Exterior

The CX-9 manages to avoid the chunkiness of many SUVs, in part because of its angular nose and carlike grille. The crossover's shoulder line rises as it heads rearward, and the sides are free of cladding.

* Four-wheel-independent suspension * 18-inch wheels are standard * 20-inch wheels are optional * Available power liftgate * Available high-intensity-discharge headlights

    See also:

    Safety
    All-disc antilock brakes and seat-mounted side-impact airbags are standard, as is a tire pressure monitoring system. Apart from an optional limited-slip differential, traction control and an elect ...

    Installing Child-Restraint Systems
    Accident statistics reveal that a child is safer in the rear seat. The front passenger's seat is clearly the worst choice for any child under 12, and with rear-facing childrestraint systems it is ...

    Cargo
    Fold all the passenger seats down, and the Mazda5 has a clear advantage over competitors, with 89.3 cubic feet of cargo volume. The seven-seat Rondo and RAV4 have 73.6 cubic feet and 73.0 cubic fe ...