Driving friends to the airport at the crack of dawn after a night of rain isn't exactly the ideal way to spend a Sunday morning, but if you must be the airport shuttle, you could do worse than to take the seven-seat 2007 Mazda CX-9.

Because after you drop off your lucky friends for their vacation in sunny paradise, you get to heat up the road with 263 horsepower as you zoom zoom the scenic route home.....

The Mazda CX-9's platform is related to that which lies beneath the five-passenger Ford Edge, but the comparison ends there. The CX-9 has both high style and deliberate athleticism, and the Ford Edge sadly wishes it had the exuberance and poise of the Mazda.....

People moving
So if you need the practicality of three rows but you just can't bring yourself to drive a minivan or a truck-based sport-utility, then the 2007 Mazda CX-9 could be the perfect car for you.

Yes, we can't help but think of the CX-9 as a car. It performs all the duties of a traditional seven-passenger minivan, only without the sliding doors and clumsy handling. At the same time, it has an interior space that can be reconfigured for people or cargo like a sport-utility, only without the terrible ride. And it drives as easily and intuitively as a car. It's even priced like a car, as the base price of our CX-9 Sport starts at $29,035 and it runs on regular fuel. The Mazda CX-9 is the definition of what you want in a crossover vehicle.

And when you finally get some time alone in the CX-9, its light and nimble personality is up to more spirited driving — you know, for when you want to kick it in the rumble seat.

http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpconta...9/pageNumber=1

I saw the first one on the road recently. Kudos to Mazda for building another great vehicle. It's a great platform and Ford can't even get the details right like Mazda. I can't wait for the new 2 and 6 to come out. I hope they finally get the sales and reputation they deserve. In my opinion, the CX-9 is a better looking and driving crossover than the CX-7. The CX-9 doesn't have the funny rear window kink and the drivetrain doesn't suffer the really Jekyll/Hyde turbo lag effects that the 7 has.

 

True, would love to drive a 300hp CX7 with summer tires though.

 

Mazda does it again!! I really like what they're doing across the board. However, prelimary info on the new 6 to be released within the next couple years has it below it's competitors in terms of engine performance. Too much show and no go. I'd really like to see the HP #'s bumped up by a good margin.

 

Saw 2 of these on the road yesterday and they're gorgeous! Can't wait to get behind the wheel of one and see how it drives.

 

thats a pretty big commitment that would take some significant R&D budget because Toyota and Nissan are in the midst of a HP war and they are adding more power to their engines every year or every other year. It would have to be a long term commitment strategically and financially if they want to keep up with the jones.

 

It would seem to be an escalating conflict that is pointless. Does any Camry driver go faster than 65MPH on the freeway, merge competently, accelerate faster than the kid on a bike, etc?

Mazda can focus on building a car that is quick but it a hell of a lot more fun to drive than a Nytol Camry.

 

I think the lines are better than the CX-7. The added length helps.

 

The interior is a lot nicer on the 9, too

Can't wait to see what they whip out at the NY auto show

 

In other news, I have been seeing a shitload of CX-7s on the roads these days. Definitely came out of nowhere

 

Nothing at NY i was told earlier by a news source

 

Ok since the wife has one allready, It is very roomy inside, the seats are real nice. Stereo kicks *** for stock, every seat will fold down up to the driver/pass seats, lots of room to haul stuff.
The engine was very weak with 26 miles on it, now has 900+ and has good zip for its size and will spin the front tires from a stop.

 

Woo hoo. A Mazda family.

 

Good Review, we get the R.H.D version of the CX-9 here later this year...

 

Yup. Great looking car from Mazda. The profile reminds me of the Audi Q.

Maybe we will trade in the girlfriend's Xb for one of these.....