I received this car to test drive. All opinions are my own.
Last week I had the fun opportunity to test drive the new 2017 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring AWD. I already love this car from experience in previous models, and the 2017 CX-9 was no exception. We had so much fun in this car. We took it on a mini-road trip to Scofield Reservoir, to the park for baseball games and fun in the splash pad, grocery shopping, and so much more. Each time, I was blown away by something else we discovered about the Mazda CX-9 and that made it all the more difficult to give back after our week was up. Today I am going to share with you the 5 things we love most about the 2017 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring AWD.
1. Seating for 7 – plus room to spare
Believe it or not, there is seating for 7 in this car. Two in the front, three in the middle and two in the back. And there is still trunk space in the back. We like that the seats fold independently of each other because it allows us the freedom to choose what to do. We often left one of the seats down in the back for extra space for luggage, chairs, groceries, etc, and still had enough room for our family of 6. Mazda is a genius about putting controls on the back of the center seats so that the person sitting in the back seats can let themselves out if they need to.
2. The comfort of the seats
Honestly, it can be hard to find seats that I could sit in for extended periods of time while we road trip, but the Mazda CX-9 has them and they rock! Full adjustable, these seats didn’t leave me anxiously awaiting our next stop so I could get out. Instead, I relaxed and enjoyed the drive and was completely comfortable the whole time. All of the seats in the car were like this, and it was great!
3. The layout of the center console
I love the cup holders and the compartment under the dash for your phone or other things. There is a nice big storage compartment under the arm rest and plenty of places to plug cables into, to charge your phone or other devices. I also love how everything for the entertainment system is right at your fingertips.
4. The safety features
We were cruising along on the freeway, I had the cruise control set, and we were driving to Scofield Reservoir. The car in front of me suddenly slammed on his breaks and the Mazda breaked on its own without me touching anything. I would have been able to stop in time on my own, but the reaction time would have taken longer…the car was able to detect the sudden stop of the car in front of us, and it slowed us down on its own so keep us safe. That is the first time I have experienced that feature and I have to tell you that it is awesome! I also love the windshield-projected Active Driving Display. This helped keep my attention on the road where it belongs. It also is equipped with Blind Spot Monitoring System and Rear Cross Traffic Alert which helps me recognize when cars are close to me and warns me so I don’t hit them when trying to change lanes or turn.
5. The way the car “drives”
If you have driven different cars you know that they don’t all “drive” the same way. The way it feels on the road, the way it feels when you are driving, how smooth it is, how fast the pickup is, the control of the steering wheel, shifting the car (being able to shift an automatic), the convenience of the controls, all combine to make a great or terrible driving experience. I can honestly tell you that I have driven several different Mazda’s and they all have a 5/5 in each of these categories. I thoroughly enjoy driving Mazda cars because it is always a great ride.
Other features I love about the 2017 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring AWD that are noteworthy are:
- Turbocharged SKYACTIV-G 2.5T engine
- Smart City Brake Support (SCBS)
- Windshield-projected Active Driving Display
- MAZDA CONNECT infotainment system with full-color touchscreen display and voice command
- Standard rearview camera
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror
- Standard Bluetooth® hands-free phone and audio
- BOSE® 12-speaker surround sound system with Centerpoint® 2 and AudioPilot® 2
- High Beam Control (HBC)
- Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
The 2017 Mazda CX-9 is a mid-size, three-row crossover SUV that caters to families with seating for seven. The destination possibilities are endless thanks to CX-9’s all-weather capability from its optional predictive i-ACTIV all-wheel drive and class-leading fuel-efficiency. CX-9 provides a premium driving and passenger experience, courtesy of an award-winning SKYACTIV-G 2.5T engine that delivers excellent performance in everyday driving scenarios and an interior cabin that is pleasing to the sight and touch.
Learn more about Mazda on:
WEBSITE | http://www.mazdausa.com
FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/Mazda
TWITTER | https://twitter.com/MazdaUSA
