Mazda CX-9 Luxury 2008 Review

Road Test

About our ratings

Think of a seven-seat SUV and the picture that comes to mind is one of a vehicle that is large, boxy and bordering on cumbersome. But apply these sentiments to Mazda's new CX-9 and you could not be further from the truth.

Styled along the lines of its smaller five-seat CX-7 kin, the biggest-ever passenger vehicle in Mazda's lineup maintains the carmaker's new found sporty aesthetic and delivers a surprisingly spacious and extremely user-friendly people carrier that neither fits the mini-bus mould, nor that of a large off-roader.

The vehicle's on-demand all-wheel-drive system suggests some softroading competence but this is a vehicle that is clearly aimed at buyers who need the space and seven-seat capacity for urban on-tarmac duties. And in this regard, the CX-9 more than delivers...

To describe its looks as car-like might be stretching things too far, but its sharply raked windscreen and long tapering roofline certainly give it a sleek appearance that suggests a car much smaller than its actual near-5.1m length. But as you climb up into the cabin, there is nothing small about this Mazda.

Across the front, there is plenty of room and the big windscreen provides an airy feel to the vehicle. Sitting reasonably high in very comfortable and supportive leather-trimmed seats, you get a commanding view forward, although the design elements that give it its sporty exterior visage do have an impact on interior vision.

The thick A-pillars can be a bit obtrusive and rear and rear three-quarter vision is only just acceptable.

Mazda crows about the standard reversing camera but we would immediately trade it for parking sensors. The CX-9 needs them -- both front and rear -- if you want to avoid touch-parking and the potential bumper rash that comes along with it.

Sitting on a long, flat platform, there is also an abundance of space in the rear with the second row 60/40-split three-person bench able to slide through 120mm providing a very versatile seating arrangement. Access through the big, wide-opening rear doors is easy and you don't need calisthenic practice to work your way into either of the second or third-row seats that fold, tilt and slide with simple intuitive proficiency.

Unlike many of its rivals, you do not feel as though you are sitting on the floor of the CX-9 with your knees around your ears. Even the two 50/50 split positions in the third row are more than comfortable and spacious enough for adults on shorter journeys.

With the two rear pews folded flat into the floor, the luggage space is cavernous, swallowing up to 928 litres. With all seats occupied, there is still a very useable 267 litre cargo capacity in the rear. Throughout the cabin there is an abundance of cupholders and storage cubbies (the vehicle was, after all, initially designed for the US market) although the door bins are fairly narrow.

Fit and finish are of a high standard with quality feel plastics and materials. The overall ambience of the cabin certainly carries a hint of prestige.

The Luxury model we tested had no shortage of standard equipment with the front seats electrically adjustable (along with all windows, mirrors and sunroof), while the climate control system boasted three separately adjustable zones. Other features include cruise control, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers and a superb sounding six-stack Bose audio system that is controlled by the large central touch-screen. There is a jack for an MP3 player and power outlet in the cubby between the front seats, and a few more auxiliary power outlets scattered around the cabin to ensure nearly every occupant can power up their own entertainment for a long journey.

Safety kit too is quite extensive with six airbags, ABS, DSC stability and traction control and roll stability control. Our only niggle was that the safety nannies were occasionally a little too eager to intervene.

Under the bonnet is a 204kW/366Nm 3.7-litre V6 that spends most of the time driving the front wheels (drive is automatically directed to the rear as well when traction losses are detected) through a six-speed auto transmission.

Off the line there is enough grunt to move the relatively heavy (2000kg-plus) vehicle away from standstill in a solid fashion. And although we'd like a touch more bottom end, what is most impressive about the drivetrain is the superb level of refinement. The slick auto transmission shifts gears with such silkiness that changes are barely perceived and it only takes a decent prod of the accelerator pedal to invoke an instant response to downshift.

Push the revs beyond 3000 and you find a much stronger midrange on offer and if you hold gears via the manual shift, it will keep pulling smoothly right through to the 6500rpm redline.

The engine does, however, have quite a thirst. Cruising at 100km/h in sixth the engine is ticking over at just 1700rpm but even on a long 450km run south of Perth to Margaret River and back with four onboard [Ed: largely flat and straight roads] we only managed an average consumption of 13.9L/100km.

With more city driving thrown in over the course of a couple of weeks, that real world figure was regularly nudging the 15.0l/100km mark.

With its long wheelbase and firmish suspension, the big Mazda offers a superbly comfortable ride quality that is enhanced by the quiet calm inside the cabin. Even riding on low profile 245/50 20-inch rubber, there was still plenty of compliance to deal with rutted roads and none of the coarse surface tyre roar from which other Mazdas suffer.

At the same time, while the vehicle's size and weight mean that it is never going to be as dynamic as the smaller Mazdas, the handling remains competent and well composed. There is a little body roll when pushing harder through corners, but it is less than you might anticipate -- although the steering lacks the feel that we have come to expect from recent Mazda products.

Stylish and offering good value, spaciousness and versatility, the CX-9 has more than competently covered all bases. Indeed, it seems Mazda may well have another sales winner on its hands.

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