Ever since we got a look at the 2024 Mazda CX-90, the fate of the beloved CX-9 was sealed. Mazda had already said the CX-9 and CX-90 wouldn’t get the green light to coexist like the CX-5 and CX-50, raising the question of how long the CX-9 would get. The automaker has answered that question, letting everyone know in just 78 words that the CX-9 retires at the end of the 2023 model year.
It’s been quite the run for Mazda’s three-row family hauler, posting consistent sales figures from the time it arrived here as a 2007 model. Well received from the outset, it’s been a critical darling but never a big seller. Dealers sold 25,566 units in the U.S. in 2007. Sales dipped below 20,000 units toward the end of the first-generation SUV’s life. But since the second-gen’s first full year on sale, the CX-9 has only made more friends, improving sales during the Covid years of 2020 and 2021 and posting its best U.S. sales performance in 2022 at nearly 34,600 units.
Perhaps because of the consistency, Mazda did buyers the favor of not starving out the lineup during its final year. The entry-level Sport departed at the beginning of 2023, still leaving five trims, with the new entry CX-9 Touring trim getting more equipment. And despite the car’s compromises — limited third-row and cargo space for the segment, an interior that began to feel dated, and just one powertrain — the CX-90 never stopped being the driver’s choice. Its quiet cabin and composed ride combined with responsive handling and direct steering make it a pleasure to cruise around in.
Thing is, the CX-90 is that much better. It’s got a tasty inline-six engine in two outputs, a classy interior, excellent driving dynamics, offers a higher tow rating, and starts at just $745 more than the seven-year-old CX-9.
Mazda didn’t say how long it would keep stocking dealers with CX-9 inventory, so if it’s been on your list, understand the clock is ticking.
