So you need a big vehicle to haul around the kids, your buddies, or a lot stuff; a sedan won’t do, you definitely need an SUV/CUV, don’t even think about a minivan. There are lots of options for people looking for an SUV or a CUV and choosing the right one will take time, I know this because I wasted months with a friend looking for an appropriate SUV and he ended up buying nothing…
One CUV I recently reviewed was the Mazda CX-5, you see a lot of these on the road, but it might not be big enough for you and it probably isn’t as powerful as you’d like it to be, you do have another choice if you want to keep it Mazda, the CX-9. Speaking of which, that’s exactly the vehicle we reviewed this week.
We spent a week reviewing the 2014 Mazda CX-9 GT AWD, which is definitely bigger and a lot more powerful than the CX-5. The CX-9 is offered with a 3.7 liter V6 engine on all trim levels; this engine produces 273 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 270 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm. Power is sent to the front wheels or all-wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission with sport mode.
In Canada, the Mazda CX-9 starts at $33,995; our test vehicle (GT AWD) had a starting price of $45,995. Our test vehicle was fully loaded with all the bells and whistles you’d expect in a car in this price range, the price can still go up if you add up dealer-installed accessories. There are, however, cash incentives currently available, so you can expect to pay a few grand less than sticker price.
Engine/Driving
The CX-5 had me wanting for more power, but that was not the case on the CX-9. The 3.7 liter V6 has plenty of power and it makes the drive quite fun (as much fun as you can expect in a vehicle like this). The engine is responsive and highway passing is accomplished without any drama. The 6-speed automatic transmission is very smooth; it always wants to go the highest gear possible for best fuel economy. Speaking of fuel economy, the CX-9 is rated at 12.8 liters/100 km in the city (18.4 US mpg) and 9.0 L/100 km on the highway (26 mpg). For our week long real world driving, we were able to get 14.9 L/100 km (15.7 mpg) in mixed driving which consisted of 50/50 city/highway. You do lose fuel economy with all that power but this is a pretty heavy vehicle with AWD.
The CX-9 is, after all a Mazda, so you’d expect some “zoom-zoom” action. Well, there is some “zoom” in this vehicle but not much, if you want a bit more zoom-zoom, maybe the CX-5 is a better choice. However, most people won’t be looking for sporty handling characteristics when buying a vehicle like this.
The CX-9 is very comfortable to ride in, with a ride that’s more like a luxury car. It handles bumpy roads well and is very relaxing to drive in stop-and-go city traffic or on long highway trips. The interior is very quiet with not much noise coming from the engine, the tires, or windows.
Interior
The interior is well put together, with lots of soft-touch materials, and a clean and simple layout. No crazy touch sensitive fake buttons here! Behind the leather-wrapped steering wheel is a pair of large gauges for the speedometer and tachometer with a pair of smaller fuel and engine temperature gauges on the side. The gauges have large numbers and are very easy to read.
The center console features real buttons and dials for the automatic climate control system, again, the layout is simple and easy to understand and it takes no time to get used it. Above this area is a small 5.8” touchscreen for the entertainment, back-up camera, and navigation system. The screen is very small, especially considering the size of the vehicle. Mazda needs to put in a screen that’s at least 8”. Looking at the navigation map on the 5.8” screen didn’t feel natural and the graphics also need much to be desired, the graphics on the Mazda3’s system would work great here (as long as the screen is integrated into the dashboard/center console and not sticking out like on the 3).
The front seats are supportive and comfortable and come with a bit of side bolstering, good for keeping you in place as you rush through traffic to get to the soccer game. The driver and passenger seats come with two-level heating; the driver seat has 8-way power adjustment and the passenger seat comes with 4-way. There is plenty of room in the 2nd row for two adults and maybe a child in the middle. The middle seat is too small for an adult and there isn’t much room for their feet because of the HVAC controls/front arm-rest. The second row seats can be moved forward and backwards to give you a bit more legroom. There is lots of headroom for the 2nd row passengers, the 3rd row passengers would need to be 6 foot or less to have enough headroom. The third row seats don’t have too much leg room, especially if the 2nd row seats are pushed back; these seats are best left for the kids or emergency situations.
Tech/Safety
On the technology and safety front, the 2014 Mazda CX-9 won’t disappoint. The CX-9 comes with safety features such as Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Traction Control (TCS), Roll Stability Control (RSC), tire pressure monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, rear camera, and rear parking sensors with cross traffic monitoring.
The CX-9 GT comes equipped with USB and auxiliary audio input, which is a great way to take advantage of the 10 speaker BOSE premium speakers. The CX-9 comes with hands-free calling, steering wheel mounted audio controls, Bluetooth connectivity, and keyless entry with proximity sensor and keyless start.
Overall Impressions
The 2014 Mazda CX-9 GT AWD is a pretty good vehicle for people that are looking for a people mover; it has decent looks, quiet and luxurious interior, and has a lot of space for “stuff”. The only downside, in my opinion, is the fuel economy. It could benefit from a more efficient engine, but then again, with reduced fuel consumption, maybe the engine won’t be as powerful?
Looking for even more information on the 2014 Mazda CX-9? Check out Mazda’s official website.
2014 Mazda CX-9 GT AWD Review Photo Gallery
