2009 Mazda CX-7 Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 Mazda CX-7 as a used buy.

Mazda's heavy use of "Zoom Zoom" in its advertising was enough to tell you it was playing the sports card with its cars, no matter the model. The CX-7 SUV was no different. New From the moment the CX-7 was launched in 2006 Mazda pushed the sporty message, and it didn't back off with the introduction of the Series 2 in

Graham Smith reviews the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Mazda CX-7 as a used buy.

The traditional prestige players are priced beyond the means of most of us -- but the qualitative difference separating the business class and the topline versions of the rest has diminished to the point of non-existence. All right, you'll look better in the car park comparison stakes if you drive the exxier choices listed here, but you're by no means always driving the better car.WAGONSOne's a classy Volkswagen Group sport wagon with a direct injection turbo petrol engine with the option of a cutting-edge transmission. And so's the Audi.The Czech-made Skoda is essentially a bigger in the body, more discreet, better riding and cheaper VW Golf GTI, the car that more than any other blurs the distinction between the prestige pack and the rest.The handling-enhancing electronic diff of the new GTI is on its way to the RS, so while the twin clutch DSG adds $2300, the generous standard kit (including tasty 18s) and skinny options list means there's not a lot more to spend. Rare is the Audi of which that can be said.The output of the front-wheel-drive Avant's turbo four is similar (132kW/320Nm plays Skoda's 147kW/280Nm), limited for its continuously variable transmission. Quattro and the full-fat engine sets you back another $13,000 -- and the premium is already just a bit silly.SEDANSOne's a perfectly balanced, rear-wheel-drive, inline petrol six with great steering and a six-speed ZF automatic. And so's the BMW.All right, we're comparing a big tarted-up Aussie taxi with a thoroughbred mid-size Bavarian sport sedan here, but what of it? Priced $33K south, this Falcon is probably the best-value car in the country on a metal for money basis and that price difference buys a lot of basic unleaded petrol for that 4.0-litre atmo six with its whacking 195kW/391Nm. If there's a quickish car that rides as well as the Falcon, it's known not unto us.As to the Bimmer, well, you'd go there if you could, even if the peerless handling comes at the price of run-flat tyres and an options list to make your eyes bleed.DIESELSOne's a European-built front-wheel-drive with a sophisticated turbodiesel engine and bank-vault build quality. And so's the Volvo. Now the first prestige Euro to be owned by a Chinese company, Volvo did rather well out of its association with Ford (certainly better than Saab did out of GM). But the years of proximity invite comparison.Long the choice of UK sales reps and families, the Mondeo's marriage of the diesel with an auto and capable dynamics give it a comfortable niche position at this level of the market. The Titanium edition gives the long Ford the trim and kit to compare with the premium brigade.Despite its more potent five-cylinder engine and Swedish aura of invulnerability, we just can't see the extra spend in the stolid Volvo.SUVSOne's the best-driving compact SUV and... uh, that's the BMW, actually. We've often said that if BMW made front-wheel-drive family cars they'd handle like Mazdas, so the two brands' respective four-wheel-drives should logically be even closer.Not quite, but not to the extent that the X3 is nigh-on $20K better. The X3's only real advantage in Australia's restricted conditions is its standard six-speed auto. Stop us if you're tired of hearing this, Mazda doesn't yet have a slusher for its diesel.While the Mazda's engine is slightly bigger and more potent than the BMW diesel, it has to haul a nearly two-tonne kerb weight. The X3 is 250kg lighter but, within, it's also the most dated Bimmer.How much is that badge worth, again?

The first time I drove the Mazda CX-7 I was impressed. The 7 looked very good, drove more like a car than a four-wheel drive, was practical in the cabin, and finished to the standard you expect when you slide in behind a Mazda badge.The more I drove it, mostly the more I liked it. There was a bit of delay in response from the turbocharged petrol engine, but nothing major. And it was more than compensated by the grip in corners and the way the CX-7 responded to the wheel.  It felt like Mazda had made a major breakthrough on the people mover front.Then I stopped at the petrol station . . . and everything changed. The CX-7 was averaging 14.7L/km and that was enough to put me off it.  I was still happy to tell people to put the CX-7 on their shopping list, but I always warned about a V8-style thirst for city work and open-road economy that was still nothing special.Mazda heard the complaints, and there must have been a few, because it has reacted as quickly as possible to get some fuel economy into the CX-7.  The first major update this year to the CX-7 includes a 2.5-litre petrol starter engine and, more importantly to fuel misers, a turbodiesel.There are other changes and improvements _ including a bigger grille, better noise suppression and an updated cabin that picks up a lot of stuff from the latest Mazda3 _ but it's the engines that got my interest.  The diesel in particular.Mazda has been slow to move to diesel power for its passenger vehicles, like every other Japanese maker, but has had non-petrol power in the 3 and 6 for a while now. The engines have excellent pulling power and great economy, but you have to like shifting yourself because there is no automatic gearbox capable of handling the incredible twisting force created by the diesel.It's the same with the CX-7, because the 2.2-litre diesel only comes with a six-speed manual gearbox and all-wheel drive. Still, the economy claims are good at 7.6L/100km and the price is fine at $43,640 with equipment including satnav, leather seats, Bose sound and the usual stuff on the aircon and power steering/windows front.The CX-7 line now starts with the 2.5-litre petrol model and a price of $33,990, which is good buying for a five-seater family wagon with front-wheel drive, a five-speed manual gearbox, six airbags, ESP and anti-skid brakes, alloy wheels and the rest.  Oh, and the starter car also has 9.4L/100km economy.So Mazda is doing what it can to spark more interest in the CX-7 and the four-model range ticks most of the boxes with prices up to the Luxury Sports at $45,990 that is expected to win half of all sales.But . . . and it's a big one . . . the competition in the SUV family class is incredibly tough. Rivals run from the Suzuki Grand Vitara and Subaru's Outback to the Kia Sorento, Ford Territory and many more. Including my personal favourite, the Volkswagen Tiguan.The latest CX-7 is much as I remember it, and a little bit more.  It's good to see the multi-purpose dash display including a rear-view camera and satnav, although _ just like the Mazda3 _ it really needs to be bigger, the equipment level is good, the cabin is comfy and quiet, and there is space in the back for three adults without compromising the luggage area.The CX-7 still drives like a car, which I really like. It's not sloppy or floppy like so many SUVs, even if some shoppers should also be considering the excellent drive of the Territory. And the Tiguan is now awful, either.So we come to the engine. The arrival of a diesel is great news and I watch carefully on the dash display to monitor the economy. Mazda claims 7.6L/100km and it's easy to beat that on the highway. Right now it's running at 8.2, a figure confirmed at the bowser, which is pretty good.  It also means a great touring range beyond 900 kilometres between stops.The torque of the turbodiesel, even for people who don't know a thing about the technicalities, means it has great pulling power at any time in any gear. It will happily lug around town in a high gear and the overtaking performance is great.Were you waiting for a 'but'? Well, here it comes and it's another big one. The gearbox in the diesel CX-7 is totally inappropriate for a family hauler intended for suburban work. It's a six speed manual, which means lots of shifts even with that towering torque. And the shift itself is slow and baulky, with a clutch that needs to be held right on the floor for smooth changes.It is definitely not a car you would want to be shop-starting through traffic every day. It's such a pity, because the CX-7 is a very good people mover with a fair lick of Mazda's sports car DNA to make it an enjoyable drive. I would like to recommend the diesel without any reservations, but until there is an automatic gearbox it still comes with a but.I think the new diesel Mazda CX-7 is a bit of an 'if only' car.  If only this otherwise safe and comfortable car had an automatic gearbox.  For me, an automatic is essential and I find it hard to understand why Mazda would go the trouble of creating such a great long-range diesel engine and not have gone the extra distance with creating the auto to match.The car has plenty of pick-up and lives up to the 'zoom-zoom' reputation as I could negotiate most roads in second, sometimes third gear, without changing.    This is handy for a lazy runabout driver like myself. I am too busy talking to the bubs in the back to be worried about gear levers.Anyway, I think most customers would prefer the auto as most customers would be mums doin' the school run. They don't want to fuss with this and certainly won't like the fussy clutch that needs your foot flat to the floor before you can change the gears.  Once out on the open road or freeway, driving it was easy and I did feel I was in control when taking corners.I liked the varied cupholder areas and there was ample space in the back for prams and extra bits and bobs.  The seats were comfy to me and there was enough legroom to get car seats in and out with ease.The sat-nav and reversing camera is a great plus, but the screen appeared tiny inside such a big interior. You almost need a magnifier for it.  The air-con doesn't include vents to the rear seats, which means you freeze in the front to cool the people sweltering in the back.  It's a minus for me, as the car has front seat heaters which I would swap any hot summers' day for extra air-con vents.  But don't get me wrong, it's a good car. I do like it. The bottom line: Better but still not bestMazda CX7 Diesel Sports

Mazda has broadened the appeal of its CX-7 range of SUVs with the addition of two new powerplants.  Neither of the engines will be unfamiliar to those pedalling around in other Mazda products - the 6 in particular - but the facelifted four-model CX-7 has a new price-point entry-level.The CX-7 Classic kicks the range off from $33,990, with the Classic Sports dropping by almost $3000 to $38,990. The new Diesel Sports enters the range at $43,640, while the flagship Luxury Sports has also dropped to start from $45,990 (almost $2000 down on its predecessor).The sales and marketing department expects the new Classic entry-level model to gather around 30 per cent of the expected 400 units a month volume, with the Classic Sports and Diesel Sports each taking 10 per cent. The CX-7 Luxury Sports is expected to drop from its previous share of 80 to around 50 per cent.Mazda CX-7 was launched in Australia in November 2006 and Australian sales to date are in excess of 14,000 units (as at September 2009), averaging out to the new model's target of 400 per month.Powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder, teamed only with a five-speed auto and driving the front wheels, the new entry-level CX-7 Classic features standard stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency brake assist, dual front, front-side and full-length curtain airbags, the multi information display, a reversing camera and a trip computer.There's also climate control, a 6-disc in-dash MP3-compatible CD sound system, an auxiliary jack for an MP3 player, cruise control, a leather-wrapped gearshift and steering wheel, power windows and mirrors, remote central locking, reach'n'rake adjustable steering and variable intermittent wipers and 17in alloys. The other new addition to the CX-7 range is the Diesel Sports, powered by the turbodiesel from the Mazda6 - albeit with an Australian passenger-car-first AdBlue NOX emissions control system.The 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine is also doing without an automatic in the CX-7, using the same six- speed manual/all-wheel drive transmission to put its 127kW and 400Nm to ground.The diesel claims a fuel economy figure of 7.6 litres per 100km and CO2 emissions of 202g/km, with the AdBlue system cutting NOX emissions using a urea-based natural chemical reaction within the exhaust system. The added features on the diesel include satnav, powered and heated front seats, heated front exterior mirrors, leather trim and the up-spec Bose nine-speaker sound system.The Classic Sports and Luxury Sports all-wheel drive models retain the 175kW/350Nm 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, hooked up to the six-speed automatic. The Classic Sports starts from $38,990 with a features list that adds new 18in alloy wheels, front fog lamps and a dual chrome exhaust to the Classic model's list. The Luxury Sports flagship is priced from $45,990 and has much of the equipment from the Diesel Sports, as well as 19in alloy wheels and tilt and slide glass sunroof.You won't need to be a trainspotter to pick the new CX-7, with the family's new larger grille, new alloy wheels, a redesigned rear bumper and spoiler. Inside, the company is boasting improved-quality plastics, more sound deadening and better resistance to vibration.The dashboard and instrumentation has followed the path of the Mazda3, with the dashboard-mounted multi-information display to control satnav (when fitted), the Bluetooth phone link, the sound system, the reversing camera and the trip computer. The Mazda boffins are also boasting the new steering wheel design has a ‘more premium feel’.Mazda's SUV has sportscar aspirations and one of its new powerplants will help maintain that desire. The other engine will have a little more trouble doing that. The facelifted CX-7 brings with it a 2.5-litre four-cylinder, teamed only with a five-speed auto and driving the front wheels.It's a new price-point for the brand but it's not going to surprise anyone with pace - it's a metropolitan machine that is tuned for sedate cruising, requiring a solid prod for a climb or overtaking. It is smooth and quiet on all but the most pockmarked of surfaces, with the bulk of the noise seeming to come through the wheel-arches.Both new models - as expected with the outgoing model in mind - have good road manners, good body control, with steering that will not cause any concern for the driver. But the electro-hydraulic system on the diesel doesn't feel as meaty as the hydraulic set-up on the front-wheel drive model. The cabin has benefitted from the materials upgrade and the dash layout is improved, thankfully following the 3 and not the 6, with function buttons on the steering wheel working well with dash-mounted screen.Forward vision is generally good, although the A-pillars are wide and swept back, which can interfere a little with vision when doing metropolitan work. The 2.2-litre turbodiesel has plenty of grunt and is probably the pick of the CX-7 bunch. The AWD diesel manual can hustle on the strong torque offering but is also quiet and smooth.While the six-speed manual is a nice gearbox to use, the lack of an automatic option (as is the case in the 6 diesel) will hurt the sales of diesels.The new CX-7 range will have broader appeal for those looking for an SUV image, or buyers wanting good dirt road manners as well as bitumen abilities.

High school chemistry and a compound found in urine are helping the new Mazda CX-7 reduce emissions from its diesel engine. In what Mazda is claiming as a first on the Australian passenger car market, the CX-7 is fitted with a system that injects the liquid urea – a compound found in urine -- into the toxic nitrogen oxide exhaust gases, turning them into harmless nitrogen and water. It’s a similar system to those seen on heavy vehicles here, but is also on many passenger cars overseas.The urea is held in a separate tank that lasts more than 20,000km and can be refilled as part of the normal service cycle for a charge of around $150. If the tank gets close to empty, the vehicle’s speed is restricted. And if it empties completely, the vehicle will not restart. The CX-7 also has a particulate filter to reduce the amount of soot belched by the diesel engine, and the two systems help the vehicle meet coming emissions regulations in Europe and the Unites States, where the urea technology will become mandatory in the near future.The diesel is one of two new engines – and a two-wheel drive system -- joining the carryover turbocharged petrol engine al-wheel drive that was the only one available in the current range. And Australia is the only market to get all three engines, Mazda says. The 2.2-litre turbodiesel is the MRZ that debuted in the Mazda6, retuned to match the characteristics of the CX-7. It develops 127kW at 3500rpm and 400Nm at 2000rpm, with those outputs getting to the all-wheel drive system via a six-speed manual. It posts a fairly frugal 7.6l/100km economy and 202g/km of CO2 emissions.On the other end of the scale, the new entry-level engine is the 2.5-litre petrol unit from the Mazda6, mated to a five-speed sequential automatic driving the front wheels and developing 120kW at 6000rpm and 205Nm at 2000rpm, with official economy of 9.4/l/100km and emissions of 223g/km. The range is topped by the carryover 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol unit in both the Classic Sports and Luxury Sports, which has been given some brake drag, transmission, torque control and idle speed revisions to improve economy by close to 8 per cent. A six-speed sequential automatic drives all wheels with 175kW at 5000rpm and 350Nm at 2500rpm. This is the thirstiest – and grubbiest -- of the units, with economy of 11.5l/100km and emissions of 273g/km.It would be hard to fault Mazda’s design direction over the past couple of years, and the facelifted CX-7 serves to improve on the current model with a more aggressive nose and more pronounced lines around the front fascia and light clusters.The interior is similarly improved, with better quality materials, a new sporty steering wheel with clusters of remote controls, electric-blue accented instruments and a subtle curve over the mid-dash instrument binnacle. But there’s still something a little awkward around the rear end, particularly where the C-shaped Led clusters in the tail-lights seems to sit oddly in the squared-off bezels.The entry level Classic, with two-wheel drive and the 2.5-litre petrol engine, is priced at $33,990, but given decent basic spec that includes stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes with brake-force distribution and emergency brake assist, front side and curtain airbags, reversing camera, music player jack for the audio system and cruise control.Next step up is the Classic Sports at $38,990, which is basically the same spec with the higher-powered petrol engine. The new Diesel Sports sits at $43,640, with extra kit including satnav, 19-in wheels and sunroof. The Luxury Sports at $45,990 is similar spec matched with the high petrol drivetrain.Sales and marketMore than 14,000 CX-7s have been sold here since the Australian launch in 2006, and Mazda expects to keep up that rate of roughly 400 per month – or better. “At 400 a month we have a very solid business case,” marketing manager Alastair Doak says. “And if the demand is there for 500 or 600 – we’ll just have to ask the factory if they can supply. “We expect 2WD to connect to a whole new customer, and it could be up to 30 per cent of sales. Offroad ability is not a main reason for purchase for the significant majority of buyers in this segment. They want an SUV to sit up high, giving them a feeling of safety and security in the urban jungle. “Up until now the Luxury model has been about 80 per cent of sales, but (with the new additions) it will be around 50 per cent, with the Classic Sports and the new Diesel Sports taking 10 per cent each.”There’s little doubt people will be interested in the new diesel drivetrain, but what might be a hurdle is the lack of an automatic transmission in a market that is increasingly moving that way.  Not that there’s a problem with the six-speed manual. It’s got a nicely weighted throw, snicks into the slots with definite action, and is reasonably smooth and fast.It’s a pleasure to use out on the open road, but you don’t want to be doing all that rowing every 50 metres in city traffic. But except for in the very low rev range, there’s no shortage of go in the engine, and the manual’s gearing is well suited to stir it into some sturdy action.The active torque-split all-wheel drive system has always been pretty capable, but the lack of any meaningful ground clearance will keep adventuring to a minimum. It’s impossible to be enthusiastic about the entry-level petrol unit, which struggled to haul the CX-7 up most steep slopes – despite its 1600kg being 350kg less than the diesel -- and demanded tactics and a tailwind for any urgent overtaking.The gearing is tuned for economy, and if it were any more laid back it would be horizontal. And even Masashi Otsuka -- the program manager for the facelifted softroader – admits that the two-wheel drive entry level engine will really only be right for those who want to stay within city limits. “This is a good car for heavy traffic, with good fuel consumption. And so good for ladies and families in the city. Very comfortable … but not so good for outside the city,” Otsuka says.He says Mazda also analysed the body of the current model and were able to identify some weak points around the door sills and upper apertures, so these have been amended and rigidity has increased by five per cent. These improvements – in tandem with the well-calibrated McPherson front and multi-link rear suspension – give a ride that is remarkable in the two variants we tested for being both compliant and responsive.We took both the baseline and the diesel models over stretches of often patchy bitumen, and a small stint of gravel, and neither of them were unsettled or jarring. But nor did they wallow around.And despite the rough under the wheels, both cabins were impressively quiet, with only a bit of tyre roar suggesting what was going on outside. There are some clever touches around the cabin, like the sunvisor extenders that should really be standard on every vehicle in Australia. The only annoyances we found on launch were the wide a-pillars cutting into visibility, and just a single drop of rain on the reversing camera rendering it completely useless. They’re small points, but important ones on a vehicle that aims pretty hard for family attention.