2007 Mazda CX-9—Seven-Passenger Zoom-Zoom

Nobody asked me, but . . .

Mazda is on a roll. Sales are strong throughout North America, including Canada and Mexico. Zoom-Zoom has caught on. Why? Because Mazda has the product to back up those words. From Mazda3 sedan and sports coupe to the MX-5 Miata to the rotary-powered RX-8 sports car, Mazda builds cars that are fun to drive. And it’s not just the coupes, sedans and sports cars that exhibit the zoom-zoom DNA, even family-oriented models such as the CX-7 have Mazda spirit.

But what happens when you introduce the largest vehicle Mazda has ever sold in the U.S., a midsize crossover with three rows of seating and room for seven. Is zoom-zoom suddenly snooze-snooze?

To find out, I accepted Mazda’s invite to attend the launch of the new CX-9. The CX-9, the Mazda MPV (no longer sold in the U.S.) and the Ford Edge are cousins, loosely sharing a platform on which all three differ in wheelbase, overall length and track. CX-9 and Edge share the same Lima, Ohio-built 3.5-liter V6, identical except for minor tuning differences. Both have 6-speed automatics; the Edge has the new Ford-GM transmission while the CX-9 has a Japanese Aisin 6-speed, featuring a manual shift mode not available on the Edge.

When Mazda marketeers were analyzing the crossover landscape, owners of other competing crossovers told Mazda to “Don’t even think about introducing a midsize competitor unless it has three rows of seats.” So three rows of seats are standard.

Mazda also provided rear doors that open wider than the competition—Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot—along with ingeniously engineered 2nd- and 3rd-row seats that tilt and slide with a simple one-hand operation. So unlike many SUVs and crossovers, third-row occupants aren’t seated in a penalty box. And when it’s needed, there’s class-leading cargo room behind the 2nd- and 3rd-row seats.

Prospective buyers also mentioned the s word: safety. So roll stability control, dynamic stability control and traction control are standard on all three models as are advanced dual front air bags, side-impact air curtains for all three rows and front-side impact air bags.

Design? Mazda customers like exterior styling that is bold, athletic and sporty. Inside they want comfort, convenience, driver-focused controls and comfortable supportive seating. All are attributes of the new CX-9. And for those times when the conditions call for relaxed cruising, the CX-9 offers an optional custom-designed Bose rear-seat entertainment system with surround sound that’s better than some movie theaters. I call it boom-boom.

Somehow, not much of what I’ve said so far sounds much like zoom-zoom. You’re right; I’ve saved the best for last.

When most companies introduce a new SUV or crossover they put you on the straight and level and tell you to do family things. Mazda, au contraire, adds a different twist. They aim you at the canyon roads north of Los Angeles and caution, “You get a ticket, you pay for it!”

So off we went, seated behind the wheels of a variety of Sport, Touring and Grand Touring CX-9s, some front drivers and others AWDs. I started with the base Sport and later swapped into a Grand Touring model, both with front-wheel drive, but the GT version is fitted with 20-inch wheels and tires versus the 18s on the other two models.

The first thing you discover when you finally clear downtown LA traffic is that these canyon roads we’re driving are sports car roads. And funny thing, the CX-9 feels like a sports car. Okay, it’s not an RX-8. The RX-8 only holds four people and the CX-9 seats seven. But with two on board I’m thinking to myself, “The CX-9 drives like a much smaller vehicle.” It’s balanced, it’s agile and it’s fun. I’m seated higher than I would be in an RX-8 but I don’t feel unsettled when going around corners. The CX-9 tracks predictably and true. The steering is nicely weighted and provides excellent road feel and feedback. When I push the CX-9 aggressively, it reels me in with a touch of stability control. But it’s never oppressive as some stability systems are wont to be. Brakes? Vented discs at every corner and nearly as large as those on the Porsche Cayenne S model. So the CX-9 stops really well.

And I’m loving the powertrain. Mazda’s drivetrain wizards have done an excellent job of matching the 3.5-liter V6’s torque and horsepower characteristics to the six ratios of the automatic transmission. The lay of the land results in numerous up and downshifts as the road twists and turns through the canyon. Up hills and down. Slow lefts and fast
rights . . . and vice versa. The throttle responds to my every command, instantly and smoothly. I don’t realize the transmission has been downshifting three or four gears in some of the turns until I happen to glance at the indicator on the dash. “It downshifted to third? It feels like it only dropped down one gear.” The shifting is so smooth and seamless it feels like a one-speed fluid drive. This powertrain control, balance and smoothness allow me to maintain high average speeds without upsetting my passenger. And isn’t that what Grand Touring is all about?

I didn’t get a chance to drive a CX-9 with all-wheel drive on this trip (I’ll make up for that omission sometime in the near future), but loving the handling of the front driver as much as I do, I know the AWD model has to be better with all four wheels powering the CX-9 through the turns.

Bottom line? It starts with an MSRP of $29,035 for the least expensive Sport model and ranges to $33,875 for the Grand Touring AWD model.

Bottom, bottom line? The new Mazda CX-9 is a great high-wire act of family-oriented features wrapped in a stylish sporty package that is the essence of zoom-zoom DNA. That leaves most of its direct competitors up in the air minus a safety net. Did someone say: gloom-gloom?