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- Local Used Mazda CX-9
Miles Per Gallon in the City/Highway: 18/24
Models Available: Mazda CX-9 Sport ($29,035); Touring ($31,135); Grand Touring ($32,675)
Vehicle Type: Sport Utility Vehicles
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Mazda's Web Site: http://www.mazdausa.com
Mazda's Phone Number: 1-800-639-1000
All-new crossover offers best features of SUVs and minivans.
By Christopher Jensen, NewCarTestDrive.com
How big is the biggest Mazda? With an overall length of almost 200 inches it is at least a foot longer than the Nissan Murano and Toyota Highlander or even the new five-passenger Ford Edge, with which it shares some components.
With a standard three rows of seats it can carry seven adults (think 6-footers) thanks to a third row designed with adults in mind.
The surroundings are handsome and while it was easy for a 5-foot 6-inch woman to climb into the CX-9, the seating position is high enough that one looks over at, not up to, drivers of SUVs.
The CX-9 is available in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, providing a nice option for those who worry about snowy travel in hilly areas.
In addition, Mazda gets credit equipping even the least-expensive model with important safety equipment. This includes electronic stability control which help the driver maintain control, and air curtains, which provide head protection in a side-impact crash.
Power comes from a refined, new 263-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 designed by Ford and built in Ohio before being shipped to Japan where the CX-9 is assembled. It works with an impressive six-speed, Japanese-made automatic transmission that can be shifted manually if the driver is interested in some frisky motoring.
The CX-9 responds quickly to the driver's requests, feeling surprisingly enthusiastic about travel on a serpentine two-lane. But the price is a stiff ride on a rough surface.
So, if the CX-9 isn't an SUV and it is not a minivan, what is it? It is another example of what industry insiders often refer to as a crossover" vehicle. This is one of the fastest growing segments in the industry because crossovers can provide better fuel economy, ride and handling than truck-based SUVs.
Mazda officials also stress that the CX-9 is not just a longer version of the CX-7, the two-row, five passenger crossover introduced last year. The mechanical underpinnings are different and the structures of the two are not related.
Who might like the CX-9? Anybody who needs the people-carrying capacity of a mid-size SUV or a minivan but wants something with a sporty look and the road manners to back it up. That description fits a lot of us."
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