"Green Mountain Car Guy" (williamleedy)
06/02/2016 at 08:00 • Filed to: None
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"Green Mountain Car Guy" (williamleedy)
06/02/2016 at 08:00 • Filed to: None | 8
| 32 |
It’s late enough into the year they should’ve come out as 2017’s, but the first of the all-new 2016 Mazda CX-9’s have reached our lot! Two of them have arrived - and I took some time from my busy day to get more familiar with them. Based on what I’m seeing, they’ve basically gone from an Playstation 1 (by today’s standards) to a Playstation 4 (by yesterday’s standards). Though, since this is the first redesign since the car’s introduction way back in 2007 (that’s like Mitsubishi levels of redesign resistance), maybe that’s not surprising. It’s also not surprising since that’s basically what Mazda has done with everything in the last couple years. The Mazda3 and the Mazda6 have undergone huge transformations. The new Miata is a giant leap from the outgoing car (which was also a surprisingly old design). The CX-5 as a replacement for the thirsty and problematic CX-7 which started it all has been our biggest selling car. They’ve all been huge steps. It’s almost like as the Ford execs closed the door on their controlling stake (since 2008 they’ve gone from 33% to 3.5%), the engineers hiding in the basements came back up and said, right, here’s what we’ve been working on down there - let’s take them all by surprise. I mean, for mainstream cars, I think they have the best overall lineup. Just consistently great cars. And I’m not just saying that because I sell them.
I will admit that the exterior design hasn’t won me over completely on this car. The deep dish grill surround and the way it juts out as you near the hoodline are less pleasing to the eye than the styling of the front lights themselves and the remainder of the side profile. The rear also has a little more domestic car than I would’ve hoped for. I mean, it’s far from ugly by any means and it’s a much more modern design than the out-going model. It’s not perfect, but, it’s definitely punted the car back to a viable option.
Once you’re inside the car, though, you won’t care about any of that. I’ll admit also that I have not been to an auto show this year so I’m not quite up on my competitive training, but, I’m pretty confident that there is nothing in this cars’ class that is anywhere near as nice inside. Right down to the details, I love it. All the materials you can reach are either very nice plastics or soft-touch. The seats are live-in-it comfortable, the instrument cluster is informative but simple. The center console area has a funky design but is still the controls are intuitive and if you are familiar with Mazda’s infotainment system, it looks right at home in here - especially with the larger 8” screen. Some people have in the past complained about functionality issues with it, like it doesn’t interact directly with Spotify or I’ve had a couple people talk about it not remembering it’s place when using a thumb drive, etc. But that’s all piddly little shit. It’s an easy system to use for most any demographic. My fellow salesperson can even figure it out, so it can’t be that hard. (for context, I was recently asked to help print a picture that was emailed to him)
We have a signature edition on it’s way which will have Nappa leather, rosewood trim and other fancy stuff us mere mortals can only dream about! I’ll update the post with photos of its interior once it arrives!
Moving toward the back, the 2nd row is quite nice still and very comfortable, has it’s own climate controls plenty of legroom. In the Touring and up models you’ll even get your own USB ports back there! 2.1A ones at that so your kids can charge your ipads as they compete to see how many substances from unidentified sources they can cover the screen with just figure out just how much juice box the headphone jack can hold. It has supposedly been designed to allow 3rd row access even with child seats in the second row, but, I am not equipped to test such claims.
The third row looks like it’s acceptably roomy, kind of like anything else in this category, it works for the small or at least small distances...but I wouldn’t want to be back there all day. The method for folding them up or down seems a little less simple than before but does look better than just a strap sticking out of the floor.
There’s still a simple storage area under the normal load floor and the spare tire is now inside the car rather than dangling underneath it!
My short romp around the block left me wanting more. The 2.5L Turbocharged Skyactiv engine gives you 227hp with 87 octane and 250 with 91+. But, either way you get a little over 300lbft of torque. The exhaust into the turbo has a valve that closes and allows for a higher flow rate at low RPM - the result of which is just about zero lag. Just put your foot down and this thing takes off. I know that we’ll be spending half our time explaining why the CX-9 has less horsepower than its rivals and why torque is more important. But, I think the more often we get people behind the wheel and say “put your foot down - even just a little bit”, they’ll understand. It just goes. Without hesitation, without needing to rev into the stratosphere. The net result is more torque than the outgoing V6 and in exchange for that, you’ll get better mileage too - gee, what a compromise. It’s supposed to get 21 in town and 27 on the highway with the AWD system (up from 16 to 22). When I get a chance to really drive one, I’ll report back with real-world figures.
I was given the chance to ride along with a customer of mine as well who will most likely be buying one to replace his 151k mile ‘09. The ride is excellent, the power is excellent and the extra 56lb of sound insulation and acoustic glass make it remarkably quiet on the inside - even when the speedometer indicates highway levels of mph.
On the downside, along with all the new awesomeness and features and engineering comes new prices. The two Touring models we have currently squeak just past the $40k mark with their premium packages (which has been our most popular trim level) and if you go all out it’s much closer to $46,000. And I’m betting it’ll be a LONG time before you see $6,000 off any new CX-9!
On the plus side, if we can convince our old Saab customers or people shopping for MDX’s and X5’s to come by, the Signature edition would probably swing a few of them our way. I bet that isn’t the case with the Traverse.
I’ll leave you with a couple parting thoughts:
Thank you Mazda for your efforts and this is a beautiful car, but, I hope they start leasing better soon!
Someone buy one we don’t have on the lot so I can drive it further than a quick little test drive!
Also, Can I get this engine in an AWD Mazda3 with a row-my-own transmission?? Pretty please??
All photos taken by me with using a super-awesome iphone. Except the engine one, I borrowed that one from the internet.
Stapleface
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 08:16 |
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Thanks for the review. One thing that still bugs me though is Mazda's infotainment system. It's always look like someone just glued a Garmin to the top of the dash board.
mazda616
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 08:17 |
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Very nice. I love Soul Red. I hope this does well, if nothing else just so I'll stop seeing 8 million GM crossovers on my way to work.
Party-vi
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 08:19 |
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Good. Now put the 2.5T into the 6.
Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 08:28 |
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Hmmmm. Speed3 motor lurks within. COME ON MAZDA
TheRealBicycleBuck
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 08:31 |
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Cupholder all the things!.
jvirgs drives a Subaru
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 08:51 |
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At least they got the “manual” shifting directions correct. That is one of my biggest pet peeves.
HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
> jvirgs drives a Subaru
06/02/2016 at 09:16 |
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But does it have paddle shift? Imo all auto sticks are useless. I don’t even use them if they aren’t paddle controlled.
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jvirgs drives a Subaru
> HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
06/02/2016 at 09:23 |
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I don’t use them. But if they are going to keep it on the shift lever, it better be pull back for up shift and forward for downshift. But yes auto sticks are stupid.
TylerJ
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 09:24 |
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Oh man, the tan headliner ruins how great the rest of the interior is.
Not to mention that if you get tan seats, it is a different color tan than the headliner!
DanimalHouse
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 09:46 |
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64Mali
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 10:39 |
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When I picked up my 2016 3 last week they had just gotten a Signature edition in. That thing is nice, I didn’t get to drive it, but they let me crawl around to take some pictures. That car is worth the 46k. The fancy Napa Leather in the Signature is wicked nice.
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Green Mountain Car Guy
> jvirgs drives a Subaru
06/02/2016 at 10:56 |
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Haha, interesting in the shift direction...I always felt the opposite would be more intuitive - kinda like “push forward and pull back”
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Green Mountain Car Guy
> HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
06/02/2016 at 11:05 |
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The touring does not. Can't remember from my online course if the higher ones do...but I'll check it out when they get here!
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Green Mountain Car Guy
> TheRealBicycleBuck
06/02/2016 at 11:05 |
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Gotta have a place for the mechanic to keep his beer.
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Green Mountain Car Guy
> Party-vi
06/02/2016 at 11:06 |
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Yes...or the 6, I'd be okay with that too!!
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jvirgs drives a Subaru
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 11:06 |
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Because racecar. Under acceleration it’s easier to pull back and under deceleration it’s easier to push forward given the direction of forces on the body
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Green Mountain Car Guy
> 64Mali
06/02/2016 at 11:06 |
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I'm excited to see it! Congratulations on the new 3! What did you get??
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Green Mountain Car Guy
> Stapleface
06/02/2016 at 11:07 |
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I hear that a lot! Is it weird that I like it??
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64Mali
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 11:22 |
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I picked up a 2016 3 i Touring HB, 3 weeks previous I got my wife a 2016 6i Touring. I help run a Mazda Club in New England so I figured it was time for me to drive one again (the 6 was Mazda #5 the 3 was Mazda #6) Have some pics of both, also a few of the 2016 CX9 Signature.
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Stapleface
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 11:28 |
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Nah, I wouldn't say it was a bad thing. If I spend more seat time in a Mazda I'd probably enjoy it.
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Green Mountain Car Guy
> mazda616
06/02/2016 at 11:57 |
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I'm with you there!!! Though, for us it's the damn subarus!!
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Green Mountain Car Guy
> Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ
06/02/2016 at 11:58 |
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If we speak loudly in a unified voice, maybe it will help!?
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Green Mountain Car Guy
> TylerJ
06/02/2016 at 12:01 |
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Weird how they do that, huh? All Mazdas (well, except the black topped Miatas) have the tan headliner. I just read though that the 2017 mazda6 will have a black headliner if you get absolutely everything on it...
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Green Mountain Car Guy
> 64Mali
06/02/2016 at 12:04 |
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Nice! Thank you for sharing the pics! I really like the deep crystal blue....even with the fact I live on a dirt road... If you ever find your way up to Burlington Vermont with the Miata club, feel free to stop by PJ’s and say hi!
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Green Mountain Car Guy
> jvirgs drives a Subaru
06/02/2016 at 12:06 |
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Well, sure....if you want to look at it that way! Lol.
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64Mali
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 12:19 |
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Its actually New England Mazda Auto Club Inc. We have a few members from VT as well. Our big event is at Mt. Washington NH where we hold a BBQ and a Mazda only cruise to the top. We might do a trip to VT at some point so having a stop could be useful.
IanZ - limited-slip indifferential
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 12:44 |
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So it has a “real” badge? All the pictures and commercials I’ve seen about it show the badge as like a sticker on a shiny black plastic circle.
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Green Mountain Car Guy
> IanZ - limited-slip indifferential
06/02/2016 at 12:54 |
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Ahh, those are reserved for the cars equipped with radar cruise control - whose electronics are housed in that shiny plastic circle. In the CX-9, all the grand touring and signature edition cars will have that “badge” while the sports and touring have a traditional badge.
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Green Mountain Car Guy
> 64Mali
06/02/2016 at 13:03 |
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I only recently learned about the Mt. Washington cruise. Was thinking I might see if I can talk the wife into going with the CX-5!
Email is w l e e d y at pjsautovillage dot com if you ever want to get in touch. Perhaps we can get the owner to go along with having something at the dealership.
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64Mali
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 13:04 |
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Ill send you an email and in invite to the event. I am actually the event director for it. And you def should come, I took a CX9 up last year, its a very fun event.
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Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 13:31 |
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What do we have, if not hope.
Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
> Green Mountain Car Guy
06/02/2016 at 14:55 |
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Mazda’s really upped their interior game.
The low dashboard design really adds to the roomy feel.