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Mazda CX-9 Road Trip Review

My family recently got a brand new CX-9 in the Touring trim level as a rental for a road trip to North Carolina instead of making the trip in my '05 Mazda MPV. It worked great for my family of three. 
The exterior styling is certainly stylish. It had a swoopy rear and a dramatic beltline that combined for an overall stylish appearance. The best thing was that the style didn't really compromise visibility from inside (Of course, the minivans of yore are much better in terms of visibility, giving a panoramic view of world from their giant windows). 

 Inside, the CX-9 is just as nice, with piano black accents and decent looking plastics. The leather in our Touring trim was of high quality as well. The piano black accents did have a downside of being really glossy, and the piece around the shifter for the transmission got dirty and became scratched quickly. Also, the radio controls seem to collect fingerprints easily. 

 Most of the seats were comfortable, although the head restraints did protrude farther forward than I'm used to and the seats, though comfortable, are narrower than the seats in most other vehicles. The third row was a plain out uncomfortable though, with extremely limited space for larger people. Plus, the two quarter windows in the way back are tiny, further enhancing the claustrophobic feel. I wouldn't want to stay there for long. If you're looking for a lot of third row space, get a minivan! 

 Cargo room wasn't as cavernous as I would expect from such a large vehicle either. With a high cargo floor and an almost-45 degree angle back window, the volume diminishes. Check out a car derived from the GM Lamba platform (Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia) if you want more space ... or buy a minivan! 
Handling was fairly nice for such a big vehicle. Through the curvy roads in the Smoky Mountains, the car always felt secure, even from my point of view as a passenger. Acceleration was decent, with passing slow-moving vehicles on the highway a breeze. 

 Even when we weren't carving corners, this crossover still behaves well. The interior has good isolation from sound, with mostly muted wind and road noise. However, did notice some wind noise coming from the exterior sideview mirrors. 

 The ride is comfortable, but impact harshness was pronounced and you could clearly tell the texture of the road, as expected from a sporty vehicle. It got annoying sometimes over underfunded interstates. I imagine the ride quality would be even worse with the twenty inch wheels on the top-of-the-line Grand Touring trim level. Despite the choppy suspension, the car felt secure at high speeds and is a good interstate cruiser. 


 Overall, I was impressed. The CX-9 works fantastically in nearly all areas. While it isn't as practical as my minivan, it certainly is an upgrade and is a solid competitor in the mid-size crossover category. 

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