Monthly Update for August 2017 - 2016 Mazda CX-9 Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Monthly Update for August 2017 - 2016 Mazda CX-9 Long-Term Road Test

We used our 2016 Mazda CX-9 for a camping trip this month and found space behind the third-row seat to be lacking.

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legacygt

I owned the previous generation CX-9. I bought a 2009 based in part on the the Edmunds long term test. I wasn't disappointed. Drove the car for 112,000 miles with little trouble. Found the car to extremely useful yet also a relatively engaging drive. In terms of drive and engagement, I found it punched above it's weight. Maybe it wasn't a Cayenne but it certainly was more engaging than a Pilot or Highlander and I'm not sure it gave anything up to cars like the MDX of its day. When it came time to replace it early last year I had the option to wait for the new CX-9 but went with a Durango instead. My two concerns with the new CX-9 were that I didn't want to be an early adopter of the new powertrain and I was concerned that the cargo area had shrunk a bit. Reading the long term test updates it seems my concerns about the powertrain were unfounded. There seems to be plenty of power and pretty good efficiency (I'd still bet my V6 Durango gets better mileage in real world driving though). But the cargo area does seem like a legitimate concern. The last CX-9 was competitive in size but still on the smaller side. They chose to make it even smaller and that may have been a mistake (not as big a mistake as what GMC did to the Acadia which was take away that car's only strong suit, size, and shrink it down to the point that the car no longer has any class leading characteristics). I guess if you don't have a family of 5 or you are a more minimalist camper (folding chairs, really?) the CX-9 could be fine. But I'd like a few more cubes back there.

longtimelurker

Looks like a bunch of stuff there you really did not need - I mean, what's that blue bucket-looking thing in there? Also, "I severely underestimated the CX-9's cargo capacity, having never put it to the test before." I think you mean you OVERestimated it.

DLu

The CX-9's steering is better than many sedans'. It's more of a 5-seat crossover that can carry 2 extra people if you have the occasional need. The Lexus GX has the worst interior though, when it comes to cargo room behind the 3rd row.