2021 Mazda CX-9

The 2021 Mazda CX-9 is a formidable SUV, owing to its agile handling, luxurious interiors, good safety quotient, and great performance at its price point. The new Mazda CX-9 is available in five trims namely the Sport, Touring, Carbon Edition, Grand Touring, and Signature. The price starts at $34,160 and goes up to $46,805 for the Signature trim. It faces competition from the likes of Honda Passport, Acura RDX, and Jeep Grand Cherokee L.

The CX-9 is available in five trims namely the Sport, Touring, Carbon Edition, Grand Touring, and Signature. Even with seating for up to seven passengers, the CX-9 does not lose out on its agile handling, luxurious interior, and peppy turbocharged engine across all the trims. As you climb the trim ladder, many creature comforts and driver assistance features add up to pamper you.

Which trim should you buy?

We would suggest the Touring trim as it costs about $35,950 for the FWD version and offers features like a keyless entry system, leather upholstery, power, and height-adjustable liftgate, power-adjustable front seats, etc. If you need more traction, you can opt for the AWD configuration. You also have the option to select the Touring premium package which adds a moonroof, Bose premium audio system, wireless phone charger, etc.

The 2021 CX-9 is powered by a 2.5L inline-4 engine producing about 250 HP and 320 lb-ft of torque on higher octane fuel and the figures drop to 227 HP and 310 lb-ft of torque with regular octane gas.

It is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission which provides satisfactory shifts and comes with front-wheel-drive configuration as standard. You can opt for an AWD configuration by paying about $1900 extra. The acceleration is brisk and a 0-60 mph sprint is done in about 7.1 seconds, which is good considering its size and weight

The Grand Cherokee L comes with a larger engine and has the most firepower of the lot. The CX-9 might be less powerful when compared to the competition but it offers class-leading torque. The Passport offers the best acceleration times and a higher top speed of 139 mph. The Acura RDX accelerates well and comes with a 10-speed auto transmission. More gear ratios would have been better in the CX-9, but we are not complaining as the performance is good.

How well does the 2021 Mazda CX-9 handle?

The 2021 Mazda CX-9 is a proper seven-seater crossover SUV. However, it offers an engaging driving experience. It doesn’t feel like a big SUV while driving and it drives like a smaller car. The suspension is tuned towards the stiffer side but it won’t be much of a problem over road undulations. A peppy engine and slightly stiffer suspension is a perfect recipe for sporty driving. 

So, overall the ride quality is comfortable. The steering is precise and light as we expected but misses out on the communicative nature of other Mazda cars. The stiffer suspension and accurate steering help in better cornering capability than other SUVs in its segment. So, we can say that the handling is one of the USPs of the Mazda CX-9.

2021 Mazda CX-9 Braking Performance 

The 2021 CX-9 offers very good braking performance. It gets disc brakes in the front and the rear too. It is equipped with 12.6-inch and 12.8-inch rotors at the front and rear respectively. The rotors work well with the standard ABS system and bring the CX-9 to a complete halt from 60 mph within 123 feet of stopping distance. Considering the weight of 4317 lbs and exterior dimensions of the CX-9, it is commendable.

The Grand Cherokee L is the bulkiest of the lot and it also gets larger-diameter rotors at both ends. Even with all that bulk and resulting momentum, it stops at about 125 feet of stopping distance. The Passport stops at about 126 feet when braked from 60 mph. The star of the show is the Acura RDX with just 116 feet of stopping distance from its smaller rotors at both ends. 

The 2021 CX-9 is one of the most fuel-efficient cars in the segment. It offers 22 mpg, 28 mpg, and 24 mpg, in the city, on the highways, and in mixed driving conditions. With a fuel tank capacity of 19.0 gallons, you can expect a range of 418 miles, 532 miles, and 456 miles, in the city, on the highways, and in combined driving conditions. The efficiency figures are good considering the performance, weight, and turbocharged nature of the engine.

The Grand Cherokee L comes with a gas-guzzling V-6 engine and is equipped with a larger fuel tank of 24.6 gallons. As a result, it can offer up to 516 miles in combined driving conditions despite lesser combined efficiency of just 21 mpg. The Acura RDX offers the same fuel efficiency as that of CX-9 but owing to a smaller fuel tank, it offers less range on a full tank of gas. The Honda Passport can travel up to 429 miles in combined driving conditions, from its 19.5-gallon fuel tank.

The 2021 Mazda CX-9 features one of the luxurious interiors in its segment. The cabin sees the use of top-notch quality materials and elegant styling. But the passenger and cargo space could have been better. The dashboard is cleverly designed and controls are kept well in reach to provide an ergonomic position for the passengers. The seats provide a relaxed and comfortable posture for the body and support it well during cornering as well. 

You get many features like a leather-trimmed steering wheel and shift knob, heated front seats, steering mounted controls, rearview camera, front door pocket illumination, three-zone climate control, remote keyless entry as standard. As you move up the ladder features like Nappa leather upholstery, aluminum accents, and genuine rosewood inlays, etc, become a common sight. The Carbon Edition gets special red leather-trimmed upholstery which gives it a distinctive look. 

The CX-9 is a compact crossover and offers seating for six or seven passengers depending on the trim you opt for. It gets just 14.4 cu-ft of cargo space which can be extended by folding the rear seats. The Passport and RDX being five-seater SUVs, offer better cargo capacity. The Grand Cherokee L also comes with three rows and offers 17.2 cu-ft of cargo space. Some of the standout interior features of the 2021 CX-9 are:

• Heated front seats
• Steering mounted controls 
• Leather-trimmed steering wheel and shift knob
• Genuine Santos Rosewood interior inlays (Signature trim)
• Nappa leather-trimmed seat (Signature trim)
• Ventilated front seats (GT and Signature trim)
• Paddle Shifters (Carbon, GT, and Signature trim)
• 7-inch LCD Meter Display (GT and Signature trim)

What’s in the 2021 Mazda CX-9 to keep you entertained?

The 2021 CX-9 gets an upgraded infotainment system with a 10.25-inch touchscreen display which is powered by Mazda Connect software. It also gets voice command, HD Radio, multifunction commander control, radio broadcast data system, and SMS text message audio delivery and reply as standard. It also gets support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which is very much necessary these days. 

As you climb up the trim ladder, you get a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system at your disposal. You also get support for Sirius XM, navigation system, Traffic, and Travel Link services with a complimentary 3-year subscription. Also, the presence of wireless charging adds convenience for the passengers. Some of the standout infotainment features of the 2021 CX-9 are:

• 10.25-inch touchscreen display
• Voice command
• Mazda Connect Interface
• Apple CarPlay 
• Android Auto 
• 6-speaker audio system (standard)
• 12-speaker Bose Audio system (GT and signature)
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio

The 2021 Mazda CX-9 is designed on the basis of Mazda’s KODO design principles. The CX-9 looks sleek and modern, thanks to its fluidic curves and aerodynamic design. The front fascia imbibes the signature Mazda grille with logo on it and thin LED headlights gives it an interesting face. The front bumper looks like one with the front fascia and merges very well with it.

The side profile is smooth and the absence of aggressive character lines gives it a subtle yet refined look. The sloping roofline and tapering roof makes the SUV look quite more compact than it actually is. At the rear slim LED taillights and dual exhaust, outlets blend well with the overall design. The Carbon Edition gets a polymetal gray metallic paint for the exterior and it looks, unlike any paint finishes you might have seen on a car.

The 2021 CX-9 comes with a higher ground clearance than its competition. The Grand Cherokee L comes close to it with 8.5-inches of clearance. The Passport comes with lower ground clearance and RDX gets better ground clearance than it. The Grand Cherokee L is the longest of all and comes with a longer wheelbase of 121.7-inches. The CX-9 gets a shorter wheelbase which helps with better handling but reduces legroom for the rear passengers. Some of the standout exterior features of the 2021 CX-9 are:

• LED headlights with auto on/off
• LED taillights
• A body-color rear roofline spoiler
• Heated power side mirrors
• Rear privacy glass 
• Dual exhaust outlets
• Polymetal gray metallic paint (Carbon Edition)

The 2021 Mazda CX-9 is equipped with an i-Activsense suite of safety features. The suite includes Blind spot monitoring, available driver attention alert, available automatic braking systems, etc, in addition to rear-cross traffic alert, high beam control, lane departure monitoring, lane keep assist, hill launch assist, etc. as standard. Overall, the CX-9 offers many more safety features as a standard than its competitors. Some of the standout safety features of the 2021 CX-9 are:

• Trailer stability control
• Lane-keep assist
• Blind spot monitoring
• Rear-cross traffic alert 
• Smart brake support with collision warning
• High beam control

2021 Mazda CX-9 V/S 2021 Honda Passport 

The 2021 CX-9 offers seating for up to seven passengers and offers better fuel efficiency than the Honda Passport. The Passport offers better headroom and legroom across both rows.

It also offers better performance and comes with a bigger V-6 engine. The CX-9 looks more modern and offers very luxurious seating appointments. The Passport cannot match the number of standard safety features available in the CX-9

2021 Mazda CX-9 V/S 2021 Acura RDX 

The 2021 Acura RDX is a premium offering from the house of Honda. It offers the same fuel efficiency as that of the CX-9 and comes with a smaller 2.0L turbocharged engine, producing more firepower.

It also offers better acceleration and is lighter than the CX-9. The CX-9 comes with well-designed interiors and a standard set of many safety features as compared to the RDX. 

2021 Mazda CX-9 V/S 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

The 2021 Grand Cherokee L is a bigger SUV than the CX-9. It comes with a bigger engine and better off-road capability than the CX-9. On the other hand, the CX-9 looks more refined and the interior features are more functional and aesthetically sound than the Grand Cherokee L.

Both the cars get three rows, but the Grand Cherokee can seat the passengers in better comfort. The Jeep Grand Cherokee L is also considerably more expensive than the CX-9.

The new Mazda CX-9 is a well-balanced package from Mazda. It looks good, provides good fuel efficiency, comes with more safety features as standard, and is priced well in its segment. The interiors get a luxurious and elegant feel plus the creature comforts in the cabin make you feel pampered. It also handles very well considering its size and not many SUVs can come close to its level of fit and finish in every department.