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Walk Around

The Mazda CX-9 is supposed to be a substitute for either a classic sport utility vehicle or a minivan and Mazda made sure it looks like neither.

Auto industry executives have a tendency toward exaggeration when talking about new vehicles but chief designer Hideki Suzuki has a point when he says the CX-7 has a distinctive presence.

The CX-9's nose features a huge Mazda insignia with prominent and flared fenders that start a line that heads back and slightly upward just below the windows. The roof arches, crests and then slides back and down. One surprise is that it continues to give a pronounced bulge to the tailgate, looking like an old-fashioned bustle. It is a neat trick that adds a little extra storage capacity.

What is perhaps most surprising about the CX-9 is that it doesn't look big from the outside, although it is about a foot longer than the Nissan Murano and Toyota Highlander, which are not small vehicles.

Safety researchers say the strength of the vehicle's body is also crucial in providing protection in a side-impact crash. Mazda officials say that was taken to consideration including making the B-pillar extra wide and strong. (The B-pillar is the second roof pillar back from the windshield, which uses the A-pillar.)

Interior

2007 Mazda CX-9

There are a series of surprises when one first enters the CX-9. One is that it is so easy to climb into the front seats. The second is that one sits as high as most of the SUVs, providing a good look down the road. Then, one looks around and sees that it is a quite a roomy vehicle.

Carrying seven people means two up front, three in the second row and two in the hind quarters.

At 6 feet 4 inches, I could be comfortable in the driver's seat, then move back to the second row and find enough legroom. That second row, incidentally, is a 60/40 split and either side moves fore and aft almost five inches. That allows a nice amount of flexibility in carrying people and cargo of different sizes. When I was testing it I put the seat in a mid-position.

Then, without moving the position of the second row I climbed into the third row and found adequate head and legroom.

To get to the third row one grabs a handle built into the top of the second-row seats and pulls. That releases the seat and slides it forward. The opening is smallish, in part because the wheel arch intrudes. But with a wiggle and a twist an adult can reach the third row without a severe loss of dignity.

Buyers have a choice of black or beige interiors and the latter made the interior seem brighter and roomier. The look is upscale and nothing about it says boring, family transportation.

Up front all the basic driving controls are simple and easy to use. There is a small storage bin between the front seats and relatively thin storage compartments on the front doors.

Mazda says there is 17 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row upright. That is about as much as the trunk of a mid-size sedan, although it would require piling luggage up to the roof, blocking the rearward view. Nevertheless 17 cubic feet gives the CX-9 a significant advantage over competitors such as the Toyota Highlander, which has 10.5 cubic feet behind its third row and about two inches less legroom. To carry more stuff and fewer people the third row ( a 50/50 split) can be lowered by pulling a strap. Gravity does the work. With both sides down the result is 48 cubic feet of space. Getting the seat back up requires pulling the same strap, something my 5-foot 6-inch wife found easy to do.

The second row can also be folded down easily. However, it doesn't create a completely flat cargo area. There is a slight, uphill slant.

One thing the freakishly tall (6-foot 4-inch, in my case) will quickly learn is that the tailgate when open does not have a 6-foot 4-inch clearance. There is nothing like a good rap on the forehead to brighten the day.

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