2008 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring

Does big become more attractive when it gains a half-step in the 0-to-60-mph dash?

The question is pertinent because reducing that time-to-speed sprint is more than mere visceral gratification. When a vehicle is quicker to 60 mph, you can also expect it to be quicker through the quarter-mile and— of greater importance to most drivers—quicker in passing acceleration from 30 to 50 and 50 to 70. While few full-size SUV drivers will engage in frequent stoplight drags, passing acceleration acquires real meaning when you pop out to pass on a two-lane and another car suddenly rolls from a hidden driveway into the oncoming lane, a.k.a. your lane.

Introducing, the 2008 Mazda CX-9.

Agile for Its Size

Introduced for the 2007 model year, the CX-9 gave Mazda its first-ever entry in the full-size SUV market. Looking like an inflated version of the nifty CX-7, the CX-9 traces its architectural roots to the front-drive Mazda 6 sedan, though the structure has obviously been stretched and strengthened for this far bigger vehicle.

The engineering work yielded a unibody that’s arguably the best in its class for structural rigidity, which in turn yields benefits in terms of ride and handling, two of several areas where the CX-9 gets high marks.

The parent company, of course, claims things like the “Soul of a Sports Car” and “Zoom-Zoom,” the athletic dynamism that allegedly separates each Mazda product from its competitive herd. It’s not untrue to say that the CX-9 is agile, especially when measured by the water buffalo standards of the full-size crossover SUV class.

We should also note that agility expectations in this growing class are escalating steadily, as exemplified by GM’s new crossover trio—the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook, and Buick Enclave. And we’d say further that when it comes to fancy footwork, the CX-9 trumps them all, another plus on the active-safety score sheet.

Of course, fancy footwork is a relative term in vehicles that weigh over two tons—4398 pounds in the case of our front-drive test unit (add about 200 pounds for all-wheel-drive models). And getting that much mass to move quickly takes muscle.

More Power, More Performance At introduction, the CX-9 was propelled by a then-new 3.5-liter V-6 supplied by Ford: 263 horsepower, 249 pound-feet of torque, the same engine that has more recently helped to make the Ford Taurus (previously known as the Five Hundred) a much more desirable offering in the full-size sedan market. Hitched to a 4400-pound SUV, though, forward progress becomes a bit more deliberate: our testing of a front-drive ’07 CX-9 revealed a 7.8-second 0-to-60-mph time and a 16.2-second quarter-mile at 88 mph.

Nevertheless, the CX-9’s V-6 has expanded a bit to 3.7 liters for 2008, and that bumps output to 273 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. And this, in conjunction with the CX-9’s outstandingly responsive six-speed automatic transmission, reduces its 0-to-60 time to 7.3 seconds and improves quarter-mile performance to 15.7 seconds at 91 mph.

The other good news here is that the more powerful beast also seems to be no thirstier in the fuel department, although this, like agility, is a relative matter. The ’08 CX-9 carries EPA fuel-economy ratings of 16 mpg city and 22 highway, which are the same marks the ’07 model would get with the 2008 EPA test method. In our hands, the 2007 model yielded a dismal average of 16 mpg. This time around we recorded 19 mpg—not exactly Toyota Prius territory, but a significant improvement.

Of course, there’s more to like here than agility, increased hustle, and a potentially slight uptick in thrift. The CX-9 is tastefully furnished, attractively styled, and quiet at highway speeds, and it has the usual range of options such as a DVD entertainment system, premium audio (Bose), a DVD nav system, leather, and a power sunroof, to name a few.

Safety features include ABS, stability control with roll stability control, traction control, enough airbags to cushion a Mars lander, and a new camera-based blind-spot monitoring system that flashes a warning light in the mirrors when another vehicle is hovering in either of the CX-9’s rear-quarter areas.

Not Many Demerits

Demerits are few. Third-row legroom could be more generous, although it’s better than average by class standards and mitigated by fore-and-aft second-row-seat adjustability. Ride quality can be a little choppy on warty pavement with the 20-inch-wheel option, and like most crossovers based on front-drive platforms, towing capacity is modest: 3500 pounds, and then only if the vehicle is equipped with the optional towing package.

As you’d expect, pricing is similar to that of competing vehicles. The CX-9 is a smidge higher than a Saturn Outlook, model for model, and a bit lower than a GMC Acadia. The base front-drive Sport version starts at $29,995. Our top-of-the-line Grand Touring begins at $33,950. Figure another $1300 if you want all-wheel drive, and be careful with the options packages: The $2500 GT Assist package—DVD nav with voice command and touch screen, a rearview camera, a power liftgate—and a $1760 package that added a power sunroof, an in-dash six-D changer, and a Bose stereo.

Those two packages, plus pearlescent paint ($200) and Sirius satellite radio ($430), added up to a $38,840 front-drive CX-9, which begins to feel pretty expensive.

Specs

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE: $38,840 (base price: $33,950)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 227 cu in, 3726cc

Power (SAE net): 273 bhp @ 6250 rpm

Torque (SAE net): 270 lb-ft @ 4250 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manumatic shifting

DIMENSIONS:

Wheelbase: 113.2 in

Length: 199.8 in

Width: 76.2 in

Height: 68.0 in

Curb weight: 4398 lb

TEST RESULTS:

Zero to 60 mph: 7.3 sec

Zero to 100 mph: 19.2 sec

Zero to 110 mph: 25.1 sec

Street start, 5–60 mph: 7.4 sec

Standing ¼-mile: 15.7 sec @ 91 mph

Top speed (governor limited): 119 mph

Braking, 70–0 mph: 172 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.79 g
*Stability-control-inhibited.

FUEL ECONOMY:

EPA city/highway driving: 16/22 mpg