By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DOES the Mazda CX-9 deserve superlatives? Yes, in the sense that it is Mazda’s biggest passenger vehicle, has the largest engine ever in a Mazda and the longest wheelbase in the crossover/SUV class. Moreover, it won the Motor Trend Sport Utility Award for 2008 and was included by Automobile Magazine in its All Stars 2008 list of the 10 Best Cars aside from being voted the North American Truck of the Year by 45 motoring journalists at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The CX-9 also deserves superlatives for its good looks. Sleek, stylishly sculpted and sensuous with a sharply raked windshield, it defies the boxy tradition of its class yet retains the stance and substance of a sport utility vehicle. For me, the four 20-inch tires shoved right to the corners are the CX-9’s most eye-catching feature, revealing its zoom-zoom capability and adding muscle to an already powerful package.

Built on the same platform as the Mazda6 sedan and launched on the market in 2007, the CX-9 has been upgraded for 2008 with a bigger engine displacement, from 3.6 liters to a 3.7-liter 24-valve DOHC V6 with variable valve timing. The upgrade increased horsepower from 263 to 273 bhp and upped max torque from 249 lb ft to 270 lb ft/4,500 rpm, a welcome boost for the CX-9’s size and weight exceeding two tons.

Despite its heft and length — nearly 200 inches long, it is about a foot longer than the Nissan Murano — the CX-9 is surprisingly light on its feet and does not feel too large or heavy on the road. It turns in nicely and remains relatively flat while cornering, thanks to the free-revving V6 engine borrowed from the Ford Edge and to the suspension system (independent MacPherson strut up front and E-type multilink at the rear) with stabilizer bars fore and aft plus traction control, Dynamic Stability Control and Rollover Stability Control. The CX-9 is not tuned for sporty performance, yet it has lots of low-range torque, some sporty traits and is unquestionably fun to drive.

Some credit for the CX-9’s spirited performance should also go to the 6-speed gate-type manu-matic transmission that changes gears smoothly and has a sport shift for more enthusiastic driving. While you are driving, the gear you are in is shown via a digital number on the speedometer. The structural rigidity of the CX-9’s unibody contributes to the supple ride and carlike handling. Power-assisted ventilated front and rear disc brakes with ABS and brake assist provide plenty of stopping power.

While the CX-9 drives like a car on the highway, it handles more like an SUV and its 2,072 kg curb weight is a bit noticeable in low-speed city driving — although the power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering with engine speed-sensing assist makes the CX-9 easy to maneuver in tight spots. Its minimum curb-to-curb turning radius is 5.7 meters.

The CX-9’s cavernous interior makes it an attractive alternative for prospective minivan buyers. It offers minivan-like space for seven occupants (including driver) and 17.2 cubic feet of cargo area with the third row seats up. Cargo room increases to 48 cubic feet with the third row folded and to more than 100 cubic feet when both the second and third row seats are down.

The interior of the CX-9 is just as stylish as its exterior with a dashboard layout like a sport sedan’s, four gauges with silver trim rings, wood inserts for the center console and door panels, well-bolstered, chair-height leather seats, a tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio and cruise controls, tri-zone climate controls and a 6-CD in-dash with MP3 capability and six speakers. A tilt-and-slide moonroof is standard.

There is ample leg room in front and in the second row of seats, although in the third row it is cramped, good only for passengers on short trips. Visibility to the rear is rather poor, making me wish, during parking maneuvers, that the CX-9 GT (Grand Touring) had a rearview camera or rear parking sensor.

The CX-9 earned five out of a possible five stars for both the front and side crashes in US government crash tests and a four-star rollover rating. Aside from the previously cited accident avoidance equipment, the CX-9 has advanced dual front airbags, front side impact airbags and side air curtains with rollover protection for all three rows of seats, 3-point safety belts for all seating positions, front safety belt pretensioners with force limiters, remote keyless entry and a burglar alarm system.

Bottom line, the Mazda CX-9 GT (P2.599M) offers zoom-zoom with extra room plus esthetics and panache to match.

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TODAY’S BUMPER STICKER: Time flies when you don’t know what you’re doing.

Photos by Aida Sevilla Mendoza