By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(December 5, 2016) The last time I was behind the wheel of a Mazda CX-9 was 2013. It was the first generation of the automaker’s biggest SUV, and it was on its second facelift. However, unlike a nipped and tucked Hollywood starlet past her prime, the CX-9 still beguiled. Though it shared its platform with the Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX and, by default, Ford Fusion, the Mazda was more than the sum of its parts.

So much so that it caused me to wonder why it was not the best selling large crossover. It did everything well, was nicely appointed and had room for seven, but it was getting a bit dated.

Three more years have passed, and the CX-9 is new from the ground up. It shares nothing with Ford, and follows the rest of the Mazda line in moving upmarket and pushing efficiency in pursuit of both performance and economy. It’s the same outline followed by Volvo, though not to the same extreme.

The Swedish automaker will sell you a turbocharged, turbo and supercharged, and turbo and supercharged hybrid powertrain in its largest crossover, while Mazda sticks to a single powertrain: a 2.5-liter turbo four with 227 hp and 310 lb.-ft. of torque mated to a six-speed automatic. (The engine will produce 250 hp on premium gasoline.) You don’t get the choices Volvo offers its customers, or the V6 Mazda offered with the first generation CX-9, nor do you miss them.

This becomes apparent very quickly. Though a bit vocal and slightly rough from cold, the engine is surprisingly elastic. Usually turbocharged engines either have a noticeable lag in response at low engine speeds, or run out of power as the rpms rise. That’s not the case with Mazda’s 2.5-liter engine. Torque builds quickly from idle and reaches its peak around 2,000 rpm. Exhaust gasses are routed through small-diameter ports at low speeds to increase airflow through the turbocharger, and secondary valves open as exhaust volume and pressure increases, keeping the turbocharger spinning. It works well, and is aided by software that smooths out power pulses, as well as the transition when the secondary valves open.

The six-speed may not be cutting edge, but the broad torque curve more than makes up for any perceived lack of gears. More important is the weight Mazda engineers have cut from the CX-9, nearly 200 lb. in all-wheel drive form. A multiplicity of speeds may allow you to tune the engine for optimum performance with in a relatively narrow band, and use the extra gears to keep it operating there. However, reducing weight eliminates the need for this level of complexity, gives the same result in terms of economy and performance, and has other add-on effects.

Weight is the enemy of vehicle dynamics. It dulls reactions and is difficult to keep under control. Inertia is greater, and manifests itself with every acceleration, deceleration or change of direction. A skilled vehicle dynamics engineer can give a heavy vehicle a surprising level of fluidity, but can never fully overcome the lag — no matter how minor — in responsiveness. This feeling is exacerbated by the high levels of unsprung weight that come with the heavier suspension pieces, brakes, wheels and tires necessary to support that avoirdupois.

Eliminating weight, on the other hand, creates a virtuous cycle. A lighter structure needs less power to move it, so you can use a smaller engine. That cuts more weight, which results in the use of lighter suspension and brake components, lighter wheels and tires, and less unsprung weight. As a result, there is less inertia to control, more fluidity to the vehicles movement and responses, and a better opportunity to blend nimble responsiveness with luxurious ride motions.

The CX-9 does just that. It responds well to driver inputs, takes a set quickly and cleanly, and the turbocharged four is always at the ready. It feels more like a sedan than a crossover, and seems to shrink around you the more you drive it. Head toss, that annoying side-to-side head jerk when traversing unevenly spaced irregularities, is commendably low. Ride motions are well damped and fluid, with the overall feel tending toward the firm side of supple. Steering is light and direct, if a bit lacking in feel, and the CX-9 changes direction quickly with a fluidity you’d expect from the folks who bring you the Miata.

Unfortunately, the CX-9 suffers from the same overzealousness commonplace in vehicles equipped with today’s electronic driving aids.

With the lane keeping system engaged, it has a small but well-defined box at or near the center of the lane it would like to keep the vehicle in. Stray outside of this area (with the vehicle still between the lane markings), and a visual and audible warning is sounded, letting you know you are getting too close (for the system’s liking) to the lane divider. This technology is useful for warning you when you are about to stray outside of your lane — and will have a major role in semi- and fully autonomous driving in the future — but studies have shown that, after a while, most folks turn it off. The rest of the electronic nannies are not as annoying.

Nevertheless, none of the systems, from whatever manufacturer, like the move you occasionally have to make in Michigan’s hyper-aggressive bumper-to-bumper morning commute. This often requires easing into the neighboring lane just as the car coming up on your side passes the front door of your vehicle, and slotting in behind before the next car in line is upon you. This can drive some safety systems nuts, but Mazda’s lets out a warning before going silent, as if to say, “Oh, I see what’s happening here. Never mind.”

The torquey turbocharged four and six-speed automatic are very responsive in situations like these, and the power output builds quickly enough that you are neither caught flat footed, or have so much power on hand that you drive into the path of the car going past. In more ordinary situations, they are capable of bringing the CX-9 up to freeway speeds in short order and with little drama, making merging a cinch. Around town, the Mazda can be docile and demure, and returns gas mileage bang on the EPA city estimate of 21 mpg. The Signature series, which comes standard with all-wheel drive, returns 27 mpg according to the EPA.

Interspersing highway with around-town work brought a solid 24 mpg, but the greater percentage of freeway mileage may have tipped that number a bit higher than normal. That said, the CX-9 is pretty thrifty for a 4,300-lb., seven-passenger, high-riding vehicle. Especially one with so prominent a nose.

The grille design takes Mazda’s multi-corner design to new prominence. It sits vertically, and is surrounded by a thick band of brightwork that flows into the adaptive LED front lights. At first glance, it’s a bit jarring, but it’s hard to imagine a more laid back design being anything other than bland. And one thing Mazda needs is to stand out from the crowd, even if it means fitting a grille piece that reminds one of an ungainly aquatic mammal when viewed from the side.

Inside, the decor is tasteful and luxurious. A strip of actual aluminum trim separates the upper and lower halves of the instrument panel. The wood is real, a hand-sanded rosewood veneer is used on the center console and front door switch surrounds. Plus, the Nappa leather trim on the front and outboard second-row seats is soft and inviting. To most eyes, however, the auburn interior color has more red than brown, and does not work well with the predominant brown tones of the rosewood trim.

The seats are comfortable, and Mazda raised the center console to improve the driver’s relationship to the shift lever and controls clustered around it. There’s an easy-to-read and comprehensive instrument cluster straight ahead, but — like most Mazdas these days — the CX-9 also benefits from a head-up display. Unlike the tinted plastic screen that sprouts from the steering column of Mazda’s lower-level vehicles, the CX-9’s HUD sits in a recess behind and atop the gauge cluster’s visor, and projects its information onto the windshield. Like many HUD units, it fades when viewed through polarized sunglass lenses, but is still bright and colorful enough to be useful.

The 60/40 split second row adjusts fore and aft, reclines, folds flat, and tilts and slides to ease entry into the third row. With no footwell into which you can drop your feet, passengers in this area sit with their legs in the air, and have a limited amount of leg room. If the second row occupants cooperate, adults can ride in the back for short distances, but this is not a place where you would choose to sit on a long journey.

Cargo space is good, and both the second and third rows fold flat. However, it’s best to be careful when loading and unloading large items to avoid marring the exposed hinge points and leather that wraps over the top of the second row seats.

With a base price ladder than extends from $31,520 for the front-drive Sport, to $44,015 for the top of the line all-wheel drive Signature, the CX-9 covers a lot of area. Though I have not driven the other trim levels, the Signature model tested showed no signs that Mazda had stretched its ambitions for this vehicle too far.

It is a quiet, capable, luxury SUV that straddles the mid- and large-size segments. Anyone in the market for a crossover of this size who wants just the right mix of tech, sport and luxury should look no further.

The Virtual Driver