(An excellent three-row crossover — with style!Matthew DeBord/BI)
Here's the verdict on the Mazda CX-9 crossover, the automaker's largest car with room for seven passengers in its three rows: It's terrific!
Now the bad, and there's only one small complaint: the Skyactiv-G 2.5-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine cranks out only 250 horsepower, less than what you'd get in a competing vehicle with a V6 (think GMC Acadia, Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot). You just don't have that oomph you might expect from a people-and-stuff-hauler.
For what it's worth, CX-9 owners will be perfectly happy with the 23mpg-combined fuel economy they get from their crossover and not entirely miss the additional power. But then again, we've had this genre of three-row SUV for a while now and with the bigger ride comes the expectation of power.
(Looks as good as a BMW.Matthew DeBord/BI)
With the CX-3, CX-5, and CX-9 making up its crossover lineup, Mazda has its bases well covered in the red-hot segment. The CX-9 lives more or less at the middle of this highly competitive realm, price-wise: there are several vehicles that, when optioned up, can cost quite a bit more than our well-equipped, Machine Gray, all-wheel-drive "Signature" test car, which came in at $45,215 (the no-frills trim level, front-wheel-drive, is about $32,000).
Mazda is easy to understand. It sells three sedans/wagons and three crossovers, in ascending scale. The Mazda 3 comes in four-door and five-door trim; and the Mazda 6 provides full-size roominess. The CX-9 is the Big Mazda, a step up from the CX-5 and much larger than the CX-3, which is really an entry level compact car. Then there's the wonderful Miata MX-5 roadster. And that's it.
(A well-composed interior.Matthew DeBord/BI)
With SUV sales booming in the US, the CX-9's task is considerable: it has to be the vehicle of choice for suburban families. I have a family and I live in the suburbs — and I'm a previous owners of a Honda Odyssey minivan, which means I'm ideally suited to discern whether the CX-9 meets my needs.
It met them very nicely for the week I had it in my driveway.
First off, the CX-9 looks sharp. I think Mazda has the best-designed non-luxury vehicles in the market. As a very big plus, it's in Mazda DNA to build cars that are fun to drive. The Miata is the obviously smile-creator in this respect, but the the only other auto brand that has organized its entire portfolio around the concept of driving pleasure is BMW. And I often think of Mazda as being the mass-market bimmer.
(Fun to drive!Matthew DeBord/BI)