Drivers Wanted
In light of the expensive VW, the CX-7, outfitted in $28,650 Grand Touring AWD getup, represents the base-price bargain, yet still includes Xenon headlamps, leather trim, eight-way power driver's seat, automatic climate control, and 18-inch wheels. Our zoom-zoom tester adds a $4005 Technology Package-Bose stereo, navigation, backup camera, sunroof, and smart key-as well as a few other minor options, all of which swells the sticker to $33,725, almost splitting the difference between the Tiguan and the Forester.
With regard to styling, the Mazda doesn't split the others; it shames them. From its slanted nose and ultra-raked windshield to its flared fenders and kicked-up beltline, the CX-7 is distinctive and edgy, downright racy for a crossover. "The best-looking of the group," asserts St. Antoine. The theme carries over inside, where right angles and high-tech materials impart a futuristic feel. "The interior is fabulous," he adds, "with lots of modern pizzazz that doesn't detract from usefulness. I especially like the 'alligator' trim piece that runs down the center of the seats." Loh calls it "boa skin," so perhaps "reptilian" is the best compromise. We do wish Mazda hadn't compromised on the aux jack, which can't be found in the CX-7.
VW's tagline is "Drivers Wanted," but that's really more appropriate for the Mazda, which treats enthusiasts to acutely accurate and deftly weighted steering; stout brakes, which put up the best 60-to-0 stopping distance (119 feet); and a collected chassis that feels the most at ease near the limit. "Has 'driver's car' written all over it," declares St. Antoine and observes, "Mazda is almost alone in the auto world in getting the fore-aft manual shift relationship right: backward to upshift, forward to downshift-as in a racing sequential box." The CX-7's ride is busier than that of the others, but it's far from unforgiving and does manage to relay more road feel, a feat that drivers, once again, tend to appreciate. As well as it dances and as good as it feels, though, the Mazda does suffer from a bit of a weight problem-it's over 500 pounds chubbier than the Subaru-a fact that prompts Loh to contend, "Well-controlled chassis dynamics, though it does show its weight around corners."
Alas, it also shows its mass at the track, although not as badly as the VW, thanks mostly to the gutsy 258-pound-feet direct-injected four and six-speed automatic, which manage to motivate all 3939 pounds from 0 to 60 in 7.7 seconds and the quarter mile in 15.8 at 86.7 mph. Essentially the same powerplant as in the hasty Mazdaspeed3, the CX-7's 2.3-liter is amply robust, but, unfortunately, it's also plenty thirsty, delivering the lowest EPA and observed fuel-economy figures. At least the CX-7 has the biggest gas tank, although two of three judges would rather be burdened with filling up Fuji's crossover.