With the 2011 Mazda CX-9, the "zoom-zoom" gang has cooked up a large SUV that won't disappoint drivers with sporty intentions.
This seven-seat SUV is available with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive and comes in three flavors: Sport, Touring, or Grand Touring. The tester that graced my presence was a Grand Touring with all-wheel drive.
That base price does include 20-inch wheels, leather-trimmed seats in the first and second rows, a tilt/telescope steering wheel, heated front seats, rain sensing wipers, a roof spoiler, blind-spot monitoring, ABS, roll stability control, fog lamps, an antiskid system, traction control, an auxiliary jack, a wireless cell phone link, keyless entry and starting, and a trip computer.
The 2011 Mazda CX-9 ranks 1 out of 24 Affordable Midsize SUVs. This ranking is based on our analysis of 52 published reviews and test drives of the Mazda CX-9, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.
Reviewers say the "2011 Mazda CX-9" manages to thread the needle: it’s a seven-seat SUV that’s actually fun to drive.
The major downside to the "Mazda CX-9" is its price: even among seven-seat SUVs, it’s a little high. Other seven-seat crossovers stand out by offering features the CX-9 can’t match.
The Mazda CX-9 is available in three trim levels: Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring. The "base" CX-9 comes well equipped with standard 18-inch wheels, power moonroof, heated mirrors, three-zone automatic climate control, 8-way power adjustable driver's seat, Bluetooth compatibility, side-impact air bags, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Traction Control System (TCS) and Roll Stability Control (RSC).
Upgrading to the Mazda CX-9 Touring trim level yields available power opening and closing rear liftgate, advanced keyless entry, 4-way power adjustable front seats, Bose audio and a backup camera.
The premium trim level designated by the Grand Touring moniker delivers upgraded 20-inch wheels, Xenon headlamps, halogen fog lamps, rain-sensing windshield wipers, driver's seat memory and available rear-entertainment system, DVD-based navigation and the Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) System.
FWD is standard and yields 16 city, 22 highway estimated MPG.
