2008 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring

2008 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring - Introduced for the 2007 model year, the CX-9 gave Mazda its first-ever entry into the full-size-SUV market. Looking like an inflated version of the nifty CX-7, the CX-9 traces its architectural roots to the front-drive Mazda 6 sedan, although the structure has obviously been stretched and strengthened for this far bigger vehicle.

The engineering work yielded a unibody that’s arguably the best in its class for structural rigidity, which in turn yields benefits in ride and handling, two of several areas where the CX-9 gets high marks.

The parent company, of course, claims things like the “Soul of a Sports Car” and “Zoom-Zoom,” the athletic dynamism that allegedly separates each Mazda product from its competitive herd. It’s not untrue to say that the CX-9 is agile, especially when measured by the water buffalo standards of the full-size-crossover class.

We should also note that agility expectations in this growing class are escalating steadily, as exemplified by GM’s new crossover trio—the GMC Acadia, the Saturn Outlook, and the Buick Enclave. And we’d say further that when it comes to fancy footwork, the CX-9 trumps them all, another plus on the active-safety score sheet.

At introduction, the CX-9 was propelled by a then-new 3.5-liter V-6 supplied by Ford, with 263 horsepower and 249 pound-feet of torque, the same engine that has more recently helped to make the Ford Taurus (previously known as the Five Hundred) a much more desirable offering in the full-size-sedan market. Hitched to a 4400-pound SUV, though, forward progress becomes a bit more deliberate: Our test of a front-drive ’07 CX-9 measured a 7.8-second 0-to-60-mph time and a 16.2-second quarter-mile at 88 mph.

Nevertheless, the CX-9’s V-6 has expanded a bit to 3.7 liters for 2008, and that bumps output to 273 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. And this, in conjunction with the CX-9’s outstandingly responsive six-speed automatic transmission, reduces its 0-to-60 time to 7.3 seconds and improves quarter-mile performance to 15.7 seconds at 91 mph.

The other good news here is that the more powerful beast also seems to be no thirstier in the fuel department, although this, like agility, is a relative matter. The ’08 CX-9 carries EPA fuel-economy ratings of 16 mpg city and 22 highway, which are the same marks the ’07 model would get with the 2008 EPA test method. In our hands, the 2007 model yielded a dismal average of 16 mpg. This time around we recorded 19 mpg—not exactly Toyota Prius territory, but a significant improvement.

Demerits are few. Third-row legroom could be more generous, although it’s better than average by class standards and mitigated by fore-and-aft second-row-seat adjustability. Ride quality can be a little choppy on warty pavement with the 20-inch-wheel option, and like most crossovers based on front-drive platforms, towing capacity is modest: 3500 pounds, and then only if the vehicle is equipped with the optional towing package.

As you’d expect, pricing is similar to that of competing vehicles. The CX-9 is a smidge higher than a Saturn Outlook, model for model, and a bit lower than a GMC Acadia. The base front-drive Sport version starts at $29,995. Our top-of-the-line Grand Touring begins at $33,950. Figure another $1300 if you want all-wheel drive, and be careful with the options packages: For example, our tester had the $2500 GT Assist package—DVD nav with voice command and touch screen, a rearview camera, a power liftgate—and a $1760 package that added a power sunroof, an in-dash six-D changer, and a Bose stereo.

Those two packages, plus pearlescent paint ($200) and Sirius satellite radio ($430), added up to a $38,840 front-drive CX-9, which begins to feel pretty expensive. In closing, let’s take another look at the thesis question: Is big more attractive when it’s quicker? Hey, you still have to ask?