Managing editor Rusty Kurtz took our long-term CX-9 home for the weekend to cart around a gaggle of out-of-town friends. "I loaded it up with six people and was told the seating was comfortable for everyone-the two in the third row said it would be crowded on a long trip, but was fine for around town." Further, Kurtz was impressed with the Mazda's instrument panel-"right up there with Audi"-and found all the controls "just where they should be and everything was well lit at night, making it easy to use for a first-time driver." Kurtz's verdict? "One of my friends was so impressed he's added it to his shopping list. I'd add it to mine, too." At 7500 miles, the CX-9 went in for its first scheduled service, as indicated below under "maintenance cost."
| 2007 Mazda CX-9 |
| Months/miles in service | 3/9,928 |
| Avg econ/CO2 | 16.9 mpg/1.15 lb/mi |
| Unresolved problems | None |
| Maintenance cost | $76.02 (oil change/inspection/rotate tires) |
| Normal-wear cost | $0 |