I am buying a new car and have decided on the final three: Toyota Highlander,
Lincoln Corsair, and a Mazda CX9. I would like to hear which one you would choose?
The Corsair is much smaller, with 2 rows, compared to the other two. Do you need 3 rows?
I have 2 kids close in age (boys 7 and 6), I would get either the Highlander or the CX9. The 3rd row is helpful to prevent fights, but I can put them together if I need the 3rd row down to transport stuff.
Not necessarily, but may be nice in a pinch. Plus we also travel back & forth between Arizona & Washington once a year
Then try out the other two, both are good.
The CX9 would be the more entertaining drive but only if it feels roomy enough for your family, The highlander would be better all around. You can really get into personal preference here. Sort of the same suv’s my brother was looking at but the Mazda wasn’t on the list because they have no local dealer.
The Toyota will outlast the other 2 because the quality and reliabilty is better.When the time comes to sell it, you will get more $$$ for it.
Mazda isn’t really that far behind Toyota anymore. Depending on the model (and I’d include the CX9, I have several friends who have them from 2016-2020 and they all love the CX9), I’d probably put Mazda ahead of Honda, honestly.
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Agreed! Honda quality went down in recent years
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I was looking at the Mazda, take a long test drive on the highway and see which is the most comfortable for your wife. My wife has a bad back and passenger seat controls, lumbar up down, heated etc. are something she appreciates.
This is the very first year of the Highlander redesign so that is something to consider whether you want to buy a first year model car .
The first year model doesn’t bother. As far as design, my head says Highlander,
my heart says CX9. I believe they are both competent vehicles.
Get the one you like most. You have to live with it for a decade. Also, take them both for a long test drive to make sure they are comfortable enough. Sit in all three rows too. The third row can be tight.
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Another vote for the Mazda or Toyota.
As to your debate between your head and your heart, the good news is that it’s not like you’re buying a problem-child if you follow your heart. That’s a really good vehicle Mazda has made. Toyota is extremely reliable but it is also extremely boring - so much so that when the company finally decided to make the Supra again, they had to have BMW make it. Mazda is good on the reliability front, and more fun to boot.
And that’s coming from a guy who owns two Toyotas.
But at the end,you will get better trade in value for your Toyota.
Maybe? Who’s to say what kind of rep Mazda’s gonna have in 10 years. 10 years ago Honda had a sterling rep, and now they’ve seriously stumbled. There’s no guarantee that Toyota won’t do the same thing. All it takes is retirement of the people who keep the company grounded in quality, and getting them replaced by some doltish MBA who only thinks in quarterly P/L statements.
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According to Edmunds true cost to own calculations, the Mazda will cost about $10,000 more than the Toyota over 5 years, mostly depreciation.
+1 to this argument (from the guy who sues Honda for lemon with unrepaired brakes after 7 warranty repair attempts)
our family experience with Mazda 3 is great so far: reliable, fun, and now after we owned it for 2 1/2 years, apparently it lost under $1500 (estimated) from the time we bought it (used, 4-years old at a time of purchase), so it was all positive, at least for us
Mazda CX9 sales were apparently sluggish, so it may be a bargain if you are a good negotiator
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That’s fine if you sell your car in 5 years or so, but we keep ours for at least 10, and usually longer. By the time we get rid of them, depreciation is of little interest. Many people do sell after short ownership periods.
I do like the True Cost to Own tool, though. One of the most interesting things is that maintenance costs now are usually much higher than repair costs. That speaks well for the reliability of new cars.
If Mazda depreciates that much, then maybe a 2 yr old CPO would be the win win.
I had a 2010 CX-9, it was the Ford engine and Aisin transmission combination. Bought it as CPO with 20K Miles and sold at 60K miles. I got a good deal on the purchase price, did a DIY navigation and rear view camera on the car while I had it and I think when I sold it, I only lost $1700 total minus the sales tax. That was 3 years of ownership.
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