Carrying seven people means two up front, three in the second row and two in the hind quarters.
At 6 feet 4 inches, I could be comfortable in the driver's seat, then move back to the second row and find enough legroom. That second row, incidentally, is a 60/40 split and either side moves fore and aft almost five inches. That allows a nice amount of flexibility in carrying people and cargo of different sizes. When I was testing it I put the seat in a mid-position.
Then, without moving the position of the second row I climbed into the third row and found adequate head and legroom.
To get to the third row one grabs a handle built into the top of the second-row seats and pulls. That releases the seat and slides it forward. The opening is smallish, in part because the wheel arch intrudes. But with a wiggle and a twist an adult can reach the third row without a severe loss of dignity.
Buyers have a choice of black or beige interiors and the latter made the interior seem brighter and roomier. The look is upscale and nothing about it says boring, family transportation.
Up front all the basic driving controls are simple and easy to use. There is a small storage bin between the front seats and relatively thin storage compartments on the front doors.
Mazda says there is 17 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row upright. That is about as much as the trunk of a mid-size sedan, although it would require piling luggage up to the roof, blocking the rearward view. Nevertheless 17 cubic feet gives the CX-9 a significant advantage over competitors such as the Toyota Highlander, which has 10.5 cubic feet behind its third row and about two inches less legroom. To carry more stuff and fewer people the third row ( a 50/50 split) can be lowered by pulling a strap. Gravity does the work. With both sides down the result is 48 cubic feet of space. Getting the seat back up requires pulling the same strap, something my 5-foot 6-inch wife found easy to do.
The second row can also be folded down easily. However, it doesn't create a completely flat cargo area. There is a slight, uphill slant.
One thing the freakishly tall (6-foot 4-inch, in my case) will quickly learn is that the tailgate when open does not have a 6-foot 4-inch clearance. There is nothing like a good rap on the forehead to brighten the day.
