2018 Mazda CX-9 Review: When is a Crossover a Car?
Thank you to Amazon.com for publishing this review on October 6, 2018. All opinions are my own.
Crossovers are defined by their elevated SUV-like ride height, car-based unibody construction, transverse-mounted engines, and front-wheel drive bias. But most consumers in this segment are not concerned with these details. They want a vehicle that is easy to drive, pleasant to look at, intuitive to operate, safe, and indexes above expectations on value. If this sounds like you and your needs include seating for seven, some foul weather driving, limited towing needs, and little to no off-road use, then a three-row crossover may very well be your best bet. But with so many crossovers to choose from, is the CX-9 right for you?
The Mazda CX-9 debuted in 2007 and is now three model years into its second generation. This is the biggest Mazda, but it’s also among the smallest three-row crossovers. In any case, it’s not size that distinguishes the CX-9. Sales leaders such as the Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander, and Chevrolet Traverse are larger, built by automakers whose robust truck-manufacturing backgrounds which comes through in their crossovers. But although consumers may associate crossovers with trucks, unibody crossovers are unequivocally rooted in cars. And Mazda is at its core a proud manufacturer of cars. So what this Mazda lacks in size and truckiness, it gains in car-like drivability, near-luxury interior refinement, and sharp design.
The CX-9 offers a thoroughly contemporary interpretation of the crossover form. Its most recognizable styling element is the leading edge of its jutting hood, which cuts a sharp line into the slipstream seeming to defy pedestrian safety regulations. Below the prominent leading edge of the hood sits Mazda’s signature trapezoid grille underlined by a 270-degree bezel that elegantly transitions into sleek LED headlights. There is more visual drama ahead of the CX-9’s A pillar than many modern cars can muster in their entirety. Moving rearward, the smooth surfaced doors are essentially unbroken by character lines. Above, the greenhouse slopes gently upward as it sweeps back into a thick D pillar. The CX-9 is generally an up-sized interpretation of the CX-5, which for its forward two-thirds is a good thing. But there is more to up-sizing a vehicle than adding 10 percent to every dimension.
It’s at the rear where the CX-9’s clean, modern styling is let down by somewhat awkward proportions. It looks like the CAD drawing for this otherwise well-conceived design was suctioned out at the rear several inches beyond what the design studio intended. Even so, the CX-9 comes in near the bottom of the segment for cargo space, with 14 cubic feet behind the third row and 38 cubic feet with the third row folded flat (segment average behind the third row is 17 cubic feet, 47 cubic feet behind the second row). Overall interior volume also falls on the snug side at 150 cubic feet, ten percent below the segment average. Unfortunately, the bulging aft does not provide the interior volume one might expect nor does its bulbous visual quality match the sharp design of the front. Mazda is not alone in stumbling when translating one crossover into another of different proportion. BMW did no better downsizing the handsome X5 to become ungainly first-generation X3. It's not as easy as one might expect.
If you are not convinced by the CX-9’s exterior design, its interior may sway you. This Mazda, like most, exhibits a premium-car level of attention to detail. Soft touch materials abound. The interior brightwork is real aluminum. Fit and finish are beyond reproach. And the modern styling, though perhaps less divisive than the exterior, is nonetheless its philosophical partner. For example, dashboard panel intersections are thoughtfully finished with bevels and tuck-unders. Unfinished edges that exist in some top sellers around door handles, panel terminations, and shift levers have been expelled from the CX-9. Mazda did not, however, overcome the economic realities of auto manufacturing. It made several pivotal compromises to make room for the premium treatment. For example, where some manufacturers offer infinitely configurable screens in place of a traditional gauge cluster, Mazda retains traditional dials. But those dials are a match for the exterior: simple, sharp, and modern.
Mazda has also limited the configurability of the CX-9. The more combinations of equipment, trims, and colors a manufacturer offers, the more variability they introduce to their supply chain, manufacturing, and after-sale service. And these complexities cost money. Unlike their higher volume competitors, a base CX-9 cannot be optioned up to approximate a higher trim level. Mazda has distilled the CX-9 down to four nicely differentiated trims (Sport, Touring, Grand Touring, Signature) with very few a la carte options. Our tester was the generously-equipped Grand Touring model with leather power heated seats, a tilt and telescoping steering wheel with various controls, rain-sensing wipers, radar cruise control, Bose 12-speaker audio, touchscreen navigation, and more. One of the CX-9’s stand-out features on Grand Touring and Signature trims is the configurable heads-up display (Active Driving Display in Mazda parlance). The system projects your speed, the speed limit, and other bits of information right into your line of sight. It can be distracting at first, but this tester found it useful and unobtrusive. The driver’s seat is a visually pleasing, comfortable place to spend time. And the heated, sliding, and reclining, second-row seats are spacious for two adults, passable for three. The third row is a children’s only-affair.
Another tool Mazda employs to keep cost down is a single engine for all CX-9s. And for many buyers this is good news, because if there were another engine it would almost certainly slot in below the 2.5L turbocharged four-cylinder with six-speed conventional automatic transmission. The engine produces 227 horsepower, but more importantly in terms of motivating this 4,160-pound crossover, it provides 310 pound-feet of torque that peaks at an accessible 2,000 rpm. Acceleration is more than adequate due to a tuning philosophy that emphasizes drivability over horsepower, all but banishing turbo lag. If you are moving up from a mid-size sedan or down from a body-on-frame SUV, you are unlikely to be left wanting for more zoom.
The CX-9 does not look like a rugged wannabe SUV, nor does it drive like one. Its throttle is communicative, predictable, and easy to modulate. Its steering is accurate and well weighted. And the CX-9’s taut, predictable dynamics do not stop there. It does not lumber through traffic, but rather dashes, feeling nimble relative to other crossovers. Select a front-wheel drive (FWD) like our tester and under heavy throttle, torque steer pulls at the steering wheel. It won’t rip it from your hands, but it will remind you that only the front wheels are driven. Specify all-wheel drive (AWD) for less tugging and better all-weather traction. Mazda also introduced its G-Vectoring Control on the 2018 CX-9. The system uses electronic wizardry to moderate engine power and flatten the CX-9 through corners. The result is smoother turn-in that limits mid- and late-corner steering corrections. Co-mingled with the attention Mazda lavished on the throttle, brakes, and steering, G-Vectoring Control is all but imperceptible. And when in motion, you will not be able to identify when it intervenes, but you probably won’t care—the CX-9 is just the tool for those who refuse to believe driving a crossover means giving up on the joy of driving.
The CX-9 starts at $32,130 in base FWD Sport trim, and tops out just north of $48,000 for a Signature AWD with all the options. They all share running gear, four-wheel disc brakes, and independent front and rear suspension. And we applaud Mazda for making Forward Obstruction Warning, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and LED head and taillights standard across the range. The CX-9 is also an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick. Fuel economy is best in class, edging out its nearest competitors by one MPG in combined driving. The EPA rates the FWD at 22/28/24 mpg city/highway/combined. All-wheel drive reduces fuel economy to 20/26/23 mpg. Observed fuel economy during our 218 miles with the largest Mazda, mostly in the mountains overloaded with kids and camping gear, was just 20 mpg. Our Grand Touring tester was equipped with most of the available options including the useful if pricey rear seat entertainment system ($1,995), chic illuminated doorsill trim plates ($575), and upmarket snowflake white pearl mica paint ($200). Including the $975 Delivery, Processing, and Handling fee our CX-9 undercuts similarly equipped competitors by as much as $5,000, with a $44,215 MSRP.
The CX-9 foregoes the complex configurability of some competitors, as well as luxe options such as ventilated seats and a panoramic sunroof, and its modern exterior design may be an acquired taste. But from behind the wheel the experience is anything but polarizing. If the Pathfinder is the minivan of crossovers and the Highlander is the appliance, then the CX-9 is the driver’s car. If you value a thoroughly contemporary experience with best in class interior refinement and driving dynamics, test drive the CX-9. It may prompt you to take the long way home.
Read more on future automotive products and technologies, as well as truck and SUV reviews, from Seth Parks at Amazon.com, Off-Road.com, The Truth About Cars, and Internet Brands. You may also follow Seth on Twitter @mseth_parks
