July23
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.
So the only good thing you could find to comment on was how the fog lights look? That in itself says a lot.
After having sat in an MDX recently, I have to politely disagree with the comment about the CX-9’s interior. That is not a diss to Mazda nor the CX-9 as it is a fine vehicle, but it’s very blatantly obvious having sat in them back-to-back-to-back-to-back where the extra money was spent. The same can be said about the CX-7 and RDX and anyone that argues with that has more than likely either never been in both or is only looking at bottom line pricing. That said, in these particular climates, the Mazda’s interiors are adequate and fairly decently made (CX-9 moreso than the CX-7), and if one needed third row access in an SUV, I couldn’t think of a more comely vehicle than the CX-9.
“Karl Rove will always bed down at night in a sarcophagus filled with bats” What? Not sure what this means. Karl Rove seems fine to me.
Well at least the author was right about the Detroit Lions…
OK, so if I am not Democrat, can I still partake on this forum? I don’t know what 2008 will bring, but 2000, 2004 proved to be that there are more republicans either voting or giving **** about voting.
Karl Rove is a bright guy: he screwed democrats twice. About this vehicle, was there anything good said? I mean fog lights, aside? Where is the logic for purchasing it or even for it existence? What did I miss, except Rove jab?
Ktulu almost never responds twice in one thread, so I’m going to try to catch him before he posts:
Ktulu, why do you spell so poorly? My guess is you are using an iPhone or a Blackberry or some kind of Smartphone. Others have wondered if you type with your tongue, or if you suffer from Tourettes. Please tell us. We want to know.
About Karl, I think they are trying to say that he is a vampire.
If one needed a 3rd row seat I would be all over the Saturn/GMC/Buick model. It is a lot nicer with more features, better ride and fuel economy.
… and I would jump into Odyssey. Comfortable, roomy, nice cruiser and handles well. No issues whatsoever with engaging gears.
Karl is a genius. He turned a coke head into the President of the US and we are all better for it. Right?
Stinging review. I think I’m getting a rash.
The Detroit Lions had scott mitchell. 2 baf they don’t get better. Should have drafted quinn.
some crossover vehicles are interesting to look at. This is 1 o’ ‘em.
Mazda designers R alwarts deciding that the status quo wasn’t nearly good enough. T
I don’t like faux wood oir Acuras
I’d like 2 C htat the blind spot monitoring system in action.
17.3 mpg is not good.
Badges don’t mauen a lot … uit’s what’s unbder the badge that should ciunt, Hyindai will figure thus out with the genesis.
there R more democtats, but republicans vote mire. some sau the 200 & ‘04 elections were stolien. i don;t bveleive that.
I donot spell poorly, *I type poorly. I no how 2 spoell, but tyoping is hard & I mess things up. I’l;;lm try 2watckh out 4 it N the futirte.
I wish I had an iPhone. If I typed with my0 tongue, I couldn’t see anything. what is Tourettes?
If I needed a 3rd row seat I would get a Cx-9 or a Traverse, or maybe a xr5 if I had the $. Or a volvo SUV (SC 90?)
Odyssey is not bad, but it is a minivan.
Karl is a genius & we R going 2 die
Well, I guess the iPhone bet was lost. Dang it!
However, if you say you spell fine, but type poorly, is it safe to say that you have a problem with your hands? Quadruplegic, maybe? Not trying to offend, but knowing will help us understand.
If that’s the same Aisin-Warner 6-speed that was in my ‘06 Mazda 6s, then you hit that part right on the money. That has got to be one of the worst automatic transmissions I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with. Slow to downshift, constantly wants to be in 6th - even at 30 MPH, lugging the engine. At times I thought the transmission was going to stall the car out. The worst part was the way it would slam into gear when you were coasting at a slow speed and would then apply the throttle - BAM, it would slam into gear and rock the car. All of this I was told was “normal”, and with only 12,000 miles on it.
Never again Mazda - no matter how pretty you make ‘em, until you can find some way to refine these vehicles, all the lipstick in the world is not going to get me in one of your dealerships.
I know this isn’t that important to most people, but I found both models to suffer the same issue affecting many vehicles and SUV’s today: A back seat that’s too low and un-supportive. You know.. with your knees up off the seat, like your’e sitting on the floor.
How hard is it to make a nice supportive back seat where you could sit like a human being?
Very wise of LLN to close the chat in the story. “Ford idles stamping plant after worker killed this morning”
Honestly, no sarcasm this time.
“If one needed a 3rd row seat I would be all over the Saturn/GMC/Buick model. It is a lot nicer with more features, better ride and fuel economy.”
With all the camshaft problems in those, I’d stay far away from those. My Enclave’s engine went bad at 4000 miles
When it was working, the engine was adequate but that sucker was a tank.
At least with all the rain we are getting up here in the N.E. the interior would be washed (water leaks that could never be traced)
*Sick* No offense but all of there CUV’s theres no way in hell, you can fit a human in the third row seat, unless he was an amputee. At least i know for the cx-9. It is neary identical to the ford edge, since they share the same plat-form. Difference is the Mazda has the 3rd row and the edge doesnt. IF you can’t fit people back there, why have it?? Id rather have the cargo room. If i had 4 kids id have to jump into a full size suv.
The third row seat in the CX-9 works if you slide the second row up one notch. At the NY Auto show I try them out just to see how much room they have and I have found out that its a scam. Even with the seat up you eliminate cargo room and if you are in an accident its JOL time
Xile, if Karl could turn coke head into a president what kind of degenerate coke head was competing against?
xyunya -
Your question shouldn’t start off as a hypothetical. Bush was a coke head, pot head and booze head for good measure. That is a fact which is a testimony to Rove’s genius. Unless you don’t have two functioning neurons in your brain, you know by now W has been nothing but a disaster. So like many of your fellow Republicans out there, take that W sticker off your, declare yourself a Libertarian and vote for Barr.
If you make under $500,000 a year, you should be a democrat. If your not, you must love getting your hard earned dollars taken by the rich.
*Fact of the day*