Car buyers are aware that, as brands go, Mazda stands for excitement. The “zoom-zoom” brand might not have the most practical cars in the market, but you can be sure they’re fun to drive. Even if they’re tall family wagons with a max capacity of 7. The CX-9 defies conventional big-SUV wisdom, not so much by its rakish good looks, but by the way it drives. In the same size class as the Mitsubishi Endeavor, Hyundai Veracruz, and its corporate cousin Ford Explorer, the CX-9 drives with the sort of character that makes its smaller sedan siblings, the Mazda3 and Mazda6, so much fun to drive.
How’d they do that? Much of its secret lies under the unibody construction; the suspension architecture is the same as the cars. The front suspension is the usual MacPherson struts, the back is a multilink. The setup is coupled with a sharp steering rack, brakes without a hint of mush, 20-inch low profile wheels, and a remarkably stiff body, resulting in a package that turns without hesitation but has the straight line stability of a train.
Oh, and we mustn’t forget what’s in the engine room: a 277-horsepower, 3.7 liter, 24-valve, double overhead camshaft V6. Matched a 6-speed manumatic, it’s as smooth as any state-of-the-art V6 right now, with a syrupy power delivery and a throaty exhaust note. Admittedly, in traffic it’s the wrong kind of powertrain to have as it’s barely working while guzzling your gas, but on the open road it delivers a serene performance that only a large displacement engine can give.
Mazda being Mazda, the automatic is right on the ball too. Upshifts and downshifts are easily induced by varying your foot pressure on go-pedal, and in ActiveMatic mode you can really attack those curves and conveniently forget you’ve also got the spouse, the kids, the yaya, and the Labrador along for the ride.
All-wheel drive is standard in the CX-9, and the full-time system is transparent in delivery while adding confidence in the corners. In normal conditions the system biases torque delivery to the rear wheels, giving it a lively feel, but when the road turns slippery it will seamlessly divert torque to the front. Like the current crop of full-time all-wheel drive hardware, it’s not meant for hardcore off-roading. Rather, it provides a surefooted feel in 95% of the driving conditions a real world owner would subject his expensive SUV to. If you want to go rock hopping, go get a Jeep.
Besides, who would want to scratch a body as good looking as this one? The sporty family look is preserved with the honeycomb grille and the milk moustache-like chrome bar at the top, and the body has enough interesting details to make heads turn. The steeply raked windshield helps it avoid the commonly boxy look of SUVs, while the gaping radiator intake under the trapezoidal grille makes it look ready to swallow the Picanto blocking your way. The hood is also raised just a bit above the shoulder-like fenders for a “powerdome” look, while the window beltline trails upwards towards the back to give it the illusion of movement even standing still. It also has just the right amount of chrome ‘round the lights, bumpers, and glass to give it some shine without venturing into baduy territory, and it nicely accents those wheels. Mazda was a little late getting on the bling-bling bandwagon since that term’s a bit old now, but the 50-series rubber set on 20-inch multi-spoke wheels look like nothing else on the SUV landscape.
Actually, two more inches would be aesthetically perfect if it were going for the “Pimp My Ride” rep, but I guess Mazda engineers were just being pragmatic. As they are, the 20-inchers deliver a firm ride with a reasonable level of comfort. The downside with the setup is you’ll be avoiding potholes like a pimply rice boy; don’t want to bend your rims now, do you?
Inside, Mazda has managed to create an intimate, fighter cockpit ambience despite the unavoidable massiveness of the dashboard. It’s effected by the lavish use of black resins accented by red instrument lighting, silver highlights, and black lacquer buttons with the tactile quality of piano keys. It’s easy to get your perfect driving position as the steering column tilts and telescopes and the driver’s seat is power adjustable. The window beltline from the driver’s point of view also has a pleasing drop towards the base of the side mirror, reducing the blind spot near the A-pillar.
Drivers of average height will have no problem piloting the CX-9. It doesn’t have that “sitting in a bathtub” sensation common to large SUVs, and the driving dynamics make it feel smaller on the road. Backseat drivers, err, riders with their reclining bench seat also found little to complain about other than that the speakers seemed tinny (they sounded just fine in front). One unwelcome, retro touch: the emergency brake is foot-activated. For an SUV with the soul of a sports sedan, it deserves a proper handbrake.
It’s a minor gaffe, though, since it compensates with enough goodies to make the hedonists happy: power moonroof, AUX input jack for the 6-speaker stereo, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, LED taillamps, dual tailpipes, automatic dual-zone climate control, and onboard computer, to name a few. Aside from the usual ABS and all-disk brakes, and electronic stability systems, the CX-9 has a full battery of front, side, and curtain airbags. The latter deserves a special mention for extending all the way to the third row.
The 2nd and 3rd row seats also fold completely flat, enabling you to haul balikbayan boxes with ease.
For the steep price, P2.599M, the CX-9 is destined to be a rare sight on the road, but given its fun-to-drive character, we wouldn’t be surprised if the actual owner is the one behind the wheel of this luxury SUV for a change.
THE GOOD
• Gratifying power.
• Sharp, responsive driving dynamics.
• Sporty good looks.
• Fully loaded, as expected.
THE BAD
• Gas guzzling tendencies.
• Why no backup sensors?
THE VERDICT
• The choice for buyers torn between a sports sedan and a traditional SUV.