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ROAD TEST: Mazda’s CX-9 is a stylish way to haul lots of people and stuff

Tom Incantalupo | ROAD TEST

March 28, 2008

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When "minivan" is a four-letter word but its seven-passenger seating and furniture-capable cargo room suit a shopper's lifestyle, the growing number of three-row crossover SUVs are worth considering.

Ford dealers have one of the best of the new breed - the Edge - and Lincoln has one even better, the MKX. For the past year, a cousin has joined them, sold by Mazda dealers as the CX-9, the model we focus on today.

Like most Mazdas, it's stylish without being over the top. Its sporty shape - which avoids the mini school-bus look - also makes this hefty vehicle look smaller than it is.

The 2008 CX-9 can haul seven people with alacrity, thanks to a 273-hp., 3.7-liter Ford/Mazda-designed and Mazda-built V-6 engine whose horsepower and torque top the 263-hp. 3.5-liter Ford engine from which it is derived. That one was in the '07 CX-9 and still is in the Edge and MKX.

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Motor Trend magazine said 0 to 60 mph took 7.8 seconds in its track tests of a 3.7-liter CX-9 - plenty quick enough for a family vehicle that still manages to avoid the soccer-mom stigma of the minivan.

Fuel economy is estimated by the EPA at 15 mpg city and 21 highway - par for the course for SUVs in this class. At least the CX-9 doesn't require premium gas.

For a vehicle that weighs more than 4,500 pounds empty, the CX-9 holds its own in the handling department - but calling it "fun to drive," as some critics have, seems a stretch. The highly boosted power steering and the unavoidable body lean in turns will tend to discourage explorations of its performance envelope.

Some reviewers have complained about a shortage of interior storage, and, indeed, the center console is shallow, the door pockets are small and the cubby in the center of the dash is just about big enough for your BlackBerry.

On the plus side: Even with all three rows of seats occupied, there's still 17.2 cubic feet of cargo room - more than in the trunks of most sedans.

The CX-9 is one of three crossovers in the Mazda lineup, which begin with the four-cylinder Mazda 5 and include the turbocharged four-cylinder CX-7.

I found the 5 underpowered and too minivan-like, with its double sliding doors. (It was discussed in this space April 21, 2006.)

The CX-7 is strictly a sport utility vehicle and can well accommodate a family of five, even though it's more than a foot shorter than the CX-9, has a 5-inch-shorter wheelbase and has only two rows of seats. The CX-7 starts at about $24,300 for front-wheel drive and about $26,000 with all-wheel drive. Discussed in this space Feb. 9, 2007, it's a lot more fun to drive than the CX-9, but it doesn't ride as comfortably.

(For those seeking a more traditional SUV, Mazda also sells the Tribute, a close relative of the Ford Escape.)

The CX-9 starts at $30,035 in front drive and $31,335 in its all-wheel configuration. There are three basic equipment levels - Sport, Touring and the one I sampled, Grand Touring. With an interior beautifully and tastefully trimmed in soft-touch plastics, wood and titanium-colored trim and options that included rear seat entertainment, a navigation system and Sirius Satellite Radio, the tester stickered at more than $41,000.

If driving it isn't exciting, riding in the CX-9 is pleasant. The cabin is well sealed against wind and tire noise. The engine is smooth and quiet.

With clearly readable gauges and well lit and logically arranged controls, the CX-9 also is easy to live with. Buyers who opt for the navigation system will have to electronically wipe the map off the screen to access some of the sound system controls - a minor annoyance.

The smooth-operating six-speed automatic transmission's overdrive is extra tall, which means the engine turns more slowly at cruising speeds than it does in most cars. That's good for fuel economy and helps to keep the cabin quieter. It means more downshifting for the transmission when the driver requests more speed, but, happily in this case, there isn't an excessive amount of "hunting" between top and fifth gear.

The only harshness in the tester's ride came from the Grand Touring model's 20-inch tires (P245/50R).

The second-row seats adjust manually fore and aft to apportion legroom between the second and third rows. Accessing the third row is fairly easy for the reasonably agile but best suited for children, par for three-row SUVs.

The tester's most unusual option was a $200 "blind spot monitoring system," which indicates via small yellow pictographs in the outside rearview mirrors that another vehicle is next to the car though not visible.