Mazda CX-9 Reviews

Double-takes from CX-7 drivers were not uncommon during my time in the biggest member of Mazda's SUV range - the CX-9. The exterior lines might be similar but there are big differences between the five and seven-seat Mazda kid-carriers.The slimming CX-9 styling hides quite a sizeable machine, which at just over 5m long and nearly 2m wide is no waif.While Mazda says it has 200mm of ground clearance it looks low-slung and almost sleek, suggesting snow-bunny locales and A-grade dirt are more this SUV's forte than rock-hopping.From behind the wheel its dimensions become more apparent - slipping into tight car spaces is helped by the presence of a rear-view camera but radar sensors would be a worthwhile addition to the features list.The drivetrain is smooth and quiet, although it has to shift two tonnes of Mazda, which means it has plenty of work to do.It's not the sweetest engine from the Mazda stable when working hard, nor is it the most frugal, returning figures in the 16 litres/100km (it's ADR claim is 13 litres/100km), which is about par for the petrol-powered opposition in the class.But the seven-seater has plenty to like. The features list includes 20 inch wheels, sunroof, front and rear airconditioning and cruise control.The Luxury edition also gets leather trim, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise control switch gear, electrically-adjustable heated front seats and rain-sensing wipers.The CX-9 also packs a good range of safety gear, including stability control (with roll-over sensing function) and dual front, front-side and full-length curtain airbags.The Luxury edition also gets a good-quality Bose sound system with sub-woofer, controlled by the touch screen that also carries the rear camera images, but sun glare from the heavily-raked windscreen can interfere.The big Mazda is reasonably nimble but the electronics kick in quickly if pushed hard, making sure the two-tonne machine is reined in early, but most drivers won't push it to the same degree.The passenger accommodation is comfortable, with the middle row of seats able to slide fore and aft to give the third row a little extra leg room.The third-row seats fold flat into the floor but even with them up there's still some room for cargo, although it won't be enough for a weekend away for seven, but five passengers and their bags will fit.Ride comfort is on the firm side - the is price for some agility.The new Mazda is heading into SUV segment that showed the most sales growth last year - up against Ford's Territory, Holden's Captiva, Toyota's Kluger and the new-look Subaru Tribeca - and it deserves to be on the seven-seater medium SUV shopping list.

A few years back, I spent a week behind the wheel of Volkswagen's then brand-new Touareg 4WD — and learnt two very valuable lessons about modern motoring.The first was that the Touareg's off-road ability, like that of many modern 4WDs, far exceeded what the vast majority of its buyers would ever need.The second lesson was how a vehicle's very brawn and bulk could compromise its ability where it would be used most — in the city.Exiting a sharp turn in a multi-level car park gashed one of the Touareg's expensive mag wheels.That can happen in any car, but if the vehicle's dimensions be fit an armoured personnel carrier, it raises the odds of contact considerably.Have a good look at the rims and bumpers of the large 4WDs and people-movers in your shopping centre and you'll see what I mean.So the first hurdle we placed before Mazda's CX-9 was what we call the Westfield test.To ensure the test is conducted under real-world conditions, I load my two children, aged two and five, and tackle the Westfield shopping centre at Burwood at peak time.Seldom have I not suffered damage here. Fortunately, with the exception of the Touareg, this damage has been confined to my central nervous system.At least I'm safe in the knowledge that, should there be an accident, it will be at such low speed the CX-9's vast array of safety features — the increasingly standard alphabet of acronyms — won't be troubled.The CX-9 comes with roll-stability control, traction control, dynamic stability control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution and emergency brake assist.These are combined with enough airbags to engulf you if the accident's bad enough. Unsurprisingly, the CX-9 won Mazda's first five-star rating in US front and side impact testing.Having put a procession of people-movers and larger SUVs — the Touareg, the Honda Odyssey, the Mitsubishi Grandis, the Ford Territory, the Subaru Tribeca, the Chrysler Voyager, BMW's X5, the Nissan Patrol and others — through the Westfield test I know there are three areas where they get caught out.The first test is the sharp entry/exit corners. Despite a couple of anxious moments, the CX-9, with its largish 11.4m turning circle, got in and out without losing bark.Still, it required full concentration and there was little margin for error.Parking a behemoth that's more than 5m long, 1.7m high and 1.9m wide is another matter.The standard-fit reversing camera made this a painless exercise; all manufacturers of vehicles this size should make it a fixture.After a couple of weeks behind the wheel of the CX-9, I'd become used to the dimensions and found it fairly easy to park — but you can't get away from the fact it's a very large vehicle that pretty much fills a standard parking bay.How are Americans, most of whom seem to own sleds of this size, able to open their doors and actually get out?The big Mazda (it tips the scales at around two tonnes) also passed the third test with aplomb.Tailgates that open vertically are great for loading bulky packages, but less so when the paintwork is damaged after belting into the low concrete roof of a car park.This is a genuine problem with tall vehicles, but although the CX-9's hatch lifts above the rounded roofline, it stopped well clear of the 2.5m concrete ceiling.Having passed the Westfield test, the CX-9 also proved class-leading on the open road.Its 3.7-litre V6 pumps out 204kW, making it Mazda's most powerful vehicle yet. It has enough herbs to get away from the lights at a good clip; Mazda claims it will hit 100km/h in 8.5seconds, although that would be contingent on really planting the foot, especially with seven people aboard.On a drive through the winding roads of the Royal National Park, the CX-7 lived up to Mazda's zoom-zoom catchphrase and had genuinely car-like handling.The all-wheel-drive set-up teams well with the six-speed “Activematic” gearbox, and the steering becomes much firmer as you pick up speed.This get-up-and-go comes at a price, and the CX-9 likes a good drink of fuel.The claimed 13litres/100km consumption figure is optimistic. Anyone who drives mostly around town and can achieve this figure would make a monk appear extravagant.Then again, anybody who needs a seven-seater family car and can stump up the cash for the CX-9 is unlikely to baulk at the fuel bill.That's not to say the CX-9 is outlandishly priced — far from it, given the quality of its fit and finish, which approaches BMW standards.The starting price of $49,990 for the Classic is within a lot of budgets, and for $57,265 the Luxury version buys you leather trim, a mini-sunroof, powered and heated front seats and a 10-speaker Bose sound system.Visually, the CX-9 leaves its rivals well in its wake and clearly highlights just how much of a styling bungle Subaru made with its first version of the now-reworked Tribeca.But don't be fooled into thinking the CX-9 is merely a stretched version of the CX-7, as the bigger vehicle sits on a platform all of its own.The front seats and the three in the second row have an abundance of space, easily accommodating three adults in comfort. With the third row of seats folded, there's also an enormous amount of luggage space.Despite some clever trickery in access and egress, however, the third row of seats is best suited to smaller children (like most vehicles in this class, with the possible exception of Chrysler's Voyager).If, like me, you feel claustrophobic in a confined space, it's best not to go there.That small niggle aside, the CX-9 has raised the bar for people-movers and is truly a class-leading machine.

At least that is how it felt as we roared Mazda's massive CX-9 seven-seater SUV/people mover up the twisty road to Mt Beauty in the Victorian Alps; during the media launch.Here, the road beckons the spirited 204kW V6 engine to press on, but the dynamic stability control steps in with brute force almost as soon as a wheel begins to step out of line and shuts everything down as if the invisible hand of God has grabbed the car.If you want to play, you are out of luck. But if you want a safe people mover, this is about as safe as you can get.The biggest and most powerful Mazda yet is also the first in its class with rollover stability control and the first Mazda with a reversing camera. It also features side curtain airbags that go all the way back to the third row. Safe and almost as big as houses.The CX-9 is a massive piece of sheet metal that replaces Mazda's MPV people mover and will compete in the medium SUV segment against the new Toyota Kluger, Ford Territory, Hyundai Santa Fe and updated Subaru Tribeca.It sits above the CX-7 compact SUV which costs $39,910-$45,560.The Classic model starts just under $50,000 and features a long list of standard features such as rain-sensing wipers, reversing camera, fog lamps, touch-screen entertainment system, 18-inch wheels, three-zone airconditioning, cruise control and trip computer.The $57,265 Luxury model adds leather, sunroof, powered and heated front seats and 10-speaker Bose sound system.A retro-fittable satellite navigation accessory item costing $3000 will arrive in January.Mazda global marketing chief Dan Morris says; the CX-9 takes the company in a new direction.“It opens up a new section of the market we have not been in before,” he said.“It really is tailor-made for Australia. We know you like big engines. We know you like big interior space.”CX-9 program manager Hideaki Tanaka from Hiroshima said the car was designed to be sporty, prestigious, versatile and safe, having earned top marks in American crash testing.He said Australia was the first market to get the right-hand-drive version.It was tested here by Hiroshima and Australian Mazda engineers for steering, handling, comfort, noise, vibration and harshness.Several standard features were fitted for the Australian market including the reversing camera, touch-screen display and trip computer, while the 60/40 second row split and middle seatbelt were reversed.Tanaka said the distinguishing feature of the CX-9 was the amount of room in the second and third rows and the easy one-handed access to the rear seats.Mazda Australia marketing manager Alastair Doak said they would sell about 400 a month, about 80 per cent Luxury models.He refused to call the CX-9 a soccer mum's car.“Our potential customers would be horrified by that term. They want a performance car with lots of space,” he said.In the boring colours offered it looks like a beached whale or at least an over-inflated CX-7. To be fair, it is difficult to make such a big slab-sided car look sleek, but Mazda has done a reasonable job.It is also difficult to make such a big car responsive, economical and dynamic. The 3.7-litre engine has plenty of top-end power. It is Mazda's first mass-production car with more than 200kW of power and it is claimed to reach 100km/h from standstill in 8.3sec.But while it lacks some low-end torque, the super-fast and smooth six-speed Aisin gearbox makes the best of the engine's strengths. It is the same gearbox as in the CX-7, but with a taller top gear to maximize economy.Mazda quotes 13 litres/100km, but on the launch we managed 14.4 and most others fared worse. Still, it's better than our experiences with the Ford Territory.The auto transmission tells you what gear you are in and slips quickly into sixth gear for more economical driving. If you lightly touch the throttle, it immediately drops back to fifth almost imperceptibly. Dab the throttle a little more vigorously and it drops two gears instantly.There is a fair ratio gap between second and third which, on top of the interventionist DSC, made our charge up Mt Beauty even more difficult as we were either over or under-revving.Around town the big machine feels light and easy to manoeuvre despite an 11.4m turning circle. Manoeuvrability is aided by very light steering that becomes heavier with speed.Out on the highway the power-assisted steering has a bit of an American dead feel in the middle.The quiet cabin becomes rather tiresome with plenty of tyre, road and wind noise, especially from the wing mirrors. Yet the cabin is a comfortable, roomy and a classy place to be.Mazda is marketing it under the slogan “It can carry your whole life,” and that's not far wrong.There is plenty of legroom, although it should be noted that it really isn't a seven-adult carrier. More like four adults and three kids as the centre seat in the second row is narrow and the third row has limited room, although it is better than many in its class.Access to the third row is easy because the second row slides a long way forward and the floor is flat. But the third row suffers from a lack of headroom and a high floor that will have adults sitting with their knees up high. Also, unlike some other seven-seaters, the third row is actually lower than the second which, together with a low roof and small side windows, makes it claustrophobic.There are drink holders in the rear, but only floor air vents. The second row gets separate air controls and vents, while the third row is only for juniors; there is still more room behind the seat for luggage than in competitors' cars. The third row easily folds flat to reveal a very large and serviceable cargo area. The second row also folds flat, but a little higher and with a gap in the floor.Mazda could do with the Kluger's self-opening/closing rear door because the tailgate is quite heavy.Up front, there are comfortable seats, with plenty of easy-to-operate controls, but the raked windscreen allows in too much sun so your legs can bake.The Luxury model's small sunroof only extends over the front seats. It would be better placed over the second and/or third rows or with a second sunroof as some competitors have.Mazda claims the temporary spare tyre is not a bicycle tyre like most space savers. They say it is a very serviceable 17-inch spare that has a larger profile to provide the same diameter as the fitted tyres, It is also a reasonable 195mm wide compared with 245mm on the fitted tyres. Mazda says it is only called a temporary because of Australian Design Rules.Doak says there will be no diesel nor two-wheel-drive stripper model like some of its competitors.  Snapshot Mazda CX-9Price: $49,990-$57,265Body: 5-door, 7-seat, Classic and Luxury trimEngine: 3726cc 24-valve, V6 DOHCBore X stroke: 95.5 x 86.7mmCompression: 10.3:1Power: 204kW @ 6250rpmTorque: 366Nm @ 4250rpmFuel: ULP, 76-litre tank, 13L/100km (claimed)Emissions: Euro IV, 309g/kmTransmission: 6-speed sequential auto, AWDBrakes: 320/325mm ventilated discsTurning circle: 11.4mSuspension: MacPherson strut (front), multi-link (rear)Tyres: 245/60 R18 (Classic), 245/50 R20 (Luxury)Wheels: alloy, temporary spareDimensions (MM): 5074 (l), 1936 (w), 1728 (h), 2875 (wheelbase), 200 (clearance)Kerb weight: 2041kg (Classic), 2080 (Luxury)Towing: 2000kg (braked), 750kg (unbraked)