Dodge Durango vs Mazda CX-9 03/17/2011
Families who don't want to skimp on their vehicle will likely be looking at SUVs in the $30,000 range. With that in mind, we took two models that are quite close and offer all the conveniences that parents look for in a car.
The Mazda CX-9 is priced at $29,135, while the Durango comes in at $29,195. Dodge wins on the warranty coverage, as the Durango comes with a 5 year/100,000 mile pledge, while the CX-9 is covered for the same length of time but only 60,000 miles. Still, mom and dad will have to be putting some serious miles on the SUV to take advantage of the extra coverage in that short of a timespan.
Under the hood, we prefer the Durango. The car's V6 engine is flex fuel, so it can accept the cleaner E85 in areas where it's available. The Durango also offers more horsepower (290 to 273) while only slightly losing out on torque (270 to 260 lb-ft). The CX-9 gets 1 mpg better on both city and highway, too small of an edge to make a noticeable impact.
Inside the car is pretty much a wash. The Durango boasts satellite radio, but the CX-9 has bluetooth. All other features are either the same or cost extra. The Durango is still a bit more flexible in the extra features, however, with options like a built-in hard drive and parking assistance not available for Mazda.
We give the edge to the Durango, although it's a close call between these two similarly-built vehicles.