 deserves a better navigation system. Mazda (or better Denso) had over three years now to get this straight, but miserably failed.
What most people don't realize is that the touch screen can be used in map mode for data entry while driving!
This works well (1) by selecting the icon of a stored address, or (2) when you quickly want to enter a far away destination. In any case, the map zooms in to 1/2 mile mode and you can confirm your data entry. Just try it.
Ceric, if you read this, can you point me in the right direction where to install the switch for the speed sensor? How do I locate the sensor cable? (Now that the warranty is up, I'm going to tackle the hack...)
This is a deal breaker for me - I drive an Acura and my wife is always entering addresses or searching while in the passenger seat, and to lose that would not be acceptable.
Thanks,
The comparable CUV's to the CX-9 would be the rjust re-designed Explorer or the quirky Flex. I just test drove the Explorer and played with the Microsoft Sync-based nav and tech system at CES this year and on a Lincoln rental for a week a couple months ago. The new Explorer has some sweet new tech and features. But the drive was just okay. And the Sync system was a double-edged sword. On paper it is really cool but the UI is very, very buggy. Just Google and see for yourself -- there are thousands of posts about it and I experienced it first-hand. I even sat in the demo next to the engineer at CES who was giving all the video interviews and made her red faced when I pointed out a bunch of bugs she couldn't explain (I wasn't trying to be mean, honestly, I really wanted to see if they had an explanation which they didn't other than to admit it was still a work in progress).
More importantly, the Ford nav system has the same nanny-feature as the Mazda and Toyota and will disable most touch-input when moving. The voice commands are better than the Mazda/Toyota but still a far substitute from full menu control.
Good luck with your search; it sounds like you are in the exact same boat I am. Have you not been happy with the MDX? I would definitely get it myself, and may still, if the third row and middle second row wasn’t so uncomfortable. I also don’t like the MPG. It does have the best nav system on the market though for certain. The Ford system has potential and may eventually be corrected with updates but I’m not sure I want to count on that.
I too find the Ford Sync impressive but quirky and buggy, but it has the roomiest and easiest to access 3rd row, yet I fear a 1st year vehicle. Acura's voice recognition is amazing... CX-9 has the best feature/value combo, but it's poor NAV, and lack of voice recognition doesn't make it a clear cut choice.
Thanks,
THe DVD must stay in all the time (they have a 2 DVD set depending on which part of the country you are in). THe DVD is hidden behind the LCD screen. Somewhere in the menu is a fucntion to load the DVD that raised the display out of the way. It does not go into the same slot used for Audio CDs.
The only other complaint is that the CX9 is a real gas guzzler. Mixed highway and city, the best I get is 17.8 mpg. Otherwise a very neat automobile.
I have the following choices:
- An original GPS/DVD Unit from salvaged 2008 CX-9 found on ebay
- Clarion NX501 (got it fairly cheap and still can return to store)
- Alpine INA-W900BT
- A one of no-name chinese-made units: for example this one
Any comments are very welcome. Also trying to decide whether to allow Best Buy installer service to abuse my car or send it to a local electronics store who charges 3 times as muchI would not recommend a built-in unit. a portable unit is much cheaper and can move from car to car. I have a 2009 CX-9 and I set my protable unit on the console just in from of the shifter. It is fairly stable and I can hear all the directions. My Garmin was less than $100, no installation, speaks directions and street names. It is all I need.
However, you may want/need more.
Of course the portables have to be mounted on the window or on top of the dash and have a cable hanging down for power.
Not sure what the Chinese model was priced at, but if not outrageous, I would go that route if you like the neat appearance of the built in units.
Bel Air Car Guy
WHEN YOU GO TO PUT IN A DESTINATION, START WITH THE STEET ADDRESS FIRST AND NOT THE CITY. THE CITY FIRST DEFAULTS TO THE NEAREST FIVE CITIES NOT ALLOWING YOU TO GO FURTHER WITH THE SPELLING OF THE CITY YOU WANT. THIS LIITLE TIP WILL SAVE YOU ALOT OF TIME AND TRYING TO FIGURE THIS STEP OUT. OTHER THAN THAT AND TRYING TO GET THE VOICE ACTIVATION TO WORK, THIS CUV IS A GREAT VALUE. WE WENT TO THE ATLANTA AUTO SHOW FIRST TO EXPLORE ALL THE DIFFERENT MODELS AND NARROW OUR SEARCH DOWN TO THE MAZDA CX9, VOLVO X90, BUICK ENCLAVE, FORD FLEX AND A COUPLE OF OTHERS WITH 7 PASSENGER SPACE. I DID ALOT OF COMPUTER RESEARCH BEFORE BUYING SO THAT I WOULD NOT PURCHASE JUST ON IMPULSE AND THIS MAZDA WAS OUR CHOICE.
We can change radio stations and everything else with the touch screen, but when you go the menu and try and select navigation, nothing happens.
At first we thought it may have been the screen lock for while you're driving, but even when the car is parked in the drive way we can't get anything.
Any solutions??
Next time, I was 3 miles away in a rural area, the directions were 27 miles in the wrong direction because roads were built in the last 10 years and were not mapped on Mazda gps.
Bluetooth is also horrific, there need to be a better integration not just a loud screeching noise of the phone and I have to drop everything from my purse to find a phone in a hurry and switch it to handset to have private conversation. When the devise is paired you are stuck with it, there should be an on screen switch mode or something easy to control.
However, lack of storage space, no glasses compartment, no purse, space, bad design of the front sit could be overlooked if not for horrible gps navigation system Mazda has.
I am totally dissapointed with the NAvigation system in my 2013 Mazda CX-9. The safety feature is a NON SENSE, when a) The car KNOWS that there is a passenger but still does not allow operation b) It ALLOWS you to keystroke a 10- digit phone number!!!!!! while driving. And the Voice recognition is a JOKE, seriously funny how bad it "works". But the cherry in top of the ice cream is the satellite radio "scan alert". In theory it allows you to select a favorite artist or song.... so the radio alerts you when playing, but the car has to be idle for this to be allowed!!!!!! And it is just one key stroke! So, you either stay idle for hours waiting for your favorite artists to show up so you can "select" them, or stop in the middle of the highway when they are playing, your choice.... What was MAZDA thinking?????? Really, so many little stupid thinks that are poorly thought in thei "technology package" that it makes you wonder about the rest! And there are complains about this since 2007!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By the eway, very sad that Edmonds does not even mentions the shortcomings of the Navigation system and many other techical "features" in the Mazda CX-9. There is a long list.