Much to the chagrin of many of us, a lot of modern cars aren’t “cars” at all, but rather SUVs. Many of them are car-based, rather than truck-based, and are therefore called “crossovers,” a term that used to mean a country song that made it on to the pop charts. Whatever you want to call them, they’ve become the default vehicle for many Americans. Today, continuing with our exploration of cars under fifteen years old, we’re going to check out two largish crossovers with three rows of seats.
Yesterday’s small car battle wasn’t much of a battle at all. The little pink Chevy Spark absolutely got its clock cleaned by the tobacco-brown Fiat. Many of you thought that if you were going to drive a small car for economic reasons, it should have a little panache and be a little bit fun to drive, and the Spark just couldn’t hang with the Fiat in that regard.
I have admired the Fiat 500 since it first came out, and it’s one of few modern small cars I think I’d really enjoy. But I feel like if I settled for an automatic one, I’d always regret not getting a manual. The Spark seems like it would be a dull appliance either way, so it may as well be an automatic for convenience. But between these two, I think I’d still take the Fiat, and do the same thing I did with my automatic Neon: look up how to do a manual swap, think about it, price out parts, but never get around to it.
A lot of car enthusiasts look down on SUVs and crossovers, but I completely understand the appeal of a big box on wheels. It makes particular sense if you want just one car that can do everything, which, I’m told, is how some people do it. There’s no shortage of choices if this is what you’re looking for, but these two jumped out at me as being fairly evenly matched. They’re both front-wheel-drive, they’re about the same size, and they both are north of 200,000 miles and still going strong. Let’s check them out.
2015 Buick Enclave Premium – $4,250
Engine/drivetrain: 3.6-liter DOHC V6, six-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Dallas, TX
Odometer reading: 205,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Considering all the GM brands we’ve lost over the past couple of decades, I can’t believe Buick is still around. Pontiac is a memory, Oldsmobile ended not with a bang but a whimper, and yet Buick is still peddling the same chrome-laden dinosaurs it has for decades. Well, not the exact same, but the same idea. This Enclave is essentially just a Roadmaster Estate for the twenty-first century, minus the fake woodgrain sides. And if the nostalgia train keeps rolling long enough, that may make a return as well.
The Enclave shares a platform with the Chevy Traverse. It’s front-wheel-drive, with a transversely mounted V6. All-wheel drive is available, but it isn’t necessary down in Texas, so why deal with the extra fuel and complexity? The V6 is GM’s 3.6-liter “High Feature” unit, which replaced the bulletproof (and decidedly low-feature) 3800. The 3.6 has some issues with the timing chain and oil consumption, but this one has made it to 205,000 miles, so either it has been well cared for or it has had some repairs. It’s a one-owner car, so maybe you can get your hands on some service records.
It’s in good condition inside, and it does look comfy in there. The seller also says it “smells good” inside, which could mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but hopefully it means it doesn’t smell like cigarettes or feet or something. The air conditioner works fine, too.
The outside looks good, but the seller does disclose that it has had a minor accident in the past. It’s all fixed up now, and I don’t see any problems besides a couple of missing wheel center caps.
2016 Mazda CX-9 – $5,200
Engine/drivetrain: Turbocharged 2.5-liter DOHC inline 4, six-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Dallas, TX
Odometer reading: 248,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
It’s hard to believe that this car is made by the same company that makes the Miata. Mazda’s claim to fame has been small, light, zippy cars for many decades, and a three-row SUV is sort of the antithesis of that. But I guess if you want a big SUV that doesn’t handle like a big SUV, you get one from the company known for sports cars.
Besides sports cars, Mazda is known for its unusual engines. The rotary is the most famous example of this, but Mazda’s piston engines are often pretty cool, too. In recent years, Mazda engines have been marketed under the Skyactiv name, which isn’t a specific design or technology, but rather a combination of attributes like high compression ratios and direct fuel injection designed to improve efficiency and lower emissions. The engine in the CX-9 is a turbocharged 2.5-liter four that makes 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, which is plenty for a vehicle like this. It has nearly a quarter million miles on it, but it runs and drives just fine.
We don’t get very good interior photos of this one; I think they took this one from across the street. All the ad says is that everything works fine, including the air conditioning. I guess you’d have to go look at it in person to assess its condition accurately.
I have to give Mazda credit for the styling of this car, too. It’s a lot better looking than most crossovers. It looks like it’s in good shape, too. I don’t even see any door dings, which is amazing for a car with this mileage.
These aren’t what you’d call exciting cars, but they are practical. If you have a big family or need to travel with your own pit crew, they make a lot of sense. These two have a lot of miles, but that doesn’t seem to affect modern cars as much. And looking at higher mileage cars is a great way to save some money. If you were in the market for a big do-it-all family hauler, which one would you go for?
my 2011 CX-9 is getting close to 150k miles and aside from the transfer case once (by warranty) it has been flawless. I have a slappy timing chain on it now and I am thinking if it is worth doing. Just got quoted by a good indy shop $4000 CAD labour and parts….yikes but dealet would be about $6500-7000 mark….
We have a 2019 CX-9, 160k absolutely trouble-free miles. My money is on the Mazda.
The tagline for the last (and best) MPV sold in Japan was something like, “You can buy an MPV with the concept of a sports car.” We had the previous version as a company car and, although not exactly fun, you could drive it easily and confidently on winding mountain roads.
How’re repair and parts availability for each? All else equal, I’d probably prefer the Mazda. But in light of parts & labor I’d probably settle for the Buick. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Mazda uses the same engine and transmission across most of its lineup – although the turbo variant isn’t as common – and it’s generally considered one of if not the very best and lowest-failure ICE-only powertrains currently in production. So if you have a Mazda dealership within a tow truck haul away, I wouldn’t be concerned. The interior quality is good, handling is great for a FWD-based crossover, paint quality is good, and other than being a bit snug in the rear quarters they’re otherwise well regarded.
The Lambda-platform gm crossovers are not known for easy servicing. Even oil changes are well-known to lead to scorched and burnt forearms from replacing the oil filter, plus the chance of catching some flesh on the exhaust is higher than most as well. The engines are notorious for stretched timing chains even with aggressive oil change schedules, the transmisisons have a high failure rate, the rear A/C evaporator and lines tend to fail, the interior quality is laughable to the point that there’s aftermarket companies that sell sticker sets to cover the interior buttons when they inevitably wear away, the list goes on. Other than being relatively cavernous and better on fuel than a Tahoe or similar, there’s not much benefit to them.
It is kind of a toss up for me. The 3.6 doesn’t have a great rep, but with how nice the interior still looks on the Buick, I’d have to assume it was well maintained and it is one owner.
The Mazda might be a better motor, but that driver seat cushion looks toasted and it is $1000 more.
So Buick and keep $1000 in my pocket for the inevitable thing wearing out/breaking on a 200k+ vehicle.
The original listing has been taken down, but given the lack of a photo of the center stack (in this article) I’d be willing to bet the surfaces of the common center stack buttons are worn away if they’re anything like the countless gm products of that era I’ve encountered.
The Buick will quickly find a way to cost you that $1K you’re “saving”. Rear A/C evaporator, transmission, timing chains, powertrain seal leaks, electronics, the risk list goes on.
Not a big big SUV fan, I’ll settle for a small Crossover. But following the rules of the game I’d get the Buick, paint it that light blue Buick wagons always came in, attach some vinyl woodgrain along the sides and grab some Roadmaster ornaments and badges and make it a Buick Roadmaster SUV. THAT IS A WONDERFUL NAME FOR A HIGHWAY HAULER
A mechanic’s inspection, a test drive, a test sniff. I can’t do any of those, and now the posts have been withdrawn. “One owner” favors the Buick; “Zoom-Zoom” and style favor the Mazda. I can’t decide.
So IRL I’d test drive to see just how much better the Mazda drives. But my gut says that an extra $1000 for an extra 50k miles is a bad trade for a car that’s not going to make me happy either way. It’s not like Mazdas are Toyota-grade, where 250k miles translates to less than 200k for a GM car.
I’ll gladly take the Mazda. Love my 3 and I’m sure the CX-9 would also be a good one to drive.
The Mazda has to be more reliable and easier to work on then those gm cuvs. That many miles on a hybrid or Toyota wouldn’t scare me but little bit on Mazda and a lot on a gm that’s not a 3800 or ls without dod.
My vote is for the Mazda. If I’m gonna have a transverse engine, I’d rather have an inline 4 over a V6. Easier to service.
And I’ve heard the GM 3.6L V6 has issues… and the Mazda 4 cyl doesn’t.
And I like the style of the Mazda a little better as well.
Mazda looks much better.
Both of these are clean and cheap (if well-used) cars. I’ll take the Enclave, though, since it has fewer miles and a lower price.
We had an ’09 Traverse, which was frankly a miserable excuse for a car. Nothing really bad per se (aside from the timing chain issues with earlier versions of GM’s 3.6 V6), but nothing was good either. It was pretty much the definition of a car as an appliance. No driving feel, no style to speak of, poor fuel economy (by modern standards), average practicality… Really the nicest compliment that you could give it was that it was an exceedingly average car. You’d find the modern equivalent of it at a Mitsubishi or Nissan dealership, maybe Chrysler.
All that that ’15 Enclave is is a lightly updated and tarted up version of that Traverse, with even less of a sense of style. PLEASE, I beg you to let me have the Mazda.
we had one too. my mom snatched it up as a replacement for her ’01 chevy blazer. literally a refrigerator on wheels. comfortably accommodated everyone for family trips but forgettable in every way. we called it the van just to annoy. traded it in on a 2017 equinox.
Love Mazdas.
That said, I have to think this bloated thing is overstressing its engine. If I am going to have a big bloaded thing I’ll spend a grand less and trust that GM’s figured out how to make a pretty reliable V6 at this point.
And maybe I can get a woodgrain wrap?
I kind of have the same thoughts. A turbo’d 4 hauling that much weight around… And, to me, the Mazda infotainment UI of that era was more inscrutable than my wife’s 2015 X5, which is damning with faint condemnation. My son and his wife have a newer CX-5, love it and I’m sure with time, I could learn my way around the UI.
The Mazda’s engine reminds me of the supercharged and turbo’d Volvo 4s. What could go wrong?
There’s a better version of these, and it’s called a minivan. Which these essentially are, minus the practical features like sliding doors. Derp.
Pretty much the same. I’d personally choose a minivan over either of these, but if one of my friends/family members were hell-bent on a large crossover on a budget either of these would be OK options. I’ll roll the dice on the Mazda’s turbo 2.5 though over the 3600.
True for one of these. For people and gear hauling, the Enclave is the winner by a long shot. If you are a family made up of a bunch of short people and don’t have things to move around, the Mazda is fine. As for the minivan, no thanks. Our Atlas hauls just as much for our needs vs the minivan I took a ride into the airport that had little more useable space but a lot more squeaks, rattles and rolls. The Enclave is closer to a minivan than the Mazda, even the newer version of this Mazda is still small inside.
I always want(ed) a CX-9! $5,200. seems cheap to me, even with the miles, but my senses are distorted by the higher prices for used cars in SoCal vs. other places. If/when I have to replace my first-gen Volvo XC90, it’ll be with another one of those, or a CX-9.
I actually have nothing particularly against that Buick either.
It’s a shame they’re both black, or so close to black that the difference hardly matters.
So, CX-9 it is.
This was pretty easy…Zoom! Zoom!
This CX-9 design is so much slicker than the…Enclave. These are both decent, but I don’t really care about them, and have no interest in them or any CUV/SUV. When I hear Mazda vs Buick, Mazda always wins in reliability. As far as Buick, I still like all their awesome/beautiful classic cars; and even the ones into the 80’s/90’s w/ the legendary 3800 engines
…who orders a black exterior and black leather/vinyl interior in TEXAS?
Unbelievable to me.
Amen brother the only thing on a vehicle in texas that should be dark black is the window tinting
+1 My 2001 Jetta and the 2017 Accord that replaced it stood out in TX because the windows weren’t tinted. At least I was able to get the Accord with light gray upholstery.
Dealers order the black interiors for inventory, even in Texas. They can’t help themselves. It’s an old canard in the car business that black interiors move faster.
I’m amazed that someone could put 250k miles on an SUV in 10 years. Think of all the time wasted…
uber/lyft ride for sure.
yeah, that driver’s seat looks worn out
I’m not looking for anything fun. Buick for me, looks comfortable and lazy.
Yup. It was the one owner that sealed it for me.
went with the mazuda. i dont know what those 2.5’s grenade at but i know those 3.6’s go south quickly approaching 200k, especially in maintenance has been deferred.