Signature Achievement: The 2020 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD

The 2020 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD.

Every time I get in a Mazda CX-9 (and fortunately for me, that has been at least once a year for several years now), I marvel at just how much of an achievement it is.  Here is a crossover SUV with gorgeous styling, a phenomenal interior, solid performance and only-in-a-Mazda handling---all at a reasonable if not downright inexpensive price for the size class and feature content.

Christmas Wish Fulfilled: The 2019 Mazda CX-9

The 2019 Mazda CX-9.

Regular TireKicker readers know of our fondness for the Mazda CX-9, an appreciation that was deepened in the summer of 2017 during our two-week vacation to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

Something So Right: The 2017 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring

The 2017 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring .

The right car for a trip is like the right tool for a job.  It can make or break the whole enterprise.  So when Mrs. TireKicker and I cooked up our first-ever two-week summer vacation roadtrip, we knew we had to get the right car.

Regular readers will remember three years ago, when, for a shorter eight-day camping trip to Utah, the 2015 Kia Sorento SXL proved to be a terrific traveling companion.   This time, Mazda and their prep and delivery partners at Drive Shop partnered to provide a 2017 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring for three weeks, allowing time for packing and cleanup.

Sign Here: The 2017 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD

The 2017 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD.

We've made no secret of our love for the Mazda CX-9.  During the holidays, we had and told you about the 2017 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring, and last July, spent a week at the wheel of the top-of-the-line Mazda CX-9 Signature.  Now, since that was a '16 model, it's back to the top we go.

Restraint Has Its Rewards: The 2016 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring FWD

The 2016 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring.

It was just five months ago that I wrote very enthusiastically about the new 2016 Mazda CX-9 Signature.

Signature is the new top-of-the-line trim level of the CX-9, bringing with it Nappa leather-trimmed seats, auburn-colored interior accents, genuine rosewood interior trim, and enough other luxury equipment that I called it a Mercedes with a Mazda price tag.

But would I need all that to stay in love with the CX-9?

Mercedes With A Mazda Price Tag? The 2016 Mazda CX-9 Signature

The 2016 Mazda CX-9 Signature.

The automotive landscape is a rapidly changing place.  Case in point, the Mazda CX-9.  We raved about it in 2011, but almost a year and a half ago, found the 2015 model (the same as the '11, with some minor modifications) was no longer one of the most compelling vehicles in its class.

That matters in a Mazda more than in most cars because Mazda is all about driving.  You know, zoom-zoom and all of that.  The new MX-5 Miata is number one on the list of TireKicker's Best Cars on the right hand side of this page.  A few slots below it is the Mazda 6 sedan.  The Mazda CX-5 is our choice among midsize crossovers, perhaps the most crowded, hotly contested segment in the market today.

Now, there's a new CX-9.  So how is it?

Hello, Old Friend: 2015 Mazda CX-9

The 2015 Mazda CX-9.

It has been a long time since our last drive in a Mazda CX-9.  Almost four years, in fact.  Not much has changed, which is a good news/bad news kind of thing.

2011 Mazda CX-9 Review

The 2011 Mazda CX-9. Crossover or sport sedan with a whole lotta cargo space?

Oh, man, am I glad we made this editorial decision. Upon returning the Mazda CX-7 we liked so much we asked Chapman Mazda in Phoenix if we could do a review of its bigger brother, the CX-9. They graciously agreed.

It's been a while since we've been in a CX-9, and the memory cells were saying "like the CX-7, just bigger". That's how most small crossover/large crossover teams usually work out, and the CX-7 is so good, that wouldn't be a bad thing.

But driving the CX-9 immediately after the CX-7 revealed that we are talking about two entirely different vehicles here...in ways that go beyond size and price.

The 2011 Mazda CX-9. Strong, chiseled good looks.

All Mazdas are driver's cars. Handling, balance and acceleration are always a big part of the package (the company's motto is "Always the Soul of a Sports Car"), and the CX-9 is no exception. What's remarkable is how present they are in a large crossover...it's a trick the competition hasn't pulled off yet.

In truth, the CX-9 is a fast, comfortable, brilliant-handling sports sedan that just happens to seat seven.  And what you get for your money is simply amazing.

The "base" CX-9 is the Sport. MSRP is $29,135, and for that you get a 3.7-liter V6 with 273 horsepower and 270 pounds per foot of torque connected to a six-speed sport automatic transmission with a manual mode. There are also halogen headlights, power side mirrors, 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, a three-zone (driver, front passenger and rear) climate control system, power windows and door locks, remote keyless entry, cloth-trimmed seats, an AM/FM/CD/mp3 audio system with 6 speakers, Bluetooth, front side-impact airbags and side-impact air curtains with rollover protection, Dynamic Stability Control and the Traction Control System.

The stylish and comfortable 2011 Mazda CX-9 interior.

Step up one level and you're in the one Chapman Mazda lent us for the week, the CX-9 Touring. Base price goes up to $31,055 and you get all the goodies in the Sport plus leather seating in the first two rows, heated front seats and side mirrors, an 8-way power driver's seat with adjustable lumbar support , a 4-way power passenger seat and auto-off headlights (ours didn't have the nav system pictured above...in fact, it had no factory options whatsoever...and I'd call it brilliantly equipped).

And you can go one step further with the CX-9 Grand Touring....everything the Touring has plus Xenon HID low-beam headlights, halogen fog lights, rain-sensing windshield wipers, power side mirrors with turn-signal lights, 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels, driver's seat memory, Mazda's advanced keyless entry and start system, an auto-dimming rear view mirror with HomeLink, dark silver and wood-tone interior trim, electroluminescent gauges, a blind spot monitoring system and an anti-theft alarm system. And that's $33,145.

Any of the three trim levels qualifies for bargain of the year. The Touring model we drove topped out at $31,850 with delivery charges. Load up any of the directly competing crossovers and you're past $35,000 minimum and might even get within walking distance of $40,000. And you won't have the performance and the handling you get in the CX-9.

EPA mileage estimate: 17 city/24 highway.

2011 Mazda CX-9 Review

As the tide turns from traditional truck-based SUVs, a lot of people are discovering the larger crossovers (sport-utes based on car, rather than truck, platforms). It's turning into a crowded field (including four from General Motors alone)...but there are standouts, and one is the Mazda CX-9.

As noted in previous entries here at TireKicker, Mazda doesn't make bad cars. And the CX-9, based on the very good previous-generation Mazda 6, is a strong contender.

The CX-9 is big enough for three rows of seats accomodating seven passengers. The weight of the vehicle, people and stuff is pulled (yep, front-wheel drive) along by a 273 horsepower 3.7 liter V6 with a six-speed automatic transmission. The six speed helps nudge the EPA estimated mileage into respectable territory...16 city, 22 highway.

Ordered in Grand Touring trim, as the test vehicle I drove was, the CX-9 shows up with 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels, automatic Xenon headlights, leather-trimmed seats (including an 8-way power heated driver's seat), Bluetooth hands-free capability for your cell phone, a three-zone climate control and a six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system. Price: $33,355.

Options on the tester included Sirius Satellite Radio, a blind spot monitoring system, a package including a moonroof and a 277-watt, 10-speaker Bose surround sound sytem with a six-disc changer in the dash, a towing package and a GT Assist package...including navigation, rear view camera and power rear hatch. That propels the bottom line (with delivery charges) to $39,405. ..which puts it right in the hunt with a similarly loaded GMC Acadia.

Safety's a plus here, too, with the CX-9 getting a five-star rating from the government for frontal and side crashes for the driver and passenger, and a four-star rollover rating.

As a smaller manufacturer, Mazda often gets overlooked. In this case, that would be a big mistake.

UPDATE: Just finishing a week and a few days in the base-level CX-9 Sport...one without any options whatsoever. And it's brilliant. How? Because the basic goodness of the CX-9 as above is there...but the lower standard equipment level (not lower by much) and lack of options keeps the price just a nick under $30,000 as tested. That's ten grand below the sticker price above....for the same basic vehicle. Go. Drive. One. Now.

Mazda CX-9 Recall: Seat Heaters Could Catch Fire

Mazda's recalling its 2010 model year CX-9 because of a defect that could cause the seat heaters to overheat and maybe even catch fire.

The official NHTSA recall report is here.