Just visited a dealer briefly. Hoped in a CX-9 GT. Space stuning, while sitting in 3rd row and 2nd row all the way back, there was still some room between my knee and 2nd seatback. And, if you can figure out adding a home-made seatbelt, 3 people at 3rd easily. How tall are you. I had no space whatsoever in the Cx9-but then again I'm 6'2,so no third row besides that of a minivan is good for me! Side note- yes the CX9 and Ford edge are off the same platform, but the CX9 is a foot longer for row 3.
Engine and transmission: Very smooth, good acceleration, really a nice combo. Cargo area is huge in 5 passenger configuration.
Interior is very nice and upscale. Suspension is taut but not too stiff. Very nice in my opinion. Reminded me of the Audi Q7 ride. No leaning in corners.
What I did not like:
Seat cushion in the second row is very low. You either have your knees up or your legs stretched forward. Must be unconfortable on long trips.
Driver seat cushion is short. Not much thigh support. Again not good for comfort on long drives.
I bumped my head getting out of the first row and getting in second row. I'm 5'-7". I would probably learn to duck my head in and out but this never happened in my XC90.
With the interest rate at 6.9% the monthly lease on a FWD GT ended up being $100 more per month more than a 5 passenger 07 XC90 with the premium package (I have access to Ford X-Plan that applies to both vehicles) event tough the MSRP on the Volvo is $10K more. I'm in Canada btw.
One of the things I like best about the Freestyle is the fact that you don't climb in or drop into the seats. You simply sit down and rotate into position. One would think it is good for Granny, but in fact it is very nice for anyone.
There's alot of differences in the suspension setup, and the Engine is tuned by Mazda and uses an Aisin transmission rather than the Ford/GM collaboration unit.
I ordered an Acadia three weeks ago. I don't know what the price pressure is, but I was happy with my deal. With GM Card credit and 500 cash back, I'll get in more than 2,000 under invoice.
When you look at real prices being paid, the other vehicles don't offer what the Acadia does for the money. The combination of size, power, fuel economy and style make it a clear leader in my mind.
If you want to tack on all the extras, you can push this up to the Acura range. I can live without the NAV. OnStar turn-by-turn is just fine for me. That's over 2K right there. With an invoice around 35K, a well equipped AWD SLT 1 with a few extras should be competitive.
Glad to see that you are working with numbers under the invoice price, early reports by some buyers stated that they were purchasing the cars at MSRP. As more of these GM units arrive at the dealer's lots and other Crossovers hit the market, we should see better deals on these cars.
Mid level models are very competitive. It's when you load it up where it gets a bit higher than the CX-9. A fully loaded Acadia can run about $43k whereas the CX-9 with the same options is just a hair over $40k. Both prices are MSRP though.
I've gone through the whole process of comparos, even with my wife in tow. We've come to an (alarming) conclusion: I think we're going to order an '07 Pacifica. It has all the features we want, i.e. hid headlights, plg, 6-speed tranny, good engine, luxo seating for four with seating for six (and yes, my 17-year old daughter and my wife both fit in the third row...I don't.)decent room, a great backup camera and nav plus a price at least $6K less than the CX-9. OK, it has less space behind the third row and the headroom in that row is a real limitation but, compared to any minivan all the cuv's are limited. My wife really likes the ease getting into the PAC, especially compared to the Outlook/Acadia. The kidz really like the 2nd row buckets that are heated! They also recline much more than most other cuv's.
My question: What am I missing here? Why isn't the PAC a leading choice amongst current cuv's?
Why isn't the PAC a leading choice amongst current cuv's?
For me, it's because of the looks. There's something about the Pacifica that just doesn't seem to click with me. My wife likes it, though, and it does look nice inside. But I just think it looks like a minivan that's been squashed down a bit.
Gas mileage, vehicle dynamics, and up until this year, engine was not up to par. Many also don't like the wagon look either, evidenced by the comments of the Freestyle. I like the Pacifica, but my wife and I both don't fit in the 3rd row. It drives alot like our Dodge Intrepid, which my wife loves. I couldn't get the price difference to be that much online either. You must be getting a great deal.
A major downside being that it is a Chrysler product. My experience with them was not good. Owned 2 Jeep Grand Cherokees. Both had lots of problem, major issues with warping brake rotor. After the 12K warranty on brakes DC pretty much refused to fix them, so I had to purchase after market rotors that did NOT warp. Other issues with power windows going out, rear end, etc. IMHO even fire sale pricing on DC products does not outweigh the hassle of dealing with them and their shoddy products. I'm sure others have had better experiences with DC and their dealers, but I'm through with them, probably forever.
I've had good luck with DC, although I've never heard good things about Jeep. I've had good and bad luck with GM. I've always had good luck with Toyota, although my Camry is the least refined vehicle I've driven. It is bulletproof mechanically though.
Although it's not my primary reason for me not wanting a Pacifica, my experience with Chrysler reliability is also a factor. My last 2 Chrysler products had transmissions go out at 60k and 80k miles, despite being properly maintained. That's just not acceptable to me.
My Intrepid's is still good at 90k miles (knock on wood). I made it a point to make sure I didn't get the 2.7L V6 due to the sludge issues I had heard about. The only thing I can complain about is that it needs new door seals due to shrinkage so it's pretty loud at highway speeds.
Lots of power, good handling, and plenty of options.
There were some drawbacks:
Overall look, not bad, but not good either;
I was disappointed in the MPG rating;
Disappointed in the Warranty (3/36K);
You must be under 5'7' to use the back seat;
There is little to no room for storage (unless you do not use the 3rd row.
That being said, if I could get a deep below invoice price; 0% financing, and a bumper to bumper extended factory warranty (6/100K miles) I might buy one! It is still on my list.
Ummm... the Freestyle is pretty big. It's the same size as the CX-9 and only 2" shorter than the Acadia.
The Acadia is also wider and taller than the Freestyle. That's why the Freestyle is more of a car-cuv as compared to the Acadia being a SUV-cuv. And to me, there's not a lot gained on the inside for the extra exterior bulk.
Actually the CX-9 AWD Grand Touring w/tow package is over 6,000lb GVWR
Right you are! Of course, base MSRP is about $7,000 higher and mileage drops 2-4 mpg compared to FWD Outlook XR(although it has considerably more standard equipment, if that's what you want, and AWD traction). And there is a $25,000 limit on the 179 deduction, so the higher the price, the less desirable, all else being equal. BTW, the Outlook/Acadia is officially classified as a "truck."
The problem with pacifica is that it has competing problems. ti's not the best at anything. it wasn't designed for the modern crossover world. It lacks SUV. It's all style. Nothing but a big station wagon-which takes care of the space issue. Pails in comparison to competitors like VeraCruz, acadia and even Freestyle for features. It's aged. 4 years old comapared to all these newbees. And handleing isn't great. And you sit down into PAC compared to striahgt in Acadia.
Thought I would mention here that the first Outlook we drove was a FWD XE with standard 18-inch wheels/tires. We were very impressed with the smooth and quiet ride. Drove a FWD XR with optional 19-inch wheels/tires. Ride and noise were significantly impacted; noticeable noise and coarser ride. The 18's were Goodyear Fortera HL and the 19's were Goodyear Eagle RSA. This explains alot, as the RSA's are pretty well know as not the greatest tire around. The Fortera is actually a light-truck tire and would be much better in snow/ice (see tirerack ratings). Just thought I would mention this for those monitoring these posts...
My question: What am I missing here? Why isn't the PAC a leading choice amongst current cuv's?
It looks the most like a minivan, without coming close to the utility a minivan offers. Minivans are your best bet for moving people and stuff comfortably with decent economy. Many offer the features you talked about, too (HIDs, rear-view camera, etc...). They are roomier, and more cost-efficient (as I've looked around on the net and found).
Basically, if you don't need AWD, a Minivan would be much more practical than these vehicles.
And to me, there's not a lot gained on the inside for the extra exterior bulk. Well, you do have to consider the over 35 cu ft of cargo space and more comfortable 3rd row than Freestyle. This is quite noticeable. All this for an inch and a half more .
Not even close. The engine is Ford. That is it. The CX-9 is built in Japan, tranny is Japanese, platform is Mazdas,fit and finish is light years ahead of any Ford product. Not to mention the drive....no Ford drives like the CX-9...
Not to mention that the Ford CUVs (Escape, Edge) were based on Mazda designs. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
But a re-badge job is like the 500 to the Montego, or the Freestar (Windstar??) to the Monterey, or the Ranger to the B Mazda pickup. A re-badge is just changing the grill and tail lights and other minor details and slapping a different name on. The CX-9 is not even based on the Edge/MKX platform, much less a re-badge. Bottom line, Ford doesn't sell anything that looks like a CX-9 with a different grill.
Well, you do have to consider the over 35 cu ft of cargo space and more comfortable 3rd row than Freestyle. This is quite noticeable. All this for an inch and a half more . The Acadia is 4" wider & 4" taller but with 4" less 2nd row legroom and just equal 3rd row legroom to the Freestyle. (cars.com)
The Acadia is going to feel more like a big vehicle because its so wide. Take the Pilot, for example, a shorter vehicle than a Freestyle, but feels big due to its width. It is reality, since the width makes it have more space between the front seats, similar to my '05 F150 pickup truck. My Freestyle feels cramped compared to the pickup cab width/room.
That means that the Veracruz is also 3" wider than the Freestyle. It has a bit less legroom overall though due to how much shorter it is. (42.6/38.4/31.5). What I can't understand is how the Veracruz (42.6+38.4+31.5 = 112.5) pulls more overall legroom than the Acadia (41.3+36.9+33.2 = 111.4") Just as a reference the Freestyle is 114.8". The Veracruz also has more 2nd row headroom than the Acadia too.
Though Acadia is about 3 inches longer, you have 3 inches more headroom and 4 inches more width, making for a more comfortable third row. (Edmunds.com)
Not the 2nd row. You can definitely tell that by the pictures, but the 3rd row is definitely closer to the floor though. Finding a good picture of the 2nd row in the Acadia is not as easy as I thought it would be.
"Well, you do have to consider the over 35 cu ft of cargo space and more comfortable 3rd row than Freestyle. This is quite noticeable. All this for an inch and a half more ."
Excuse me, but have you actually sat in the 3rd seat of the Freestyle? It is very comfortable and is actually usable for adults.
I just spoke with my local Hyundai dealer (also a personal friend) and he says that he should have at least one for the showroom by March 15.
It won't have a NAV system - at least not right away. He said they will probably make it an option by mid-fall.
Right now my next purchase is down to either the CX-9 or the Veracruz and will be made by summer. The CX-9 is the nicer and more original of the two cars. The VerzCruz looks like the brother of the Lexus RX350 - which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
You have to watch that term "nicer" as it is very subjective :P , but the will definitely handle better than the Veracruz. Hyundai makes all kinds of references to the RX350 mostly dealing with refinement. I think it will be a more refined vehicle than the CX-9, but less exciting overall.
Excuse me, but have you actually sat in the 3rd seat of the Freestyle? It is very comfortable and is actually usable for adults. Excuse me but I have sat inthe Freestyle at least a dozen times. It's comfortable, but not as much as in outlook. And CX9 and Ford Edge Are the same vehicle. Only diff is sheetmetal and more length in CX to add row 3.
"And CX9 and Ford Edge Are the same vehicle. Only diff is sheetmetal and more length in CX to add row 3."
The CX-9 and Ford Edge ARE not the same vehicle. They share the same Mazda6 based platform and use the same Ford V-6, but the difference in the two vehicles are more than just sheetmetal and length.
My fault. I forgot to mention the tunning! CX9 is sport tuned! There is Little difference between Edge and Cx9. interior? TOyota and Scion's are different too. Ford rides alot heavier because it is a lot heavier. Ford owns mazda. Why would they build mazda a totally differnt Vehicle? :surprise:
"Why would they build mazda a totally differnt Vehicle?"
Ford does not build the Mazda CX-9, nor did they design it for Mazda. I suggest you research both vehicles, including at least spending some time in both, take a test drive etc before assuming that they are the same. Based on your analogy we can conclude that the Ford Edge and the Mazda6 are the same vehicles except that the Ford Edge uses a different engine and has a higher ground clearance because the Edge rides on a modified Mazda6 platform.
Comments
stuning, while sitting in 3rd row and 2nd row all the way back, there was still some room between my knee and 2nd seatback. And, if you can figure out adding a home-made seatbelt, 3 people at 3rd easily.
How tall are you. I had no space whatsoever in the Cx9-but then again I'm 6'2,so no third row besides that of a minivan is good for me!
Side note- yes the CX9 and Ford edge are off the same platform, but the CX9 is a foot longer for row 3.
Engine and transmission: Very smooth, good acceleration, really a nice combo. Cargo area is huge in 5 passenger configuration.
Interior is very nice and upscale. Suspension is taut but not too stiff. Very nice in my opinion. Reminded me of the Audi Q7 ride. No leaning in corners.
What I did not like:
Seat cushion in the second row is very low. You either have your knees up or your legs stretched forward. Must be unconfortable on long trips.
Driver seat cushion is short. Not much thigh support. Again not good for comfort on long drives.
I bumped my head getting out of the first row and getting in second row. I'm 5'-7". I would probably learn to duck my head in and out but this never happened in my XC90.
With the interest rate at 6.9% the monthly lease on a FWD GT ended up being $100 more per month more than a 5 passenger 07 XC90 with the premium package (I have access to Ford X-Plan that applies to both vehicles) event tough the MSRP on the Volvo is $10K more. I'm in Canada btw.
Was that a CX9 you test drove?
Amen to that!
According to our friends from other forums, there seems to be some downward price pressure on the GMC.
Anyone?
When you look at real prices being paid, the other vehicles don't offer what the Acadia does for the money. The combination of size, power, fuel economy and style make it a clear leader in my mind.
If you want to tack on all the extras, you can push this up to the Acura range. I can live without the NAV. OnStar turn-by-turn is just fine for me. That's over 2K right there. With an invoice around 35K, a well equipped AWD SLT 1 with a few extras should be competitive.
Glad to see that you are working with numbers under the invoice price, early reports by some buyers stated that they were purchasing the cars at MSRP. As more of these GM units arrive at the dealer's lots and other Crossovers hit the market, we should see better deals on these cars.
My question: What am I missing here? Why isn't the PAC a leading choice amongst current cuv's?
Jay
For me, it's because of the looks. There's something about the Pacifica that just doesn't seem to click with me. My wife likes it, though, and it does look nice inside. But I just think it looks like a minivan that's been squashed down a bit.
Lots of power, good handling, and plenty of options.
There were some drawbacks:
Overall look, not bad, but not good either;
I was disappointed in the MPG rating;
Disappointed in the Warranty (3/36K);
You must be under 5'7' to use the back seat;
There is little to no room for storage (unless you do not use the 3rd row.
That being said, if I could get a deep below invoice price; 0% financing, and a bumper to bumper extended factory warranty (6/100K miles) I might buy one! It is still on my list.
The Acadia is also wider and taller than the Freestyle. That's why the Freestyle is more of a car-cuv as compared to the Acadia being a SUV-cuv. And to me, there's not a lot gained on the inside for the extra exterior bulk.
Right you are! Of course, base MSRP is about $7,000 higher and mileage drops 2-4 mpg compared to FWD Outlook XR(although it has considerably more standard equipment, if that's what you want, and AWD traction). And there is a $25,000 limit on the 179 deduction, so the higher the price, the less desirable, all else being equal. BTW, the Outlook/Acadia is officially classified as a "truck."
And you sit down into PAC compared to striahgt in Acadia.
It looks the most like a minivan, without coming close to the utility a minivan offers. Minivans are your best bet for moving people and stuff comfortably with decent economy. Many offer the features you talked about, too (HIDs, rear-view camera, etc...). They are roomier, and more cost-efficient (as I've looked around on the net and found).
Basically, if you don't need AWD, a Minivan would be much more practical than these vehicles.
Well, you do have to consider the over 35 cu ft of cargo space and more comfortable 3rd row than Freestyle. This is quite noticeable. All this for an inch and a half more .
Not even close. The engine is Ford. That is it. The CX-9 is built in Japan, tranny is Japanese, platform is Mazdas,fit and finish is light years ahead of any Ford product. Not to mention the drive....no Ford drives like the CX-9...
But a re-badge job is like the 500 to the Montego, or the Freestar (Windstar??) to the Monterey, or the Ranger to the B Mazda pickup. A re-badge is just changing the grill and tail lights and other minor details and slapping a different name on. The CX-9 is not even based on the Edge/MKX platform, much less a re-badge. Bottom line, Ford doesn't sell anything that looks like a CX-9 with a different grill.
The Acadia is 4" wider & 4" taller but with 4" less 2nd row legroom and just equal 3rd row legroom to the Freestyle. (cars.com)
That might be because the Vera Cruz row2 is lower to the ground than Acadia. That might no be it, but this is the case in the third row.
Excuse me, but have you actually sat in the 3rd seat of the Freestyle? It is very comfortable and is actually usable for adults.
It won't have a NAV system - at least not right away. He said they will probably make it an option by mid-fall.
Right now my next purchase is down to either the CX-9 or the Veracruz and will be made by summer. The CX-9 is the nicer and more original of the two cars. The VerzCruz looks like the brother of the Lexus RX350 - which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Regards.
Excuse me but I have sat inthe Freestyle at least a dozen times. It's comfortable, but not as much as in outlook.
And CX9 and Ford Edge Are the same vehicle. Only diff is sheetmetal and more length in CX to add row 3.
The CX-9 and Ford Edge ARE not the same vehicle. They share the same Mazda6 based platform and use the same Ford V-6, but the difference in the two vehicles are more than just sheetmetal and length.
There is Little difference between Edge and Cx9. interior? TOyota and Scion's are different too. Ford rides alot heavier because it is a lot heavier. Ford owns mazda. Why would they build mazda a totally differnt Vehicle? :surprise:
The Freestyle/Five Hundred already feel wide enough to me. I don't think I'd want another 3 to 4 inches of width to deal with.
Ford does not build the Mazda CX-9, nor did they design it for Mazda. I suggest you research both vehicles, including at least spending some time in both, take a test drive etc before assuming that they are the same. Based on your analogy we can conclude that the Ford Edge and the Mazda6 are the same vehicles except that the Ford Edge uses a different engine and has a higher ground clearance because the Edge rides on a modified Mazda6 platform.