IT DOESN’T look like a butch four-wheel-drive, nor does it look like a one-box people-mover. In fact, the Mazda CX-9 is a bit of both, almost perfectly defining the term “crossover”.
It does have all-wheel-drive and a high-ride chassis but that has absolutely nothing to do with going off-road. Inside, it’s all about quality and luxury, as well as making space for seven people and their gear.
As a family car, the CX-9 has — on paper — a pretty strong case to make. That starts with safety attributes including anti-lock brakes, brake-force distribution, brake-assist and stability control.
Strangely, though the stability control seems less than sophisticated and feels almost clumsy in the way it responds to a loss of stability. It could have a lot to do with the vehicle’s high centre of gravity and sheer mass.
Beyond that, you get front and side airbags, plus curtain airbags that extend to the third row of seats. There’s a lap-sash seatbelt for every pew, too.
And, thankfully, there is the standard reversing camera that should be fitted to any vehicle like this one. Actually, the reversing camera is even more important on the CX-9 because, despite its apparent airiness, there is limited vision to the rear and side from the driver’s seat.
However, the forward view is brilliant, thanks to the big windscreen and high-ride suspension.
With seven seats, the CX-9 is all about moving people and their possessions, so it needs to be flexible in how the interior works. And it is.
The back row of seats is best reserved for smaller children, but the centre row will accommodate big teenagers and adults.
That middle row also moves fore and aft to make the most of the available legroom and there’s a tilt function, too, to tailor the seating position as much as possible. The second row splits 60/40 and the third row 50/50.
While entry into the third row is OK for nimble children, adults might find it a more athletic process. Perhaps a sliding rear door, rather than the CX-9′s conventional rear doors, would make more sense but that would take the vehicle away from soft-roader turf and too close to people-mover territory.
The best news is both rows of rear seats fold flat into the floor, turning the CX-9 into a huge van if required.
But even folding down just the back row liberates a huge amount of luggage space.
And, typically for Mazda, there are loads of storage cubbies and drink-holders dotted around the cabin, as well as airconditioning controls in the rear.
The quality is bang-on, too, with a classy layout and level of fit and finish most people-movers don’t achieve.
The CX-9 is more than a people-mover, though, and falls (roughly) into the soft-roader category thanks to its all-wheel-drive mechanicals.
That said, the optional 20-inch wheels and tyres make it a bitumen-only proposition and the driveline is, in effect, a front-drive layout with on-demand all-wheel-drive when conditions require it.
Power comes from a smooth and quiet V6 engine, giving the CX-9 more urge than you might expect. That’s when it’s unladen, however, because when fully loaded, the 3.7-litre V6 can feel the strain.
That’s largely because the engine is tuned for power and, as a result, gives its best at high engine revs.
In hilly terrain at highway speeds, that — combined with its 2100-kilogram-plus heft — can translate to a car that is sometimes caught fishing around in its gearbox (in this case, a slick six-speed automatic) for the right ratio.
Under those conditions, it’s hard not to imagine how much better the CX-9 would be with a grunty turbo diesel powerplant.
Around town, though, the sharp throttle response and clever gearbox do a better job and the
CX-9 will feel pretty feisty and punchy for the most part.
Reliability seems to be on par with other contemporary Mazdas, which is excellent.
We haven’t heard of any endemic problems with the mechanical aspects of the CX-9 and the main thing to watch for is a car that has been abused either through lack of maintenance or by a tribe of children hell-bent on destroying the family transport.
The maintenance side of things can be checked via the service handbook, which should be up to date and stamped.
A car that has been punished by its occupants will be pretty easy to spot. Make sure there are no nasty stains inside and check for torn seat pockets and obvious signs of abuse.
Check for car-park dings and scrapes, too.
Any vehicle so capable of moving families is likely to have been parked at plenty of supermarkets and shopping centres.
Perhaps the nastiest surprise in store for the new CX-9 owner is the cost of the first trip to the bowser.
Frankly, the CX-9 is a bit of a guzzler. It could (and should) be more economical and even against its obvious rivals, such as the Ford Territory (itself no sipper), the CX-9 raises eyebrows with its thirst.
Around town, consumption is likely to be north of 15.0 litres per 100 kilometres but even on the highway, you won’t beat 10.0L/100km.
The only compensation is that the CX-9, unlike some of its rivals, doesn’t require premium unleaded. Again, you can’t help wondering how much better a turbo diesel version would be.
WHAT TO PAY
Model Year New Now
Classic 2007 $49,990 $41,700
Classic 2008 $49,990 $43,300
Classic 2009 $51,990 $44,700
Classic 2010 $49,990 $49,000
Luxury 2007 $57,265 $45,900
Luxury 2008 $57,290 $47,600
Luxury 2009 $60,105 $49,300
Luxury 2010 $56,990 $55,900
Source: Glass’s Guide
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