The IT Nerd

This is the 3.7L V6 that motivates the CX-9. You read that correctly. It’s a V6 and its the only one in Mazda’s line up. It puts out 273 horsepower and 270 pound feet of torque. All that power goes to an all-wheel-drive system that shunts power between 100:0 and 50:50 to deliver optimum drive power to each wheel. A six speed transmission helps the engine get the power to the wheels. This combo performs very well. It’s quick to get up to speed and has lots of power to get around slower moving cars on the highway. If power is what you’re looking for, the CX-9 has plenty of it.

For a big 7 passenger crossover it feels like it’s anything but that. It feels sure footed and handles well. It feels on the firm side with some compliance over bumps and the like. While it isn’t a MX-5, turn in is sharp and direct. Though I will note that the weight of the steering wheel is lighter than other Mazda’s that I have driven. Though, I do not think that most will complain. The only thing that makes it way into the cabin in terms of sound is very low amounts of wind noise at highway speeds. Tire noise seemed very well muted. You’ll hear it if you go looking for it, and quite honestly you will be more likely to hear the “thump” of expansion joints on the road rather than hearing tire noise. The exhaust note is a somewhat muted growl under acceleration. That’s a very nice touch. Visibility is also excellent from the drivers seat as there was nothing that impaired my vision in any direction. I wasn’t expecting that and that meant that I could back up without having to use the backup camera if I so choose. I should also mention that side mirrors are big and really makes it easy for me to see what’s around me.

The only thing that could come close to being a negative is the fuel economy. I am currently getting 13.7L per 100/KM. While I do admit to driving in mostly stop and go rush hour traffic which is a great way to hammer fuel economy, I was hoping to do better. I am thinking that this will improve as the week goes on. I should note that it does use regular gas which means it is wallet friendly.

Tomorrow, I will look at the interior in detail. It’s got a lot going for it if you carry a lot of people or stuff on a regular basis. Stay tuned!

This entry was posted on October 21, 2014 at 7:00 am and is filed under Products with tags Mazda. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.