Mazda touts the 2014 CX-9 as Remarkably Engineered To Take On The Incredible. One drive behind the leather wrapped wheel while your body is cushioned by the heated leather and suede seats you will realize just how Remarkably Engineered this car is. How about the rest? Lets find out.
The 2014 Mazda CX-9 is powered by a 3.7L DOHC 24 Valve engine. The V6 gives you 273HP and 270 LB FT Torque. The engine is paired to a 6 speed sport automatic transmission. The transmission also has an auto stick feature allowing you a sportier feel and the enjoyment of shifting on the back country roads. To help keep your car going straight on those back country roads, they have included an active torque split AWD. Fuel mileage is 18 MPG combined. To slow that power down the CX-9 has 4 wheel vented disc brakes.
Safety is one of the biggest factors for some people, and the Mazda CX-9 doesn’t disappoint in that department. Overall, the CX-9 received 4 stars. Front Crash Rating is 3 stars for both driver and passenger. Side Crash is 5 star for both front and rear seats, and 4 stars in the rollover category. Some of the safety features added to the Mazda are ABS with EDB and brake-assist to help keep your car straight and your breaks from locking up in multiple weather conditions. To help keep all four wheels on the ground, there is roll stability control. Should you happen to roll over, there are advanced dual front and side impact air bags and third row side curtain air bags with roll-over protection. Front and rear impacts are minimized by use of crumple zones. There are side-impact beams in the doors also. Another good way to make sure you are safe while driving is to keep your tires properly inflated. The CX-9 includes a tire pressure monitoring system to help you keep your tires at the right pressure. It’s very easy to get into a wreck while backing out of a parking spot or your driveway, so they have included rear cross traffic alerts. Also, there are backup sensors to keep you from backing into a wall or other vehicle while parallel parking. There is even blind spot monitoring in both mirrors that include visual and audible alerts.
Lets take a look at some of the exterior features. The CX-9 rides on 20 inch aluminum wheels wrapped in 245/50R20 tires. There are front and rear wipers, with the fronts being rain sensing wipers. The headlights are BI-Xenon with fog lights and LED Daytime Running Lights. The mirrors have blind spot sensors and are heated to keep them clear of ice and snow. The rear lift gate is power open and close. The color matched door handles have a push button lock so you don’t have any keys to remove to get into your car.
Now lets move to where most of your time will be spent, in the interior. All 3 rows of seats are leather wrapped. The driver and passenger seats have suede inserts and are both heated. The driver’s seat also has 8 way power adjustment with lumbar support and 3 position memory. The seats are very comfortable and the leather is soft and holds the heat well from the seat warmers.The suede inserts add a very nice touch. The middle row is 60/40 split folding and the 3rd row is 50/50 split fold. There is the LATCH system for attaching your child safety seat securely. The front of the car features a 3 spoke steering wheel that is leather wrapped. The wheel also has tilt and telescoping features. The shift knob is also wrapped in the same leather as the steering wheel. The center console has a unique split design that lets the console be opened by either the driver or the passenger without the other having to pick their arm up. Also in the center console is the USB plug and Aux in plug for listening to music from you phone or iPod. One nice feature that Mazda has added is a small cut out from the center console that allows you cable from your phone or iPod to come out without being smashed by the arm rest when closed.
Climate control for the CX-9 has 3 zones, driver, passenger, and rear seat. All 3 zones can operate independently of each other, or together.
The rear view mirror includes an auto dimming function with built-in home link buttons.
The rear storage area is decent sized with the rear seat up. With the rear seats folded flat, you should have more than enough room to pack your belongings for a cross-country trip with you and the family. The read also contains the spare tire, jack, and lung nut wrench. On the side there is a power outlet for the people in the back to charge their phone, or if you are going for a day at the beach, you can keep your drinks cool in a small fridge.
Lets take a look at the infotainment system. The MX-9 tested came with the GT Tech package. This includes a Bose Audio system with 10 speakers. Also included is Sirius Satellite Radio with 4 month subscription. The display is a 5.8 inch touch screen with back up camera. The system includes on-screen navigation with the ability to find locations via voice. Bluetooth functionality with your phone gives you the ability to make hands free calls via controls on the steering wheel. You can also stream your music from your phone to the Bose sound system. You can also control your music from the steering wheel controls. The steering wheel controls make using the radio very easy, you can control almost everything without taking your hands off the wheel. The Bose system gives you very clear sound, even in loud driving conditions. The bass is noticeable and very vibrant, without waking up the neighbor’s with a vibrating car.
The warranty on the Mazda CX-9 is 36 month/36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty with a 60 month 60,000 mile powertrain warranty. Also included with this is 24 hour roadside assistance.
Base price for the 2014 CX-9 is $36,625 with a price as tested of $40,005. Price includes the GT Tech package and an added rear stainless steel bumper guard.
Overall, the 2014 Mazda CX-9 gives you a very comfortable ride and provides many safety features. The price of the CX-9 fits in with other cars of this class. The third row of seats make this a very attractive vehicle for family’s that either have multiple children, or children who like their own set of seats. One of the downside to the CX-9 is the low gas mileage numbers it gets.
