For years, drivers looking for a great family car for road trips and soccer practice had to settle for heavy, bulky vehicles. Having a vehicle that could comfortably contain everyone and their stuff would just have to mean giving up style or even the semblance of a smooth behind-the-wheel experience. At least, that’s what many manufacturers had you think. When Mazda came out with the CX-9, they disproved everything we thought we knew about SUVs, and the 2022 Mazda CX-9 continues that tradition.
This stylish car has a shape that nods to the sophisticated PT Cruiser or classic town cars seen in the streets of posh London neighborhoods. If you do cart around kids with sweaty athletic gear and coolers full of snacks, nobody would know it by the looks of this midsize SUV. It drives like a sedan and looks like a luxury vehicle. It has a minimalistic but elevated profile and eye-catching body lines. Plus, with its responsive steering, turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and excellent suspension, this car was certainly built for someone who simply loves to drive.
The individual behind the wheel won’t be the only happy person in this car. With three rows of passenger seating, comfortable soft seating materials, and an overall sleek interior, it’s also a joy to ride in and look at. Plus, it’s loaded with technology that launches it into the category of a luxury vehicle. The 2022 Mazda CX-9 really shows that there’s no excuse for an SUV to be boxy or difficult to drive.
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The 2022 Mazda CX-9 really was made for drivers who love a little thrill behind the wheel (but don’t worry, it’s very safe – which we’ll get to). Each trim enjoys the Skyactiv–G 2.5 Dynamic Pressure Turbo engine. This extremely efficient direct-injection engine helps drive pressure even at modest RPMs for a smooth yet impressive acceleration. It can go from zero to 60 in about seven seconds. When the kiddos aren’t in the car, this is a fun vehicle to take for a joy ride.
It is designed to deliver a consistent ride and good control in most conditions. In fact, it has Mazda’s signature i-Active AWD, which adjusts how much power is being directed to the wheels when needed in different road conditions. That system collaborates with the G-Vectoring Control Plus system, which detects a change in road conditions and automatically adjusts engine torque and braking for a smooth ride. Plus, it has off-road traction assist to keep a good grip on whatever roads you choose to travel. This may look like a slick city car, but it’s definitely ready for some adventure.
The CX-9 enjoys some highly responsive steering, too, almost making you feel one with the road. Many believe that driving an SUV has to mean laborious, heavy movements and awkward steering. But this car proves that theory to be very wrong. Plus, it gets a solid 20 MPG in the city and 26 MPG on the highway, so it’s not a total gas guzzler the way many SUVs are.
Stepping inside the beautiful 2022 Mazda CX-9 feels like stepping into a mobile VIP lounge. The supple Nappa leather-trimmed seats with quilting and stitching in all of the right places just beckon you to slide in for a long, cozy ride. It’s also important to note that this gorgeous interior is available in either Parchment or Deep Chestnut Nappa, both of which create a warm and calming atmosphere.
Though its sleek exterior wouldn’t betray it, the inside of this car boasts a total of three rows of passenger seating, keeping to true human-hauler SUV form. The second row can have two spacious captain seats with a center console that contains large cup holders and cubbies for personal belongings. Or, you can opt for a second row with a walk-through, making it easy for third-row passengers to get to their seats. Whichever one you go for, rear-seat passengers will be amazed at how roomy it is in this car.
As for those luxury touches, front seat and rear-seat passengers enjoy heated seats, and the driver gets a heated steering wheel. And for those times you want to take in the scenery, there’s a convenient sliding-glass power moonroof. If you want to control how much light you let in, there’s a sunshade for that.
Great technology is a necessity in a road trip car like a midsize SUV, and the Mazda CX-9 has it. It is capable of both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, allowing you access to all of your favorite apps from each respective platform while on the road. That means navigation apps, podcasts, music, and more. And you can see them all populate on the stunning 10.25-inch full-color display screen. This car skips the outdated USB port for an available wireless charging pad for Qi-enabled devices. This pad means you’ll never have to worry again that your phone will die at just the wrong time, leaving you without tunes or directions.
The Mazda CX-9 might be powerful and fun, but it’s also designed with safety in mind, as it's clear from its comprehensive i-ActivSense suite of driver-assist features. There are many features that come standard, starting with the advanced smart city brake support system that notifies you of nearby pedestrians and cars, both during the day and night, and brakes if necessary. It also has blind spot monitoring to tell you when a vehicle might be in your blind spot or coming up on it and rear cross traffic alert to notify you of oncoming vehicles when you’re backing up.
Keeping a safe distance from other vehicles is important but not always easy to do manually. Luckily, this car features radar cruise control. This automatically adjusts the speed of your vehicle to help you maintain a set distance between yourself and other cars. It also boasts lane departure warnings that let you know when you’re veering from your lane and lane keep assist which gently adjusts the steering wheel to put you back in your lane.
Cruising on winding roads can be a lot of fun in this car but always poses an added risk at night time. That’s why this car has an available front lighting system. This special system directs the front lights in the direction that the car is turning when taking corners. And all trims come standard with automatic on/off LED headlights to create safe and ideal lighting conditions at night for you and other drivers. Finally, after a long day on the road, mistakes can happen. But this car has a driver behavior monitoring system that detects subtle shifts in your behavior and alerts you to when you might be fatigued and need to pull over. The Mazda CX-9’s safety suite has your back, no matter what comes your way.