There are many constants in life: The Detroit Lions will never have a quarterback worth a damn. Karl Rove will always bed down at night in a sarcophagus filled with bats. And crossover vehicles will never be interesting to look at.
What’s Great
But that last bit doesn’t quite ring true when you give the Mazda CX-9 a once-over. In fact, just ignore the entire exterior design except the fog lights. That’s all you really need to see to appreciate the brilliantly sculpted design of this CUV. Nine times out of 10, the automakers will plop down two circular fog lights at each corner of the bumper and call it done. Somewhere, a Mazda designer decided the status quo wasn’t nearly good enough. The CX-9’s fog lights were crafted into attractive design elements, not simply a necessary component. That approach really sums up the entire exterior design. It’s contemporary, stream-lined and it might even be a little bit cool.
If the outside of the CX-9 is good, then the inside just might be great. The sand-colored interior is the right choice, offering a great contrasting color palette on the dash, door panels and even the seats. With the faux — although quite convincing — wood and aluminum accents on the center stack, console and doors, this interior feels farther up-market than it really is. In fact, this interior would look and feel right at home in Acura ’s MDX; a vehicle with a starting price $10,000 higher than the Mazda.
The CX-9 also has some great, optional toys. You’ll never cut someone off again, unless you want to, with the blind spot monitoring system. It’s one of those technologies that may sound a little frivolous, but when you actually try it, you instantly appreciate it. If nothing else, the LED signals in the side mirrors help you keep your eyes more focused on the road ahead instead of twisting around to look over your shoulder. The 5.1 Dolby surround sound system, which is part of the rear seat entertainment package, puts out shockingly good audio. While saying “it sounds like I’m in a movie theater!†is cliché, there’s really no other way to say it. It’s that good.
What’s So-So

While the sound out of the rear seat entertainment is great, the video quality on the fold-down screen leaves something to be desired. Pixilated is the word that best sums up the picture quality. A higher resolution screen should be something on Mazda’s shopping list once it comes time to refresh the CX-9.
Moving from what you see to what you feel, the handling in the CX-9 is a mixed bag. There isn’t much steering feel. Numb is the word. On the plus side, it holds a corner just fine and has an acceptable amount of body roll for an SUV. The lack of body pitch is also impressive. Ride-wise, you’ll certainly feel every bump and expansion joint in the road. That said, the Mazda’s suspension setup does an acceptable job of softening the bumps. The transmission might also get on your nerves occasionally, because it’s way too eager to get into sixth gear. Sure it wants to do that so you’ll save some fuel, but if you need to accelerate suddenly, you’ll be waiting around for this six-speed to begrudgingly find a lower gear.
What’s Unforgivable

There are a few things in this Mazda that are downright terrible.
Getting that finicky transmission into the gear you want can be surprisingly taxing. At times, you almost have to wrestle with the shifter to get it to move. More than a few curse words floated through the cabin while trying to move the lever through the gate.
The small display at the top of the center stack is another downfall. In a tiny, one-line readout, you’ve got a display for climate controls, the current time, a radio station readout and the outside temperature. That’s certainly all useful information, but the way the display is set up can make all the information look like nothing more than a lot of numbers and letters run together. Also, the outside temperature readout is not constant. Each time the car is turned on you have to hit a button to make the temperature show up. Unless there is a good reason Mazda would rather we didn’t know how hot or cold it is outside, I can’t fathom a reason why it’s not displayed all the time.
That brings us to fuel economy. Since we’re talking about a big, seven-passenger, all-wheel-drive SUV, you already know it will be bad. How bad? How does a 17.3 mpg average strike you? That’s 1-2 mpg worse than several of the Mazda’s competitors. To help improve that number, we’d like to see Mazda explore the idea of turbo-charging the CX-9 much like its little brother, the CX-7.
Why you wouldn’t buy it

You want to buy an SUV with a luxury feel, but just can’t bear the thought of one that has a Mazda badge instead of a BMW , Mercedes or Lexus symbol. If you absolutely have to have a vehicle that averages between 25 and 30mpg, the CX-9 won’t be on your short list. Though to be fair, none of the Mazda’s competitors will be either.
Why you would buy it

Buy the Mazda if you want an SUV that has the look and feel of a mid-level luxury ‘ute, but with a price that’s several thousand dollars less.
Options: Compass/Autodimm Mirror with Homelink – $275, Sirius Satellite Radio – $430, Blind Spot Monitoring System – $200, Rear Entertainment System/Bose – $2,560, Towing Package – $525, DVD Navigation System – $2,500. Total MSRP – $41,780
Words and photos by Chris Doane.
