2019 Mazda CX-9 vs Nissan Pathfinder

What's the difference?

The previous CX-9 was excellent and now the new one fills in many of the gaps which were missing such as the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the safety tech standard across all grades and great ride and handling. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better large seven-seater all-rounder without stepping into the $100K prestige territory.

The Touring is the sweet spot in the CX-9 with its leather seats, 8.0-inch display and good price.

The Nissan Pathfinder Ti is outstanding in its practicality and value, while offering a comfortable premium feeling experience with materials that feel hard wearing and will put up with the punishment families can throw its way.

Nothing has changed to the exterior of the CX-9 in this 2018 update – but that's a good thing, because this is a striking and beautifully styled SUV. More a tall, sleek wagon than upright boxy SUV, there's that in-your-face grille, the long nose the set-back cabin and the hatchback rear end. The only element which irks me are the taillights – they seem a bit small for that big bottom.

All CX-9s look almost identical on the outside, but you can tell the higher grades form their larger-sized wheels and LED fog lights.

There's not much in the way of a body kit, but there is that subtle roof top spoiler, that sculpted front bumper and the little shark fin antenna.

The cabin is a premium feeling place (have a look at the images) – this is Mazda flagship after all. Materials feel soft to touch even on the dash and door sills back and front, while there's a high-quality fit and finish throughout. With big interior dimensions this is also a roomy place, despite that sloping roofline.

The Azami LE is by far the most decadent grade with its nappa leather upholstery and real wood trim. Mazda was not able to tell me what type of wood has been used and could only go as far as confirming it was real wood, however, in the United States the top-grade CX-9, known as the Signature, uses a similar looking material and officially calls it rosewood.

Mazda also told me that the adhesives and materials used in the cabin were also chosen to minimise bad smells – not from the people in it but from the leather's plastics and glues. If only all car companies would care enough to do this – some new car smells make my eyes water.

At almost 5.1 metres long, nearly 2.0m wide and getting onto 1.8m tall you'll need a pretty big garage to house the CX-9.

Interesting, you say? The Pathfinder Ti has presence, that’s for sure, with a solid stance and a tough face. It’s handsome, in a rugged off-road way, even though it’s not a serious four-wheel drive like the Nissan Patrol or Navara ute that you’d take across demanding terrain.

The Ti’s interior has the same tough but premium look to it, with plush materials and soft padding everywhere your body touches while sitting in the driver’s seat.

The foot parking brake isn’t nice - it’s an American thing.

The centre console does look a bit dated with its multitude of buttons, but a mate who has a new Pathfinder says that, while it’s a bit old school, he finds it intuitive to use.

The foot parking brake isn’t nice. It’s an American thing, and while it does have a satisfying effect of making you confident that your SUV isn’t going to roll off, I’ve driven tractors that feel less agricultural.

Let’s look at the HMAS Pathfinder’s dimensions because this is a big ship. Measuring more than five metres in length and nearly two metres across, the Pathfinder Ti is long and wide, but not very tall at just over 1.7m. So underground carparks will be fine for height, but where you may be challenged is finding spaces big enough to park in out on the street.

There are a stack of reasons to buy a seven-seater. You may have a big family and really need the third row, or you're just a small family that likes to pack a truck-load of gear for holidays while having a couple of extra seats just in case you're put on the spot after picking the kids up from karate and end up with more ninjas to drop home.

There are other seven-seaters where those third-row seats are just a bonus – the Santa Fe is a bit like that, but SUVs such as the CX-9, Kluger and Sorento offer much better room back there.

Even at 191cm tall I can sit in the third row comfortably, with just enough head and legroom. That said, I wouldn't want to be there for an epic road trip, but it's fine for kids and shorter adults.

Legroom in the second row is excellent – I can sit behind my driving position with about 10cm of space between my knees and the seat back – headroom isn't as generous as the Kluger or Sorento but there's still plenty, even for me.

If you're lifting babies and children into car seats you may find that coupe styling to the roofline makes the process a little harder – it did for me with our little one.

Also, this SUV is fairly high up. I've had my toddler do a face plant falling out of one while trying to climb in. Oh, don't judge me.

Entry into the third row is made easier by a 60:40 folding second row on rails. It's also good to see that the smaller foldable section is on the curb side of the car.

The CX-9's boot space with the third row down is outstanding at 810 litres (VDA) – the Kluger can only manage 529 litres and even with those back seats in place the luggage capacity is 230 litres, check out my video above where I demonstrate the size with a live human being.

Storage in the cabin is also excellent with six cupholders (two in the first row, two in second and the others in the third) and all grades above the Sport come with storage in the fold-down centre armrest, which also contains a USB port.

All CX-9s come with a USB port up front in the giant split-opening centre console bin and a 12-volt power outlet in the cargo area.

The Pathfinder’s interior is enormous and the number of storage places and access to power outlets is excellent.

First, legroom in the second row is fantastic. I’m 191cm tall and can sit behind my driving position with about 10cm of space between my knees and the seat back. If I slide that second-row forward to narrow the gap to about two centimetres, I can then sit behind that seat in the third row with about the same amount of room. I can’t do that in a CX-9 or Sorento, but I can in the Acadia.

Headroom is also plentiful in the second row even with the Ti’s sunroof, although I had to dip my head to sit in the third row because of the sunroof housing. I need to do the same in the third row of the top-grade Acadia with its sunroof.

Of the seven-seat SUVs I’ve tested this year (Holden Acadia, Mazda CX-9, Hyundai Santa Fe, Tiguan AllSpace, Volvo XC90, Skoda Kodiaq), the award for easiest rear row to climb into goes to the Pathfinder. Look at my (very bad) photos – the seat base of the second row folds up and the whole thing slides forward, given you plenty of room and great foot placement areas. Also outstanding are the hand grips on the inside of the door frame for children to hold onto as they step up.

Cabin storage is outstanding for the class, with a giant double-layered centre console bin under the armrest that houses two USB ports and a 12-volt outlet, plus there’s a tray in front of the shifter with two 12-volt outlets, as well as slots for papers and books on the side of the console. Second-row riders also have two USB charging points and a media USB port.

Thirsty? The Nissan Pathfinder Ti has 10 cup holders. Two in the front, four in the second row and another four in the third. All doors have big bottle holders, too.

There’s good storage under the boot floor, although the amp for the Bose sound system and the tyre inflation kit do eat into it a bit. If you’re looking for the spare, it’s under the car and it’s a space-saver version.

The cargo capacity with the rear seats folded flat is 1354 litres, and with all seats in place the boot space is 453 litres.

Finally, there’s climate control in the second row, and there are air-vents everywhere you look - including in the third row.

The Pathfinder Ti grade is priciest in the range, and it comes in three forms: a front-wheel-drive petrol, a four-wheel-drive petrol, and a hybrid four-wheel drive. Our test car was the petrol 4WD and it lists for $66,190, making it about $25k more than the entry grade Pathfinder ST 2WD – which is a grade you should check out if you think unloading almost 70 grand on an SUV is a bit much.

That said, you’re getting a lot in return for your money with the Ti.

Coming standard in the cabin is a 13-speaker Bose stereo, a DVD player and a three-zone entertainment system with an eight-inch touchscreen up the front and seat-back screens for the second row, along with two sets of wireless headphones. There’s also leather upholstery, power adjustable front seats with heating and cooling functions, three-zone climate control, an around-view camera, sat nav and a push-button ignition.

A proximity key means you just need the fob in your pocket or bag to unlock or lock the car, and a gesture tailgate lets you just ‘swish’ your foot under the rear bumper to open the boot.

The exterior gets LED headlights and running lights, tinted glass in the second and third row windows, door mirrors that tilt-down when reversing, roof rails and a pair of sun roofs (one over the front seats and one over the second row).

You can also accessorise the heck out of your Pathfinder. In fact, there are three pages of add-ons at the Nissan Australia website - check out the snowboard carrier, for example.

Rivals to the Pathfinder are everywhere. There is the Toyota Kluger, the Holden Acadia, the Mazda CX-9, the Kia Sorento … the list goes on. But the Pathfinder holds its own among this crowd, particularly in practicality, which we’re just about to get to.

What’s missing? Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. These functions mirror your smart phone on the media screen, and they are incredibly useful for keeping your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

All CX-9s have the same engine – it's a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol that makes 170kW and 420Nm. That's simple isn't it? Also simple is this: all CX-9 have the same six-speed automatic transmission.

Every grade apart from the Azami LE comes with a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The Azami LE is purely all-wheel drive.

The Pathfinder is available with a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine making 202kW and 340Nm, or a hybrid petrol-electric powertrain. Ours had the petrol V6, which was introduced in February 2017.

Maximum torque does come in quite high, at 4800revs, which isn’t ideal for fuel economy, but not unusual in big V6 engines such as the one in the Pathfinder and the Holden Acadia.

The transmission is a CVT and it’s one of the best I’ve used, which is saying something because I’m not a big fan of this type of auto as they tend to cause the engine to drone and offer pretty lacklustre acceleration.

This CVT is a revised unit, and it feels so much like a regular automatic that I had to double check the tech sheet to make sure.

Our test car was the 4x4 version of the Ti, and had a braked towing capacity of 2700kg.

Big car, big drinker? The CX-9 used to be back when it had a V6, but not any more. The turbo-four is efficient, with Mazda saying that front-wheel drive version will use 8.4L/100km, while all-wheel drives will use 8.8L/100km after a combination of open and urban roads. You'll also only need to feed it 91 RON – that's the cheap petrol.

My testing on the launch saw me use 10.3L/100km, according to the car's trip computer, but I was really getting into those roads and stamping on that accelerator like it was a funnel web spider, so for it still to be that low is great.

According to Nissan, the V6 petrol with four-wheel drive should use 10.1L/100km on a combination of open and urban roads.

I tested that myself, and found that after 190km and driving with the mode selector in Auto (allowing the Pathfinder to choose between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive on the fly) I was using 11.49L/100km. I measured this at the petrol pump. The trip computer said 10.9L/100km.

That’s not terrible mileage considering I was punishing the Pathfinder everyday sitting in traffic and only clocking up motorway miles on the weekend.

There is no way to make a 5.1m long, 2.0m wide, two-tonne SUV feel small in a supermarket car park and you'll feel its size particularly in multi-storey ones as you navigate the HMAS CX-9 up through the levels. I've lived with a CX-9 and I'm not ashamed to admit that I find it tricky to manoeuvre in tight spaces. But you have AEB, rear cross-traffic alert, parking sensors at the back and good visibility to make it as easy as it possibly can be.

Get the CX-9 out on the street, though, and it feels a lot less cumbersome. And on the open road the CX-9 is brilliant. Not only does it just much up miles in comfort, it has such great handling ability that it defies my logic.

In this update Mazda says it has refined the driving experience while making the SUV more responsive though suspension and steering changes. A thicker material behind the headlining in the ceiling has also been used to keep the cabin even quieter, too.

The result? A ride that's knocking on the door of German prestige SUVs and great dynamics.

Even on the 20-inch wheels and 50-profile tyres fitted to the Azami LE I tested at the launch, the ride was outstanding while the handling was excellent. Pushing the Azami LE hard in the corners should have had something of this size and weight leaning on its door handles, but a moment after entering the turn the CX-9 was able to compose itself, hunker down and hold its line in a controlled and planted way.

The Azami LE is all-wheel drive only, but the front-wheel drive version for the base grade Sport and the FWD Azami I drove felt just as composed with great body control and impressive handling ability for the class. In some ways the Sport being lighter and on smaller wheels and higher profile tyres meant the ride was more comfortable and acceleration a bit better.

That engine is a good thing, although part of me misses the old V6 from years ago for its smoothness and torque. The 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo has enough grunt and it's fuel efficient, but to me a six-cylinder suits this big flagship better.

The Pathfinder Ti looks like a bit of a beast, but it’s an easy and comfortable SUV to pilot, despite it being so long and wide. The photos that go with this review are taken at the top of an eight-storey carpark with narrow ramps. The Acadia and CX-9 were trickier to navigate up those ramps than the Pathfinder, mainly because the Nissan offered such good visibility through its giant windows.

Out on the road, the Pathfinder Ti had a comfortable ride, although it was a bit challenged by fast bends. Yup, the Pathfinder isn’t agile, it’s happier to cruise than corner.

Those front seats are big and comfy, the steering is light and that engine has plenty of grunt that it delivers it smoothly and controllably. I found the accelerator pedal to be a bit light and the brake pedal to be too high, but owners will get used to these small quirks.

If you're thinking seriously about off-roading, go for the Nissan Patrol.

The adaptive cruise control worked perfectly for me. I liked the way I could nudge the speed up in 1km/h increments, too, rather than 5km/h like you find on some cars.

A head-up display would be good, though, especially given other car makers are offering them, even on base grades, like with the CX-9.

Do you need all-wheel drive? Nope, but I like the extra traction that it provides and, in wet weather, it offers another layer of safety. If you can afford it, get it. As for off-roading, well you only have a ground clearance of 181mm and while there's hill descent control, there isn't a low-range 4WD gear.

If you're thinking seriously about off-roading, go for the Nissan Patrol - that'll go pretty much anywhere.

The Pathfinder has the maximum five-star ANCAP rating, but keep in mind that this score was given to it in 2013. The good news is that in 2017 the Pathfinder was updated with some much-needed advanced safety equipment such as AEB, adaptive cruise control and rear cross-traffic alert.

The Ti grade comes with blind-spot warning and Moving Object Detection - which monitors for movement behind the car and will automatic brake the vehicle if it senses something moving close behind it. It’s great for carparks where there could be children or cars moving about.

For child seats, there are three top tethers points and two ISOFIX mounts in the second row, while the third has a top tether point on just the right-side seat.

The second row folds 60:40, but the bigger part is on the left-hand side of the car, which is fine for left-hand-drive countries, where the smaller and easier-to-slide section is on their kerb side, but that’s the traffic side here in Australia.

The CX-9 is covered by Mazda's five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended at 12 month or 10,000km intervals. Servicing is capped and switch from $329 for the first visit, $371 for the next and then back to $329 for five services.

The Pathfinder is covered by Nissan’s three-year/100,000km warranty. Nissan is now falling behind in a broad industry shift to longer coverage. Ford, Holden, Mazda, Kia, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Skoda now all have five-year warranties and it would be good to see Nissan offer the same. It’s for this reason that the Pathfinder has scored this lower mark for ownership.

Servicing is recommended every 12 months or 10,000km. Capped price servicing is offered, with the first costing $289, the second $302, the third $399, and the fourth $343.

Going by Nissan’s service price guide, after 120,000km you’d have paid $4538 in servicing costs. That’s excellent value.