2019 Mazda CX-9 Review

The 2019 Mazda CX-9 is one of the highest-rated vehicles on Edmunds. On a rather superficial level, we like it for its styling that makes rival midsize SUVs seem generic by comparison. The same holds true for the interior of the top Signature trim, which rivals the cabins of some luxury-branded vehicles for materials quality.

It's not all about looks for the CX-9 either. It drives exceptionally well compared to rivals, with confident and almost sporty handling. Thankfully, this cornering prowess doesn't come at the expense of comfort, as the CX-9 smooths over the rough stuff with ease. We also commend it for its quiet cabin at highway speeds.

The CX-9 does have a few weaknesses, though. If you need a three-row family hauler with exceptional cargo space, this isn't the vehicle for you. The same goes for the amount of room for third-row passengers. Still, it's fair to say that the CX-9 is still big enough to meet the needs of the typical crossover SUV shopper.

In the end, the 2019 Mazda CX-9's positive attributes far outweigh its space issues. It's definitely worth considering against any other midsize three-row SUV such as the Honda Pilot, Subaru Ascent and Volkswagen Atlas.

Notably, we picked the 2019 Mazda CX-9 as one of Edmunds' Best Family SUVs, Best Midsize SUVs, and Best Gas Mileage SUVs for this year.

What's it like to live with?

To learn more about the Mazda CX-9 of this generation, read about our editors' experiences from a full year and 20,000 miles of driving a 2016 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring. We cover everything from seat comfort to real-world fuel economy. We found the CX-9 to be one of the most fun and best-looking SUVs around, but its cargo space might not be enough for some shoppers. Note that the 2019 Mazda CX-9 differs from our long-term 2016 CX-9 in that it offers more standard features and a retuned suspension. It's the same generation, though, so most of our observations still apply.

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of a Mazda CX-9 Signature (turbo 2.5L inline-4 | 6-speed automatic | AWD).

NOTE: Since this test was conducted in 2016, the CX-9 has received some minor revisions. Our findings remain applicable to this year's model, however.