2016 Honda Pilot vs 2016 Mazda CX-9
Two midsize SUVs, compared on what actually matters when you're buying used:
what breaks, when it breaks, and what it costs you.
2016 Honda
Pilot
5/10
The 2016 Pilot is a spacious, comfortable 8-seater with a first-year gremlin problem: get the 6-speed non-VCM trims and it's a bargain; get the Touring/Elite and you're gambling.
VS
2016 Mazda
CX-9
6/10
The best-driving 3-row crossover of its era, undone by a coolant-into-cylinder-head issue that shows up right around the time the warranty runs out.
Milo scores the 2016 Mazda CX-9 higher — 6/10 against 5/10.
By the numbers
Green is the better number — higher on every score, lower on failures, complaints and recalls.
| Honda Pilot |
Mazda CX-9 |
| Known failure points | 7 | 5 |
| NHTSA complaints | 1680 | 99 |
| Safety recalls | 8 | 0 |
| Service bulletins | 12 | 12 |
| Reliability | 58 | 58 |
| Cheap to own | 55 | 45 |
| Fun factor | 40 | 72 |
| Holds value | 70 | 60 |
| Enthusiast cred | 25 | 48 |
The most expensive thing that goes wrong
2016 Honda Pilot
VCM-related piston ring wear / excessive oil consumption / spark plug fouling on rear bank cylinders
$150–$6,00060k–100k mi
2016 Mazda CX-9
Cracked cylinder head / coolant intrusion on the 2.5T (coolant smell in cabin, coolant loss with no visible external leak, eventual overheating)
$3,500–$7,00060k–100k mi
If you buy one, buy this one
✅ 2016 Honda Pilot
2016 Honda Pilot EX-L with the 6-speed automatic, FWD (or AWD if you actually need it), in a boring color with full Honda service records. This trim gets you leather, sunroof, power tailgate, and heated seats without inheriting the 9-speed or Elite-only headaches.
✅ 2016 Mazda CX-9
2016 Grand Touring or Signature AWD with the 2.5T engine and a documented cooling-system inspection/head gasket service history — the AWD system and turbo torque make this the sweet spot, and Signature adds Nappa leather/rosewood trim that feels genuinely upscale.
Narrowed it down? Get the full report
This comparison is model-level.
Milo's report goes car-level — the one you're actually looking at:
- A line-by-line negotiation script
- The pre-purchase inspection checklist
- VIN-specific open recalls
- What it's really worth right now
- Your next 15,000 miles, forecast
- Hidden features & money-savers
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Scores and findings blend documented NHTSA recalls and complaints with
patterns synthesized from owner communities. Always inspect the specific vehicle and
verify open recalls by VIN before buying.