- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 7 seats
- Engine
3.7i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
204kW, 367Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 11.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Mazda CX-9
The testers: Joshua Dowling and Jaedene Hudson.
The car: Mazda CX-9.
The price: $57,265.
Vital statistics: 3.7-litre (204kW, 366Nm) V6, six-speed automatic.
He: The CX-9 is Mazda's first seven-seat soft-roader. It's the bigger brother to the CX-7 which, despite its name, is only a five-seater. The CX-9 went on sale in December and competes with the premium model Toyota Klugers and the Subaru Tribeca. We've driven a lot of these lately. What did you think of it?
She: I don't mind the CX-9. I like the interior presentation better than the Tribeca and the Kluger but, having said that, the CX-9 starts from a higher price point.
He: The CX-9 is definitely the biggest of the three. I liked the look and layout of the interior but some of the cabin plastics, in particular the dashboard material, are hard to the touch.
She: At least road noise is now down to a dull roar. Most Mazdas tend to suffer a bit of tyre noise. The CX-9 wasn't too bad, although the Kluger and the Tribeca are quieter.
He: The CX-9 has the roomiest third-row seat and a huge load space. The Kluger's removable middle seat from the middle row is clever but the Mazda would be better for big families with a lot of stuff to carry.
She: You don't feel the size when you're driving but you sure notice it when you're parking, even though it has a standard rear camera (as do the Kluger and Tribeca).
He: At first I found the steering a bit sensitive for the size and weight of the car. Mazda has tried to instil some "zoom zoom" dynamics into all cars in its range, including this one. But after a while I got used to it.
She: It accelerates pretty well for a two-tonne-plus vehicle. Its performance is close to that of the Kluger and better than the Tribeca, which feels a bit sluggish despite getting a bigger engine.
He: The 3.7-litre V6 in the CX-9 is more refined than I was expecting. When you use the power it likes a drink but if you drive it gingerly you can get reasonable economy out of it.
She: The Mazda is still thirstier than the Kluger. At least it takes regular unleaded, unlike some Mazdas.
He: We should point out that we've only driven the luxury model CX-9 because the base models apparently missed the first shipment to Australia. Do you expect there will be much of a step down in quality and appearance on the cheaper version?
She: The $49,990 Classic model doesn't get the premium Bose stereo, sunroof and it has cloth seats not the heated and electrically adjusted leather seats in the luxury model but it doesn't miss out on any safety equipment and performance is likely to be the same. So would you buy one?
He: There is no perfect car in this class. I like the Kluger but wish it had a better middle-row seat. The CX-9 is the roomiest but at times the steering can be a little sensitive. And the Tribeca was off my list because the curtain airbags don't go to the third row. That said, the CX-9 is the only one that can accommodate seven and their luggage in comfort.