In my third year of college I had a neighbor across the hall named Tabitha, she was an absolute knockout. But – and this is crucial – she was also extremely down to earth, exhibited no airs, was easy to get along with and always up for hanging out and doing whatever at any time of day or night. Basically I think she wasn’t overly cognizant of her looks and if she was, didn’t let it affect her or anyone else in any meaningful way.
In a nutshell, that’s how I came to look at this Mazda CX-9 Signature. Easily one of the (and perhaps just the) most attractive current entrants in the segment both inside and out, it’s built by a marque that isn’t snooty and doesn’t try to pretend to be anything it isn’t. It’s comfortable and easy to get along with while being endowed with many attractive points and features. And, perhaps important to a potential suitor, is unlikely to cost an arm and a leg on a day to day basis.
I’ve never started a review with price before but need to make an exception here. Mazda, as a fairly small Japanese manufacturer, has been upping its game over the last few years and as a result has aimed (or perhaps needed) to increase its prices a bit to reflect both the increased performance and content, as well as the somewhat more intangible qualities of attractive design and interesting material usage inside.
Some of its models have been described as great but perhaps verging on a little more expensive than the market is willing to pay. I myself thought that the CX-5 I sampled a few months ago was perhaps a bit overpriced, at least in the top of the line form I reviewed. This time it’s different.
Including destination, this loaded CX-9 which carries the sole factory option of a $495 premium metallic paint color rings the bell at $48,200. Not so long ago I reviewed both a similarly equipped Toyota Highlander which was over $50k and a Lexus RX350 at closer to $65,000. I liked both of those three-rowers quite a bit, but now believe I like this one better, at least equipped as this one was compared to those.
Frankly, while I recognize that $48,200 is subjectively a large sum of money, compared to what this Mazda plays with in regard to looks, fit and finish, assembly quality, and performance, it transcends the Toyota Highlander and the rest of the Asian and American competition. It easily plays with the Germans and the luxury Japanese marques at a price that is many thousands less, both initially and compared to at least the Europeans very likely on an ongoing basis during its lifespan.
Mazda is not a name that anyone has to apologize for or perhaps realize uncomfortable reminders of in some less than desirable models of the past when opting to purchase one. They obviously have a performance heritage (RX-7, Miata, winner of LeMans, etc.) and have a long history of assembling quality vehicles. Lately they have decided that instead of decontenting and becoming ever cheaper and thus just blending into the background, a better strategy might be to seize the day, more comprehensively equip the cars, focus on what people see, feel, and experience, and try to do it competitively.
Time will tell how successful this strategy will be and I get the feeling that it may be working better on the higher end models than the lower end ones. Still, they just need to round the curve and climb the hill of widespread public acceptance, if they can do that they will have it made.
Leading the way for the CX-9 is the very distinctive grille with the large opening and surround that on most other cars might just be altogether too much. Somehow (to my eyes anyway) Mazda pulls it off with the very elegant chrome band around most of the thing.
The almost knife-blade front of it is refreshingly different and would give an altogether different effect if bent 90 degrees and presented as very thick outline – or rather a U-shape as the top edge is formed by the leading edge of the front end that blends back into the hood itself. Instead the surround catches the light and makes one look twice, the three-dimensionality of it is brilliant in how thin it is at its leading edge but thick from the side, like a blade.
The headlights are smaller rather than larger and as such look more like real jewelry instead of the more blingy and larger kind commonly seen that could be described as costume jewelry in this context. It’s like a supermodel with fine features and just a hint of makeup instead of lipstick slathered on something else entirely trying to draw the eye this way and that, much nicer to just pause and take it all in at a leisurely pace. But even the lights are designed in concert with the grille, further enhancing it rather than just appearing as tacked on required appendages.
Further back, the flanks are neatly, perhaps taughtly, sculpted through the doors and then it all wraps around the back with some smaller taillights that stand somewhat proud of the body similar to some many-decades-old classic designs, and whose tri-colored lenses pickup and connect a slender chrome highlight across the tailgate. The front hood and fender have a shoulder line that softly fades out somewhere in the rear door, but then a new one takes flight a little higher in the metal and blends back into those taillights and the rear chrome.
Overall the bits of chrome, small bright areas such as the lights along with the subtly darker than plain silver wheels play to good effect off of the Machine Gray Metallic paint, enhancing the hue rather than just looking like another dark gray blob. Yes, at its root the CX-9 is another three-row CUV of which there are many on the market but there’s nothing that says that the form can’t be graceful and elegant.
Open the door and the double-takes begin. Soft Nappa leather in a hue called Deep Chestnut abounds, the genuine wood accents on the doors and around the center console look, feel, and sound like real wood when examined closely (far better than in the CX-5), some subtle chromed highlights draw attention to certain areas and stand out by not explicitly trying to stand out. Everything is smoothly styled as parts of a whole experience.
The door panel itself is worthy of a closer look as a good example of the whole. Mostly soft, it starts at the top with black textured plastic inset with a convincing textured plastic metal-look panel and the latch handle, then down to the Chestnut colored insert and stitched handle/armrest pieces. The lock, window, and mirror panel is not overly large but surrounded by a chrome border and all of it inlaid into a lovely piece of wood trim.
Even the window buttons themselves are trimmed with metalwork and are backlit. Below this panel the plastic turns harder (durable), and the speaker grille is also attractively designed with a large, albeit not hinged, storage compartment along the lower edge. The picture below shows the passenger side and how it all flows into the dashboard itself.
The front seats, here heated as well as ventilated, are interestingly textured and finished with gray piping, are powered on both sides along with having memory settings for two drivers. The steering wheel with its small center boss is very comfortably designed with thumbrests in the right places and just the right thickness for my hands.
It’s also heated, and while unfortunately isn’t heated 360 degrees around the perimeter, does have the effect of making one keep their hands in the optimum positions, I can’t decide if this was intentional or not.
As with other Mazda vehicles, this one continues my absolute favorite feature in instrument panels. The outer gauges are real, but the center speedometer is virtual (albeit indistinguishable from real). This allows Mazda to design a gauge that changes brightness within itself to highlight the area in use, for example the numbers from 40-100 when one is traveling at 75mph with the ranges at both ends softly fading away and more importantly the current speed limit being represented by a small red hashmark, i.e. changing whenever the limit changes.
In the above picture the speed limit is 25 (denoted by the red mark) and the numbers are bright through 40mph and then fade beyond that as it was taken in my driveway. As one drives along and the speed rises the highlit area changes as does the speed limit marker as appropriate. This is brilliant design and makes it oh so convenient to be aware of one’s legality in terms of speed. And then just for extra emphasis there is a representation of the speed limit sign just to the side above the speedometer.
In addition, there is an instant and cumulative fuel economy gauge to the left of the speedometer and to the immediate right of the speedometer is what looks like a second fuel gauge, however it in fact displays the remaining range both numerically and graphically.
Of course there’s also a Head Up Display that displays the current speed as well as the limit but although very useful I enjoyed eyeing the “real” gauges most of the time instead. And yes, this CX-9 also employs a dashboard mounted screen, in this case measuring 10.25″. At this point these units are the rule rather than the exception across the industry and I’m starting to suspect that those who dislike them haven’t really had much opportunity to use them.
The whole reason for their high mounting is to keep one’s eyes up and ahead which these do brilliantly. I believe it was BMW who many years ago designed a sort of second instrument cluster hood for a high mounted screen and if anything that blocked more of the view out rather than helping things, this way they barely if at all interfere with the view and provide information at a sideways glance.
The center console, whose sides are well padded for legs and knees to rest against, itself consists of the traditional more or less horizontally oriented portion which contains the shifter, cupholders, and a wireless charger in a slanted bin ahead of it (easy to drop in and remove, but angled in a way that incoming messages are not readily visible, a boon for those otherwise easily distracted). Aft of it is the Mazda media controller toggle wheel surrounded by several menu buttons that controls (redundantly) the dashboard mounted center display.
That display is also touch and voice controllable as well as being larger and of far better resolution than the one in the CX-5. The software is different as well with the graphics having been revised and the navigation especially is much crisper in resolution as is the backup camera.
Audio settings within the screen are easily accessed and controlled and in this case paired to a Bose 12-speaker premium system that once configured to one’s liking (there are many, many settings and parameters to play with) performed better than several other Bose-branded systems encountered recently. I’ve been trying to rank my favorites and Bose was close to coming toward the bottom third of premium systems but this one here has renewed its lease, I found it excellent (don’t consider me any kind of real audiophile though, please). As usual with many Asian designs though, there are still areas that could use improvement, most obviously the satellite station selector.
Presets are arranged in a list from first to last and best accessed by the dial controller on the console, and when changing it resets to the beginning every time, not where one was last on the list. The same goes for channel surfing, it always restarts at the top, rather than at the last selected station, where it would be so easy to just dial over one click from First Wave 33 to Lithium 34 and two more to Alt Nation 36 as well as back and forth for example instead of starting over at whatever the first channel on the dial is (which nobody listens to, right?). It sort of forces you to plug in your favorites in order of most listened to least listened to and discourages surfing.
In any case there are a plethora of menu options best explored at depth in privacy with some time to kill. I mostly used the touchscreen option for controlling things and was pleased with the system’s responsiveness, it’s much better than the older CX-5 one. The dial controller worked well too and over time would become intuitive to use just like Audi’s and BMW’s for example, which also take a little time to learn and acclimate to but once learned are generally excellent.
On the vertical portion of the center console just below the vents are the general HVAC controls with beautifully knurled knobs that were snug in their mountings and well-damped in operation. Along with several standard functions the heated steering wheel also gets a button here as do the seat heaters and ventilators, although the buttons are stacked a little too close to each other as I realized after trying to figure out what a whooshing noise was and not until a few minutes later did I realize I selected maximum seat ventilation instead of maximum seat heat.
To deflect blame and perhaps unfairly try to chastise Mazda for my own error I will point out that the seat ventilator fans on the highest setting are louder than they should be, when I sweat and need ventilation I like to be a little more discreet about it. But perhaps it was just more apparent due to the otherwise excellent refinement noted overall.
The rear seats are similarly accommodating and the Signature trim level is a 6-passenger version with the second row captain’s chairs divided by a large center console. Each door features rollup sunshades as well.
One potential demerit that some shoppers may find is that the CX-9 does not offer a panoramic sunroof, instead just a conventionally sized one is on offer (and provided here). Personally I prefer nothing at all, and will consider the non-panorama as here a boon to reduced weight and better handling but I realize some just prefer the extra light availability (which the Highlander for example does have at this level).
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I’m not currently looking for a new car, and don’t not expect to do so any time soon. If I was in the market, I probably wouldn’t be looking at 3 row CUVs or anything Japanese.
On the other hand, you have done an excellent job of showing the many qualities of this Mazda and I think it may actually be the most appealing vehicle you have reviewed, and it looks like for another $100, it comes in red.
Just as long as you’re not going to buy one or any CUV, or anything Japanese…or any new car for that matter.
Handsome inside and out. Mazda’s recent upmarket strategy is interesting, I hope it pans out for them.
This vehicle could work for my family for most situations. When looking at these larger 3-row crossovers, one first and foremost has to decide how important that third row is. Mazda, whether intentionally or due to unavoidable platform limitations, is betting that enough customers don’t need a minivan-like third row. Toyota has made the same bet with the Highlander for about 15 years now and that one seems to be selling at acceptable volumes.
We wouldn’t need a big third row I have two kids, so it would be for in-a-pinch uses to shuttle a few friends or the grandparents around town or to lunch (kids in back, grandparents in 2nd row, of course). The Pilot or that behemoth Atlas would be overkill. The rest of the time it would be a spacious station wagon and excellent long distance cruiser. With the turbo engine, near-luxury interior and noise control, and more carlike dynamics, it would be very well suited to nearly any road and condition, from hours of open slab interstate to curving mountain roads at elevation.
My one concern, and where they may have taken it a bit too far, is in the cargo volume behind the second row. Only 38 cubic feet. The same as a CR-V, only 7 more than their smaller cx-5, and 9 less than my 4Runner which is a full 9 inches shorter. That speaks to poor interior packaging. The Highlander has 48 cubic feet and is still 5 inches shorter than the CX-9. With reportedly improved driving dynamics and interior quality, and the stout Toyota V6 that provides similar acceleration and economy as the turbo CX-9, the Highlander erodes part of the Mazda’s advantages for me.
We’ve utitlized most of our 4R’s big cargo area on family road trips, the Mazda may be just a bit too small to swallow if I’m thinking of such a large vehicle.
Fantastic photography and review. It certainly is a great looking rig. It would certainly make the shopping list if I was in the market for that sort of vehicle. It will be interesting to see if people accept the premium pricing. Mazda is relatively more popular in Canada but mostly due to the 3.
What? No photos of the girl?
The last Japanese hold out against the detested CVT Mazda is gaining popularity my sister and BIL are currently looking at new cars again and have selected Mazda as maker of choice again their 6 has given minimal trouble in the time they’ve owned it so plan to stay with that brand, got to admit most of their stuff looks good and the odd one Ive driven was fine to drive.
Mazda has certainly covered the market spectrum over time. Of the three I have driven, one was a mid- to late 80s pickup and the other two were Miatas. Not much commonality with those and a CX-9.
As far as CUVs go, this one is on the more attractive end. However, as with all CUVs there are elements that look way too much like those of other brands offerings. Then again, I suppose one could argue such has existed to some degree for a long time.
Just so I don’t sound all pessimistic, the interior certainly exudes a certain degree of class that is very inviting. Good taste never goes out of style and this interior is tasteful.
Jim, it’s obvious you’ve enjoyed all of your testers although this one seems to have made more of an impression on you than others. That alone seems to signify an inherent goodness in these.
While shopping for a three row crossover back in the spring we did take a look at a couple of these. The front seats are a much nicer place to be then the competition. It’s also quieter and better styled but after that if falls flat. As mentioned it’s not class competitive for cargo or rear seat space. The 2nd row of a Honda pilot is stretch limo in comparison never mind the third row. The cargo space while not as awful as I assumed in pictures is pretty bad. It also falls short on utility with much lower available towing then the competition. The pilot highlander and durango (even in penta star guise) seem to pull harder engine wise.
Now if your say, grandparents and rarely need all those seats or cargo space it’s a hell of a car but for the primary buyers of 3 row vehicles I think it misses the mark.
It’s kind of a shame because Mazda is doing a lot of things right but it’s not helping their sales much. My parents have a CX-5 (their 2nd one and before that a 6) and they love it. I have driven it a couple times and agree enough that a used 6 will be on my next commuter short list. Funny thing my father mentioned a couple weeks ago. He dropped the CX-5 at the dealer about 2 blocks from my house, and asked the guy how the CX-5s were selling. The dealer GM told him he wished he could get more. The lot had plenty of mazda6 and mazda3 and a few CX9’s, but the dealer said they don;t sell well, stated a full 80% of his volume was CX-5 followed by CX-3 then CX-9 and mazda3 where tied.
The third row is on the small size as compared to similar sized vehicles. But the second row has no issues, there is plenty of legroom there. My picture shows it with the second row pushed as far back as it will go and the seat in front of it adjusted for myself. Car&Driver measures the first and second row legroom as virtually identical between the two but the third row as having more legroom in the Pilot. I haven’t myself been in a recent Pilot but found the Mazda to “feel” similar in the back two rows to the Highlander which I am very familiar with.
As far as driving dynamics go, the Mazda has the Highlander beat. Towing capacity is the same as the Pilot but behind the Highlander and Atlas for example.
In AWD form with dealer add-on transmission cooler the Pilot is rated for 5k lbs towing like the Highlander Ascent etc. At least up-to 2020 they still had that option.
I have a 2016 Pilot we ended up buying (EX-L) and my In-laws have a Highlander (platinum). The 2nd row in the Mazda and the Highlander do feel very similar but the Pilot feels roomier (maybe width has something to do with it? It looks like it’s 2″ wider in the specs) Honestly the Pilot feels like one of the roomiest 2nd rows I have ever sat in which is one of the reasons we got it.
On driving dynamics the Pilot has plenty of power but a bit of a letdown on handling compared to the Mazda. My wife and I actually agreed the Durango seemed to be the best one for actual driving, (quiet nice ride great handling) but again the sheer size of the interior in the Pilot won out, which as I mentioned is a big driver in this segment.
I like what Mazda did and if you don’t need the space I like the Mazda but I can see why it’s not a giant sales success.
That makes sense. I believe you are correct in the Pilot width aspect, it came up during the Highlander review as well (in relation to a Passport, the 2row Pilot derivative).
Mazda is one of the few that doesn’t have a 2-row in this segment anymore after the most recent set of restyles (which eliminated the CX-7) so perhaps they are trying to straddle both – so yes if the third row or the absolute space aren’t the biggest purchase drivers then it becomes more competitive.
Perhaps Mazda needs to dial things up with a CX-11…
Any buyer’s remorse? 🙂
It’s clearly the best strategy for Mazda. The market is strongest in the higher price ranges, a trend that’s not likely to change any time soon.
I wouldn’t want to be the pedestrian that gets hit with that blade-like protuberance above the grille though. I guess there’s ways around the pedestrian impact regulations, which have more to do with overall shape and deformity of the hood.
Such a comprehensive well written review! And what a stunning vehicle! No CX-9 in ZA, but every time I see a CX-3 or 5 I stop to admire it. I find the 3’s looks more challenging, and local sales aren’t great. It’s beautiful in a boy racer kind of way, but out of step with the sober Golf and Polo GTI’s that rule the looks department here..
A SIL bought one of the original CX-9s and it impressed me as a really nicely done car during the time she had it. Your review confirms some other things I have read about how Mazda is really turning out a nice product these days.
My one question, as a guy who chooses for the long haul, is whether Mazda has fiiiiinnnnaly done something about rust-resistance. Mazda has been the one outlier (at least up through the models of about 7-10 years ago) in terms of being more likely to suffer from body rust.
How does this line up with some of the higher-level Kias and Hyundais? I am sure the Mazda has a nicer interior but the Koreans have been gaining ground in my experience.
The interior in the Mazda is nicer once actually experienced and touched if the design speaks to you. However the Telluride and Palisade are styled more blocklike (as is the VW Atlas) which pays dividends in rear room. Once completely loaded up the pricing isn’t altogether different across the board. The differences are likely to be less tangible in less equipped models. I don’t see any downside personally to owning a H/K product but realize there are some out there that still do. I think this is partially driving Mazda’s decisions to step things up a bit, as a somewhat smaller player they need to differentiate themselves somewhat. Their recent moves to add awd to the sedans (available on the 3, discussed for the 6) in their lineups and make the engines more powerful speaks to that as well.
We don’t see much rust around here, so can’t comment on that. I get the sense (through reading various places) it’s been improving significantly over the last few years to a decade but others will likely weigh in with their own anecdotes.
I bought a new 2019 CX-9 after being turned off by the 48K price tag for a year-old CPE Acura MD-X. Other than (very) slight disappointment at the 2.5 turbo 4 over a proper 6, I’m very satisfied.
I approached this purchase as follows – in a perfect world, I’d own a pickup truck, a 2 -seat sports car, and a decent-sized sedan. In the real world, I wanted a vehicle that had some attributes of each that I would not hate driving everyday, wouldn’t break the bank and that is reliable. I think this vehicle does all that better than anything else I can think of. I appreciate the stretch – out room in the passenger compartment (I have never used the third row but it’s nice to know its there in a pinch), for a large CUV it’s a blast to drive and it averages 24 MPG after a little over a year of ownership. There’s plenty of cargo room with the second row folded (and if I’m lugging stuff I’m probably not driving with more than one other person). It’s also got looks that make you turn around for one more glance as you walk away.
Finally, after incentives and other discounts, I paid 35k before tax, etc. (I got the Touring model with the luxury touring package which got me most of what Jim writes about here). I challenge anyone to find a vehicle that fills so many roles so well, for near that amount.
Very balanced and accurate review, Jim. My daily driver is a 2019 CX-9 Touring in Machine Grey, purchased new to replace my former Subaru Outback. As a two-kid, one-dog household, I don’t need a third row daily but did want one for the occasional friend or grandparent who might join us. I also wanted something well built and fun to drive. After test driving competition from Ford (Explorer and Flex), Honda (Pilot), Kia (the then very new Telluride) and Toyota (4Runner and Highlander) the Mazda was far and away the best overall package for us.
We have really enjoyed the car so far over the past 18 months and nearly 15,000 miles. It is very comfortable on road trips and while less capacious than some of the competition, we have never found ourselves lacking for space. I appreciate that it is quite a bit more fun to drive than my old Outback, and that it isn’t lost in a sea of Traverses and Explorers here in Central Michigan. We previously owned a 2010 Mazda3 and the CX-9 carries a lot of similarities in terms of its driving character even though it is significantly bigger. The build quality is flawless and it feels and looks much more expensive than it is.
I’m happy to hear the audio interface has been updated, as that is the one area of mine that I find very unimpressive. The interface loads extremely slow and sometimes will not accept inputs for several minutes upon start and I have regular issues with SiriusXM connectivity. I’m hoping a software refresh will at some point improve my system. Otherwise, the controls are very intuitive and do keep your eyes on the road much more so than any other vehicle with a touch interface.
We just took our 2019 in (again) for similar issues and they updated to the latest firmware. Seems to have actually fixed it for a change. Not sure if this was a new fix that was not done before or if there is a new version but this is the longest it has gone without an issue (knock-on-wood)
Thank you for sharing that. I’ll have to contact our dealer and see if I can get a firmware update myself. It really is a perfect car otherwise and would be great to remove that constant irritant from my daily commute.
Mazda has been an overlooked gem for years, and I don’t understand why they don’t have more market share than they do. The cars look and feel much more expensive than they are and have excellent driving dynamics.
I put my money where my mouth is and replaced my Cadillac CTS with a new Mazda 6 and have been very pleased with the car. Bought a 2007 Mazda 3 hatch for my stepson this summer, and that little car is a blast to drive. Feels very solid with no squeaks or rattles, despite its age and 115,000 miles. I prefer sedans to crossovers, but when my wife wants to replace her 2012 Outback, we’ll check out the CX-5 and CX-30.
We’ve got a 2019 in soul red. It’s been a pleasant surprise. We were looking at CPO luxury SUV’s to replace our leased CX-5 but ended up in a CX-9 because of strong lease pull-ahead, loyalty and end-of-year specials that made it too good of a deal to pass-up. It’s just an excellent package that works. Recently it was in a fender-bender and we ended up with a 2020 Mercedes GLE350 rental. When we got the Mazda back I found I liked it better than the Benz. It had better low-end torque, handling, and features even though it cost $20k less. While I realize the third row is snug compared to a Highlander and Pilot, those are really minivan alternatives. The CX-9 works much better as a budget RX350 (two-row), X5 or GLE.
I was very impressed by the design and quality of the interior. The fit and finish look outstanding. I don’t look at new cars very much anymore. All cars have improved over the years. I bought a two year 2004 Acura TSX for my Son and I was bowled over by the beauty of the interior at the time. It was even better than the ’97 CL he had before. In light Palomino leather it was gorgeous and smelled great. It was even better than my ’94 Cadillac Seville. Last Summer I rented a new Grand Caravan for our trip to Oregon. The interior of my ’97 Town and Country LXI wasn’t as nice. The Caravan had a nice design and appeared to be of high quality, but it of course, could not compete with a high end Mazda like this. I think that a lot of the curmudgeons on the site, like myself, would be very surprised by how nice all types of new cars have become. They may be nice, but I just don’t want to spend the money. Thanks for the tour.
As usual, Jim, you’ve given us another thoughtful, informative review. With the usual stunning photography.
We’re very pleased with our 2015 Mazda 3, and I hope that Mazda’s recent shift in market strategy works for them. They seem to offer the most appealing vehicles to me at this time.
But…there’s a few things that significantly annoy me in our 3, and they seem to be present in this CX-9, even though it’s a completely different vehicle. First, those fat A-pillars are just as big an obstruction in our 3, and it’s a nuisance to have to consciously lean forward to look around them to see if the path is clear. Also, it’s too bad that this CX-9 still has the same HVAC mode button for airflow. You end up taking far too much time looking away from the road to achieve the correct airflow direction you want. That the icon is so tiny doesn’t help. It’s too bad, as I’d like a Mazda for our next vehicle – for my wife.
As for me, I think I’m destined to be another of those old guys in an old Toyota wagon type vehicle, like in Paul’s post a day or two ago.
Great review Jim. I’ve never driven one of these but they are fairly common on the streets of Tokyo. In this segment my favorites are the Volvo XC90 and the Audi Q7, but as you mention this CX-9 is just as nice and is priced thousands less.
Relatedly, I bought a set of Falkens to replace the factory Michelins on the C30 two years or so ago – they’ve been great; handle well and still have plenty of tread. I’ll likely buy another set.
This is a flawless review. I often help friends pick what their next car is. The Mazdas are always described as, “I KNOW you really want a BMW or Volvo but try the Mazda. The do. They’re impressed but something subtle always knocks it out of the running. It’s called snob appeal. I almost veered towards the CX-5 instead of our 2016 Volvo XC60. Honestly, the two reasons for me were no power folding side mirrors (as far as I can tell, they’re not on any Mazda) and the dealer experience. I love a loaner and Mazda doesn’t play that game. Otherwise, you’re a fool not to get one.
Jim, another thoughtful and comprehensive write-up! I sense you are an eighties music fan? I exclusively listen to 80s/90s: Smiths/Morrissey, Cure, Erasure, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, OMD (the list could go on and on).