The Real Reason Why The Mazda CX

Sep 11, 2023

Although its set to soon be replaced by the all-new CX-90, find out why Mazda's outgoing flagship three-row SUV still makes a strong case for itself

The second-generation Mazda CX-9 has been with us for quite a while now, which means that an all-new model is due to replace it soon. Actually, the 2024 CX-90 will serve as Mazda's flagship in the United States, and the CX-9 is already set for discontinuation after the 2023 model year. The Mazda CX-9 is an excellent midsize three-row SUV, but in terms of sales, it never really matched the Toyota Highlander or Ford Explorer.

With a focus on sportiness and an upscale feel, the CX-9 was more of an emotional purchase instead of offering the best in terms of space or practicality. Do you also know what it offers in spades? Reliability. The second-generation CX-9 is one of the most reliable midsize SUVs out there, and here's why it's especially worth buying one in 2023.

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The Mazda CX-9 might be new when it came out in 2016, but the Skyactiv drivetrain and platform were already in production for a couple of years when it debuted. That turbocharged 2.5-liter engine? It's the same engine you'd find in the CX-5, CX-50, Mazda 3, and Mazda 6, albeit with a few design tweaks to accommodate a turbocharger. Even the six-speed automatic that's fitted to it is the same one that's been used since the first-generation CX-5.

So, what's the advantage of using components that have been in production for years? It simply means that by this time, most, if not all the possible kinks and production errors in these components have already been ironed out, and that's reflected in this statistic from CarComplaints. The second-generation Mazda CX-9 seems to be more reliable compared to the first-generation model when the Japanese automaker was still owned by Ford. In addition, newer and more recent CX-9s experienced far fewer problems compared to the first batch of vehicles, which, again, is unsurprising since that's when a lot of potential production bugs and errors have not yet been ironed out.

However, there is one issue that was recently discovered regarding Mazda's turbocharged 2.5-liter engine, which is fitted in the CX-9, CX-5, CX-50, Mazda 3, and Mazda 6. Apparently, Mazda released a technical service bulletin (TSB) to the NHTSA that the turbocharged 2.5-liter can have a tendency to consume engine oil, though the cause has not been identified at the time of the TSB's release. The TSB is limited to the 2021 model year of the aforementioned Mazdas, and since it doesn't affect the safety or the reliability of the vehicle, owners can still drive their turbocharged Mazdas as intended.

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There's also another advantage to sticking to a familiar formula--spare parts. The CX-9's components have been in production for such a long time now, there's already an abundance of spare parts not just at your local Mazda dealer, but in other shops around your city as well. And it's not just the mechanical parts that will be in abundance. Mazda is quite slow in churning out new infotainment or tech features in their vehicles, which means that spare electronic parts will also be in abundance apart from these being inherently durable, too.

It's hard to gauge reliability based on the experience of just a single owner. To objectively find out the CX-9's reliability, we have to look at sources such as Consumer Reports . In 2020 and 2022, Mazda was rated as the most reliable car brand in the United States. Similarly, in 2022, the Mazda CX-9 has been given a perfect 5 out of 5 in terms of the vehicle overall as well as a perfect 5 when it comes to predicted reliability.

Over on YouTube, an owner who goes by the name of Chris who has a YouTube channel called GQ37 uploaded a video about his four-year ownership of the Mazda CX-9. He bought a top trim 2016 CX-9 Signature with the brown Nappa Leather interior, real rosewood trim, and other niceties. Based on the model year, this would mean he is one of the first batch of CX-9 owners, and usually, a newly-launched car will be the most susceptible to early production issues. In this case, his four-year ownership as of the video's posting in October 2020 has been mostly hassle-free, with only minor issues such as the paint in the wheels starting to degrade and a clicking noise at the rear brakes.

Some of his other issues revolve around how the Mazda Connect infotainment system isn't as intuitive when inputting a navigation location, and also how he prefers to have the touch screen be usable even while on the move, but as we know Mazda, they would prefer you to use the rotary knob controller. Though all of these are more on its design as opposed to the actual vehicle itself being problematic.

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Customer satisfaction for the CX-9 ranks very high as well. It of course certainly helps that Mazda's premium push made the CX-9 feel like an affordable luxury car, and that's reflected in its excellent interior build quality that punches above its class. Over at Edmunds, that same sentiment is largely reflected by the CX-9's real-world owners. Someone even wrote that the owner traded a posher 2019 Lincoln Nautilus for a 2021 Mazda CX-9 Carbon Edition. The owner had no regrets and doesn't even miss the bigger V-6 of the Lincoln.

In general, the Mazda CX-9 is worth buying even in 2023. It's reliable for the most part especially if you avoid the 2021 model year with the oil consumption issues. What you get is a midsize SUV that might not be the best in terms of the practical aspects, but in return, you get an SUV that's sporty and luxuriously made inside. The CX-90 may be a huge step-up on paper with its plug-in hybrid or straight-six engine, but it also significantly costs more than before. And since it's also Mazda's first completely new vehicle from the ground up, there might be initial production issues that may have not yet been ironed out.

Isaac Atienza is a Filipino motoring journalist who joined TopSpeed.com in 2021. He also owns a Filpino motoring website called Go Flat Out PH and is also a contributor to a local newspaper called The Manila Times. Isaac Atienza is a car enthusiast who especially thinks that wagons are the best type of vehicle, though sports cars and anything with three pedals also tickles his fancy.