On the Road

Even with its 20-inch wheels, our Grand Touring rode reasonably comfortably, but it's a bit firmer than some. With that firmness comes pretty entertaining handling, with precise steering and a good feel to the wheel. While I'd characterize the CX-9 as one of the sportier three-row crossovers out there, don't get the impression that it's a sport wagon. It's large, and opportunities to drive it in a spirited fashion seldom present themselves.

The CX-9's acceleration truly surprises, especially in a Grand Touring weighed down with all-wheel drive and lots of features. Teamed with a six-speed automatic transmission, the 3.7-liter V-6 has plenty of power: 273 horsepower and, perhaps more important, 270 pounds-feet of torque, which gives it an urgent launch from a standing start.

On slick surfaces, I noticed some initial front-wheel slip before the traction control kicked in and the rear wheels played their part. Some all-wheel-drive systems are more seamless. In the practical sense, this quirk is of no consequence to most drivers.

    See also:

    Distributor in Each Area
    CANADA Mazda Canada Inc. 55 Vogell Road, Richmond Hill, Ontario, L4B 3K5 Canada TEL: 1 (800) 263-4680 (in Canada) (905) 787-7000 (outside Canada) PUERTO RICO/U.S. Virgin Island Plaza Motors Cor ...

    Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) System
    The Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system is designed to assist the driver by monitoring blind spots on both sides of the vehicle to the rear in certain situations such as when changing lanes on ro ...

    Warning/Indicator Lights
    Warning/Indicator lights will appear in any of the highlighted areas Brake System Warning Light This warning has the following functions: Parking brake warning The light illuminates when t ...