Last week was super crazy for my family and I, we had 3 events, a high school reunion dinner and about a thousand and one errands to prepare for it all.
It was also the week my family and I had the privilege of reviewing the new 2017 Mazda CX-9 which was pretty darn exciting.
For my family, which consists of myself, my husband and our littlest car guy, my four yr old, Mazda chose the Sole Red Metallic CX-9 which is a pretty bold color for us but one that we thoroughly enjoyed.
So back story! I was and still am a car girl way before I started this blog. Call it a secret life, or call it my alter ego, either way, I am moved by a sleek car propelled by a 5-speed stick shift, a spacious SUV with an awesome interior, and this week I was very moved by the Mazda CX-9.
The Specs
I figure I better get the specs out of the way first because you have to at least know what I was working with before I get into how I felt about it.
This car is a 3-row crossover vehicle that is very family-oriented but super stylish and modern at the same time.
You get a luxury product for half the price. Mazda uses Skyactiv technology with a 2.5L turbocharged 4-cylinder instead of a V6 which makes it better than the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, and Nissan Pathfinder.
Some Notable Specs include, 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, Power sliding glass moonroof with sunshade, Auto on/off headlights, Adaptive Front-Lighting System, EPA-estimated mileage city/highway (mpg): 22/284 Windshield-projected Active Driving Display, Bose® Centerpoint® 2.0 Surround Sound System with AudioPilot® and 12 speakers (Which I personally absolutely enjoyed).
The car also comes with Mazda Navigation System and Multi-information display, LED interior illumination and all of the following:
- 2nd-row retractable window sunshades
- Distance Recognition Support System
- Lane-keep Assist System
- Mazda Radar Cruise Control
- Smart City Brake Support
- Smart Brake Support15
- Rear backup sensors16
- Power rear liftgate with programmable height adjustment
- Mazda Advanced Keyless entry and start system
- Advanced Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) System
- Power windows with one-touch auto-open/close on all windows
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
- Rearview Camera
- Auxiliary input jack and 2 USB ports
- Bluetooth®6 hands-free phone and audio streaming capability
- MAZDA CONNECT™ Infotainment System
- 3 rows of seating for up to 7 passengers
- 60/40 split fold-down and reclining 2nd-row seats with tilt and slide 3rd-row access
- 50/50 split fold-down 3rd-row seats
- Rear cargo area under floor storage
Safety on Long trips around town
The first event I attended was around 20 miles out from where I live and this gave me the opportunity to really get into the experience that the Mazda CX9 wants to deliver.
In tow was my spunky 4yr old and my husband who did his own review of the car here. The first thing that stood out to us was all the safety mechanisms Mazda put in place to ensure that your eyes are always on the road.
The center console I mentioned in the specs gives the driver the opportunity to quickly change the music, navigate the volume, dial through on the various aspects of the Mazda Connect infotainment screen without looking down.
The idea is to ensure that you are always fully engaged with what is in front of you by giving you safe options for comfort.
One of the coolest features is that you are constantly reminded about your speed with small projection of the speed required for the road you are on and immediate comparison of what you are actually doing on the road.
There is also small indicator lights on each side mirror that tells you exactly when a car is next to you which virtually eliminates the idea of a blind spot and gives you a heads up on when it is safe to shift over.
Now I must tell you, I get lost a lot, and one of the things that really intrigued me was the fact that you cannot change the navigation while driving.
What this means is that if you needed to do a quick switcharoo on the address or change direction manually on the GPS you have to stop the car.
There might be an override for the GPS may be using voice control or turning off the safety lock but we would suggest that you try not to get lost in sketchy areas that might require you to stop and change the address on the GPS.
The stylish family car
Most of us busy entrepreneur moms like to have the convenience of a bigger vehicle because, well kids! And! We always have a ton of stuff to carry around.
My errands around town are a mix of runs to the grocery store, Staples, and random meetings, and it was easy to notice how comfortable it was to really get through the day driving the CX-9.
The interior was one word! AMAZING! The Nappa leather seats were comfortable and spacious in the front, and the rear seating was very comfortable for my son who had his own cup holders and places to stow his small toys that he takes everywhere with him. The third row is also very convenient even though we did not use it.
In addition to the interior benefits, overall the car is so stylish which helped it to not feel so soccer mommish and you get the best of both worlds with space, comfort for the kids as well as looking great doing it. Can’t beat that!
The Car Handles Well
If you ask the people close to me they will tell you that I am pretty hard on cars, of course, I do not share the same opinion but I do like a vehicle with a little zip to it.
The Mazda CX-9 handles so well on the road it is almost like driving on air but make not mistake those 20-inch wheels were firmly planted on the ground. It is really hard to describe from my perspective but it felt stable with plenty of torque, acceleration and very responsive which makes for an incredible driving experience with minimal effort.
Final Thoughts
I want to make it very clear that I am suffering from CX9 withdrawal at the moment! We absolutely enjoyed this vehicle, the interior comfort, as well as the overall handling of the vehicle was enough to sell the car!
For a busy entrepreneur with soccer mom tendencies, I really appreciated how stylish the car was especially when you consider your car to be an accessory like most of us do. Thank you, Mazda for making such an awesome ride and allowing my family to test it out!
