The Mazda CX-9 is a great way to haul families or large groups of people from one place to another and in relative comfort and safety at that.
It is often referred to as the big brother of the Mazda CX-7. They are a lot similar on the outside, but unlike the CX-7, the CX-9 boasts of three rows of seats and a longer wheelbase that extends to 113.2 inches.
The CX-9 also has a powerful 3.5 liter V6 engine with about 260 horsepower and six-speed automatic transmission that can go with either front drive or all-wheel drive. The engine delivers smooth power that doesn’t buckle even at high revs, and it provides excellent mileage, too. In addition, the CX-9 is much easier to handle than you’d expect, with its responsive and nicely-weighted steering.
The CX-9 is Mazda’s answer to the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX (formerly Aviator). In terms of competition, size, price, and market position, the CX-9 compares favorably to the Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer and Freestyle, GMC Acadia, Nissan Murano, Saturn Outlook, Suzuki XL-7 and Toyota Highlander.
The CX-9 comes in three models — Sport, Touring and Grand Touring. All of them have standard ABS brakes, stability/traction control, front torso side airbags and curtain side airbags with rollover sensors. The Sport and Touring models has 18-inch wheels while the Grand Touring has 20s.
All models have three rows of large seats and can accommodate seven people — two in front, three in the middle and two at the back. There is also a a 60/40 bench seat in the second row and a 50/50 bench seat on the third row, and both are foldable for extra cargo space. Aside from being movable, the middle seat also has reclining backrests to allow more space for cargo or passengers. According to Mazda, 17.2 cubic feet of cargo can fit behind the third row seat.
Overall, the Mazda CX-9 provides great head, leg, and shoulder room and comfortable and wide padded center armrest, padded door armrests and sills. Its steering wheel looks sporty, with a column that manually tilts and provides even more comfort.
Passengers in the second row don’t have to worry about being squished either and will rather enjoy the spacious head and foot room as well as the padded sills and armrests. Meanwhile, the third row is easy to access because the second row bench can slide and tilt. However, if the second row is extended all the way back, the third row can be pretty tight.
