If you must have a car with seven seats, Mazda’s attractive wagon is a serious contender. NEIL DOWLING reports. July 3, 2011
CLEARLY, a bloke who needs a seven-seat SUV has all but exhausted not only his reproductive potential, but also his choice of vehicles.
A woman driving such a thing might as well wear a T-shirt emblazoned with the label “Child Rearer”.
What seven-seater brings a much-needed dash of style to the grim fare of necessity? How about this one.
VALUE: Seven-seat wagons generally aren’t cheap because they are made with a lot of metal, glass and fabric. The Mazda CX-9 comes in three versions priced from $50,015. Tested is the Luxury at $57,015. It’s about $11,000 above the five-seat Mazda CX-7 and basically adds more room, more seats and a bigger petrol engine.
But it has no diesel option. Punters at this end of the market want flexibility, roominess and decent towing capacity. The CX-9’s rivals include the new Ford Territory, now with a diesel option.
DESIGN: This is a good-looking wagon with a big smiley face. It follows the design of the smaller CX-7 yet doesn’t look like an awkward stretch job. More a 110 per cent enlargement. The extra 406mm length allows a third row of seats. It’s one of the biggest in the class but adult still will not be comfortable back there. Boot space shrinks, naturally, to the point where not much more than a large suitcase will slip behind the third row of seats. Lots of leather and an attractive dashboard are spoilt only by so-so satnav graphics and the foot-operated park brake. The rest is great.
TECHNOLOGY: Not rocket science-a 3.7-litre 204kW/367Nm V6 petrol and all-wheel drive fits beneath an attractive body. It’s a well-executed and pleasantly simple package. Actually, the wagon is a front-wheel drive and will only send power to the rear when needed. Theoretically, you could venture off the bitumen and gravel but the CX-9 is not intended to compete with 4WDs. Besides, I wouldn’t want to dig its two-tonne mass out of the sand. Toyota’s Kluger is almost identical in spec and market but has almost four times the CX-9’s sales. There is no logical reason for this disparity.
SAFETY: Mazda scores a maximum fivestar rating for almost all its cars and the CX-9 is no exception. It adds all the necessary electronic nannies, including ESC, ABS and rollover mitigation. Plus it’s tall and looks like a Mack wouldn’t dent it. The reversing camera is an excellent feature; the spacesaver spare isn’t.
DRIVING: Yes, it is big but it has a confidence about it that creates the impression it is nimble.
The steering is nicely weighted-though there are too many turns lock-to-lockand the automatic transmission shifts up or down the cogs quickly and without fuss. The V6 is silky and willing to rev with a good dab of torque at low revs-about 330Nm of it is available from 2800rpm which makes it pointless to scream out to 6250rpm to find all 204kW. Handling is secure, though pushing it hard will unleash understeer and body roll. But the CX-9 is so comfortable and quiet that you lose the desire to drive it quickly.
VERDICT: During the week of the test, this was the car of choice from our garage to get to the city or down to the shops. It has comfort and easy power. Yes, there are some strong rivals but I was partly swayed by the Mazda name and the fact it is such a relaxed drive.
specs
MAZDA CX-9 Luxury
Stars: 4/5
PRICE $57,015
WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km
roadside assist
RESALE 70 per cent
SERVICE INTERVAL
12 months/15,000km
ENGINE 3.7-litreV6petrol,
204kW/367Nm
TRANSMISSION 6-speed
automatic
BODY 5-door, 7-seat wagon
Dimensions:5099mm(L);
1936mm(W);1728mm(H);
2875mm(WB)
WEIGHT 2080kg
SAFETY Equipment: six airbags,
ESC, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC.
Crash rating: 5 star
THIRST 11.3L/100km;
270g/km CO2
TYRES Size: 245/50R20
Spare: Space-saver
specialprojects 