2012 Mazda CX-9 Review By Marty and Michael Bernstein

New Car Review: 2012 Mazda CX-9
THIS IS NOT A FAT CAT

by Marty Bernstein
Senior Editor-at-large
The Auto Channel

To many the Big Gulp, supersized life has become emblematic of America. Why else would an automaker continue to market a full sized SUV in the face of rising fuel costs, governmental regulations and economic uncertainty? Well for one because in the case of the Mazda CX-9, its flagship SUV that has been refined since its introduction and more importantly, there is a real demand for them.

Let’s face it while some of us liked the idea of a big “truck” and all the possibilities its enormous size allowed, but alas we liked saving money more and as a result, cars outsold trucks for the first time in a decade, but for many of us a large vehicle is not a choice but a necessity.

Between the large families and the lake families there is a sustainable market in North America for the large SUV and the Mazda CX-9 is a cool cat that will give its owner 9 lives of enjoyment behind the wheel. Because despite its size, seating for seven (7), this is one nimble cat.

The exterior boasts contemporary styling that manages a sporty line and an attractive silhouette despite its girth. Sitting on 20” aluminum alloy wheels, the Mazda 9 stands ready for whatever the road or your to do list can dish out. You and your seven passengers will be seated in a spacious interior cabin that boasts leather trimmed seats.

Pick up the kids or fill the cargo area that is comparable to a pick up, the Mazda 9 has the capability and the capacity to meet most challenges a trip to Costco can create. The 60/40 split fold second row and 50/50 split fold third row seating configuration allows for storage flexibility.

More importantly this flexibility is a breeze to engage allowing the owner to transform the configuration of the interior without the fuss, muss or in some cases the tutorial that is required by many of the comparable models in this segment; moreover, it is this ease of operation that migrates throughout this SUV that makes the Mazda 9 so much fun to drive.

Yea I said it; this big cat was a hoot to drive. Behind the wheel feels more cat-like than a big dog of a SUV. The height of the vehicle, both in road stance and seat placement is just right and provides the driver excellent site lines and in case you missed that motorcycle that just pulled up on the passenger side, the blind spot monitoring system, a very useful feature that is standard. An alert light indicator, located on both of the side mirrors, illuminates when a vehicle is approaching.

Your safety is also insured through Mazda’s strategic placement of air bags and air curtains and is validated by the 9’s four star crash teat rating. Rest assured that long before any of those safety measures are engaged, the Mazda CX-9 has a few tricks up its preverbal tailpipe to help you avoid those circumstances.

Starting with Mazda’s dynamic stability control and a traction control system that is engineered to work in harmony with the active torque split AWD that has at its heart a 3.7L V6 DOHC 24-valve engine that is controlled by the 6-speed sport automatic transmission and the lucky duck who gets to adjust the 3-spoke tilt/telescopic steering wheel of the Mazda 9 will enjoy a very responsive SUV that offers superior handling and unmatched performance, including EPA fuel economy estimates of 16 mpg/city and 22 mpg/highway.

The soft touch has been reserved for the interior of the 9 and includes a 3-zone automatic climate control system that washes the cabin in total comfort because no matter how comfy the seats if you are hot you are not happy! The optional moon roof/Bose package added $2,255 to the total MSRP of $40,050 and was well received. Nothing enhances the driving experience more that a great sound system and cool breeze blowing through your hair. The 9 is sized right for most.

Michael Bernstein contributed to this review

Editors Note: I evalulated the Mazda CX-9 a couple of years ago in San Diego and was pleasantly surprised at how well it compared to my wife's Lexus 450h in looks, comfort, convience, power and handling. The 7 passenger CX-9's interior was large, and its third row was more than suffucient to transport grandkids, luggage and beach gear at the same time.