To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-9. But it costs extra on the XT6.
The CX-9 Carbon Edition/Grand Touring/Signature’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The XT6 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the CX-9 and the XT6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mazda CX-9 is safer than the Cadillac XT6:
|
CX-9 |
XT6 |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
88 |
98 |
Chest Movement |
.4 inches |
.7 inches |
Abdominal Force |
98 lbs. |
117 lbs. |
Hip Force |
195 lbs. |
255 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
249 |
292 |
Spine Acceleration |
35 G’s |
39 G’s |
Hip Force |
553 lbs. |
666 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CX-9 its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 114 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The XT6 is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2019.