Comprehensive is Best
Vehicles that excel in most criteria yet don't necessarily finish first in all of them tend to win comparison tests. The CX-9 is no exception. At the test track, the Mazda dispensed 0 to 60 in 8.1 seconds, the quarter mile in 16.3 at 85.3 mph, achieved lateral acceleration of 0.80 g, and stopped from 60 to 0 mph in 123 feet, placing it right between the Acura and the GMC. Most of those figures put the Mazda closer in performance to the GMC, but it was the Acura that the CX-9 felt more akin to. Carrying just 13 more pounds than the MDX, the CX-9 seemed equally nimble weaving through twisty roads, its low-profile Bridgestones, firm suspension, and tenacious all-wheel drive devouring curve after curve. Of course, tackling turns requires adept steering, and the Mazda's proved ideal, delivering light and rapid actions with supreme feel. The Acura may be quicker and more forgiving, the GMC cushier and more compliant, but the Mazda felt the most connected-to the driver and the road.
Certainly, it's hard not to feel connected when the CX-9 looks so alluring. Next to the snub-nosed, brutish Acadia, the Mazda appears downright stunning. In view of the edgy, ultramodern MDX, make that svelte. Inside, the CX-9 continues to strike the right balance between form and function. Ergonomics are generally excellent, although the audio controls are a bit of a reach and angled away from the driver. The materials aren't quite as luxurious as the Acura's or as hardnosed as the GMC's, but they're nevertheless rich and purposeful, making the cabin an appealing place to be. As for space, the Mazda, with its lengthy 113.2-inch wheelbase, provides ample third-row and cargo room, trailing only the cavernous GMC. And, unlike the Acura, which turns third-row access into a chore, the Mazda makes it a breeze, offering a second row that slides on both sides and thus leaves plenty of room-nearly 26 inches-through which to climb aboard.
The CX-9's Ford-sourced Duratec 35 V-6 churns out the least amount of oomph-263 horses and 249 pound-feet-but the refined, rev-happy mill still feels plenty adequate in this package, although we'd have welcomed a bit more low-end torque. Besides, the Aisin six-speed manumatic is so transparent in its shifts and intuitive in its operation that the engine never seems as if it were struggling. Trudging up a steep incline? No problem, the tranny would quickly drop a gear and hold it there until pressure on the throttle softened. Few automatics are this instinctive-we had little use for the manual feature.
Our $39,335 Grand Touring tester, replete with HID headlamps, heated mirrors, 20-inch alloys, leather seats, a Bose stereo, a backup camera, a power liftgate, and nav lacks only a DVD entertainment system to place it on par with the others (it's available if you can live without the moonroof), but the final tally still screams bargain versus those of the GMC and the Acura. Armed with driving dynamics that nearly match those of the MDX and space and utility that approaches that of the Acadia, all for substantially less money, makes the CX-9 the clear champ here. Grab the towels, we're done.