Upon seeing me pull the 2008 Mazda CX-9 into our driveway after work this past Friday, my wife remarked that two of her friends got new cars within the last couple of weeks and, coincidentally, they both independently chose the 2008 Mazda CX-9. I've got to hear more about this.
I caught up with Julie and Mary in the school parking lot to find out what they thought about their CX-9s and how they both came to the same decision. Just so I wouldn't feel out of place, I brought our 2008 Sport CX-9 along for a group shot.
Mary's CX-9 is a Grand Touring model in Black Cherry. She is moving up from a '98 Honda Accord. "I wanted something bigger, but I didn't want a van" she told me, "because the kids have grown out of their car seats."
Mary had been thinking about the CX-9 for awhile. She decided to wait for the 2008 and its bigger engine because "Everyone wants more power, right?" After test driving one and liking it, she and her husband asked for quotes via Edmunds.com. The next day they got a price they liked and closed the deal. The dealership even delivered it to their house.
She told me that the reviews she read online got it about right and there have been no surprises. While she is really happy with the car overall, Mary agrees that fuel economy and an occasional firm ride on the rougher stretches of local freeway are not CX-9 strong suits. Mary attributed the latter to the 20-inch low-profile tires. The reported rear blind spots aren't as hard to deal with as she expected, however.
Julie got a CX-9 Grand Touring as well, and hers is also Black Cherry. A roof rack sets hers apart. Unlike Mary, she's downsizing from a Toyota Sequoia, "a big truck." The Buick Enclave was also on the list but ultimately didn't make the cut becasue it was still too big.
While she and her husband had been looking and researching for awhile, and had settled on the CX-9, she wasn't expecting to get one so soon. It came as a Christmas present, big bow and all. "The dealer delivered it to a neighbor's house" she explained, "They moved it to my driveway at 4am." Strong winds blew the bow off in the night, but she was thrilled nonetheless.
Julie has barely had her CX-9 three weeks, but she likes its smaller size and easy maneuverability. She did nod her head in agreement when Mary was talking about the sometimes-firm ride.
Accolades from the media are all well and good, but sales are the real test. I don't have curent figures handy, but it would seem that Mazda has a hit on its hand.
Sure, it's a small sample. But only two of my wife's friends have purchased new cars recently, and they both chose the CX-9. They both say they've seen and heard of others in the neighborhood. Mazda hasn't managed much traction in the PTA market before - not in my neck-of-the-woods, anyway.
Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 7,466 miles
funkymunky says:
01:37 PM, 01/14/08
Not too surprising that it's popular. The CX-9 just won the 2008 North American Truck of the Year award.
sabastian says:
01:45 PM, 01/14/08
What is it with the "PTA" market and their ginormous SUVs?
carfreak8394 says:
02:37 PM, 01/14/08
I think the Cx-9 looks amazing in the Grand Touring trim with the Black Cherry paint color.
roar02ram says:
03:08 PM, 01/14/08
Kudos to Julie's car wash!
actualsize says:
04:26 PM, 01/14/08
I don't think the CX-9 qualifies as "ginormous," and is it really a truck? But some of the other SUVs in the drop-off line at your typical suburban elementary school certainly can be described using those terms. As for the reason the big ones have thus far been popular, think "armor" and you're on the path to understanding.
eclogite says:
05:21 PM, 01/14/08
I don't mean to pick nits (maybe I do), but your Intro says you bought a Touring trim CX-9. This blog entry says Sport. Which is it?
BTW - The CX-9 is the car I'd buy today if I had the funds to afford it.
estreka says:
05:39 PM, 01/14/08
I visited relatives in Colorado Springs over the holidays and I must've seen a million of these. They're everywhere!
carfreak8394 says:
06:53 PM, 01/14/08
eclogite,
good catch.
i'm pretty sure it is the Touring.
Can one of the editors say whether or not we are correct ?
ahightower says:
07:17 PM, 01/14/08
Your wife's friends have good taste. They both picked the right color. I like the dark blue as well, but cherry is the hottest. I could never settle on Edmunds' ubiquitous silver car when there are such interesting and unique alternatives offered. I can appreciate silver for its long term wear and lack of showing dirt, but sometimes lookin' good is worth the effort. If you're getting the "sexy" crossover, you might as well get a more interesting color on it.
daytona_500 says:
09:39 PM, 01/14/08
I agree, the Black Cherry is the way to go. Either that or the red that was featured in the Full Test.
actualsize says:
10:14 PM, 01/14/08
Oops. I blew chunks on this one. Our CX-9 is, in fact, a Touring. Good catch. Now I must punish myself.
villahidalgo says:
07:12 PM, 01/15/08
How can a 4-door minivan win a Truck of the Year Award? I don't get it.
blueguydotcom says:
09:54 AM, 01/16/08
I don't get all the raves for Mazda's CUVs. We've taken them out and found them to be just as awful to drive as the Murano, Tribute, Rav4, CR-V, Highlander, etc. Are people grading fun-to-drive based on the class, rather than vehicles in general? For vehicles in general they're about a 4. Maybe for the class they're better than most (not at Cayenne or X3 levels) but still I'm missing the appeal.
firstwagon says:
10:04 PM, 01/16/08
Yes it's true, The CX-9 is not as good a sports car as a Miata. But think about it, if it were it wouldn't say much for the Miata , would it?
And I don't agree, I haven't driven them all but I don't think "awful" can be be used to describe the way any of them drive.
If you had a family, what would you drive?