Short Take Road Test
A 4380-pound seven-passenger sport-ute is a vehicle Mazda shouldn't have to build. Mazda is the fun, sporty company, the company that invited writers to its Laguna Seca racetrack in 2002 to introduce a minivan.
The old Mazda MPV had a taut suspension, tight steering, a relatively low curb weight at 3920 pounds, and flex seating, but buyers avoided it like the town leper. Just 11,600 MPVs were sold in '06, as a general rebellion developed against all minivans by moms and dads who hate to be confused with moms and dads.
There's a new-for-2007 Mazda MPV, but only beyond our shores. Mazda's U.S. office wisely figured that minivan-eschewing Americans would prefer the humongous CX-9, which is 6.4 inches longer than a Ford Explorer and 2.5 inches wider but a few cubic feet smaller inside than the old MPV. Oh, the sacrifices we make for fashion. True to Mazda, at least, the CX-9 may be the best-handling sumo-ute out there.
The CX-9 shares its Mazda 6-based platform with that new overseas MPV as well as the Ford Edge. The steering communicates, the suspension controls body motions, and the 263-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 pulls hard enough to get to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds in our front-drive tester. Only the aggressive stability-control system dampens its spirit.
The sticker stretches from the $29,630 front-wheel-drive Sport to the $34,470 all-wheel-drive Grand Touring, but prices go zoom-zooming with options. Want navigation? It's bundled in a $2717 Touring Assistance package (including keyless start and a power liftgate) and must be purchased with the $1760 sunroof or the $2560 DVD entertainment system. One tip: Avoid AWD (if you can) and the 20-inch wheels. Both make the ride overly harsh.
To its credit, the edgy CX-9 looks better than any minivan. Cockpit treatments include French-stitched leather and glossy-black trim spears with chrome accents, and kudos to Mazda for making all the seat rows spacious and easy to access.
Minivan haters have another big shoulder to lean on.
