Mazda CX-9 Overview: Generations, Specs and Which One to Buy

Mazda CX-9 overview covering all generations from 2006 to present, with specs and buying advice — useful if you're researching mazda cx 9 reliability before choosing a used example.

The Mazda CX-9 is a 5-door SUV produced from 2006 to the present, with power outputs ranging from 227 to 277 hp across its history. It suits drivers who want a large family SUV with automatic-only transmissions and a choice of FWD or 4x4. Shoppers comparing mazda cx 9 reliability across model years should start by understanding how the generations differ, since the engine lineup changed completely between the first and second generations.

Mazda CX-9 generations

1 generation (2006–2009)

The first-generation Mazda CX-9 was built from 2006 to 2009 as a 5-door SUV with 263–277 hp, offered in four modifications with an automatic transmission and either FWD or 4x4. The flagship 3.7 AT (277 hp) used a 3726 cc engine; in 4x4 form it accelerated to 100 km/h in 10.1 seconds with fuel consumption of 11.3 l/100km. The same 3.7 AT (277 hp) was also sold with FWD, using the identical 3726 cc engine and automatic transmission, so first-generation buyers had a drivetrain choice within a single engine option.

1 generation, restyling (2009–2012)

The first restyling ran from 2009 to 2012 and simplified the range to a single modification: the 3.7 AT with 277 hp, a 3726 cc engine, automatic transmission and 4x4. It kept the same 10.1-second acceleration and 11.3 l/100km consumption as the pre-facelift 4x4 version, and the FWD option was dropped from the lineup.

1 generation, restyling 2 (2012–2015)

The second restyling, sold from 2012 to 2015, again offered one modification — the 3.7 AT (277 hp, 3726 cc, automatic, 4x4) with 10.1-second acceleration and 11.3 l/100km fuel consumption. Mechanically the numbers are identical to the 2009–2012 car, meaning the 3.7-litre engine served the model unchanged for nine years, from 2006 through 2015.

2 generation (2015–2020)

The second-generation Mazda CX-9 (2015–2020) switched to a 2488 cc engine across three modifications, with power of 231–254 hp, automatic transmissions and FWD or 4x4. The 2.5 AT (254 hp) was the volume version in FWD form and was also offered with 4x4, while the 2.5 AT (231 hp) with 4x4 reached 100 km/h in 8.6 seconds and consumed 9.2 l/100km — quicker and more frugal than any first-generation variant despite an engine roughly two-thirds the displacement of the old 3726 cc unit.

2 generation, restyling (2020–present)

The current restyled second generation, on sale from 2020, offers a single modification: the 2.5T AT with 227 hp from a 2488 cc engine, automatic transmission and 4x4. It matches the pre-facelift 231 hp car's figures of 8.6 seconds to 100 km/h and 9.2 l/100km, and its 227 hp is the lowest output in the model's history — 50 hp below the first-generation flagship.

Which Mazda CX-9 to buy

On the used market, the single-modification restyled first-generation cars (2009–2015) make shopping simple: every 3.7 AT is the same 277 hp, automatic, 4x4 combination, so there are no drivetrain variants to sort through. Second-generation cars (2015 onward) are newer and add the FWD option, so checking which drivetrain a specific car has is worthwhile.

Which Mazda CX-9 to avoid

The first-generation 3.7 AT versions are dominated on the numbers: the 2.5 AT (231 hp) of the second generation is both faster (8.6 vs 10.1 seconds to 100 km/h) and more economical (9.2 vs 11.3 l/100km) despite giving up 46 hp. Choose a 3.7 AT only if the 277 hp figure itself is the priority.