2016 Mazda CX-9 Sport FWD REVIEW | A Base Model That’s Anything But Basic
ENTRY LEVEL, RANGE-OPENER, PRICE LEADER - ALL SYNONYMS FOR "BASE MODEL", AND, TYPICALLY, ANYTHING BUT GLAMOROUS. Except maybe in the case of this car, the 2016 Mazda CX-9 Sport.
Yes, the CX-9 Sport is the cheapest CX-9 you can buy - but basic it is not. It comes with the same powerful turbocharged engine as the rest of the CX-9 range and a surprisingly strong level of standard equipment.
So, it may well be utilitarian, practical, and perfectly suited to family duties, but it does challenge the term ‘basic’.
Vehicle Style: Large SUV
Price: $42,490 (plus on-roads)
Engine/trans: 170kW/420Nm 2.5 litre 4cyl turbo petrol | 6sp automatic
Fuel Economy Claimed: 8.4 l/100km | Tested: 10.2 l/100km
OVERVIEW
Forget the Sport moniker - that’s just a trim level, there’s really nothing sporty about the CX-9 Sport. That’s not such a problem in a vehicle that’s very clearly a three-row SUV and not a sports car.
In its cheapest form, the CX-9 starts from $42,490 and only comes with front-wheel-drive (you’ll need to throw in an extra $4000 for all-wheel-drive) and that’s good enough for a light-duty SUV that isn’t really supposed to go any further than the local farmer's market car park.