2009 Mazda CX-7 Grand Touring Review
Mazda’s all about this soul of a sports car thing. Well, let's find out. Here's the CX-7, the
smaller of their two swooply styled utz. Let's go for a run, check the tech and see if it
really does make a sound at all like zoom-zoom.
When you get a CX-7, even the Grand Touring, you're stuck with dorky audio system,
AM-FM, single CD, four speakers. That’s it. Sirius can be added a la carte; a six-disc
changer can be added a la carte but what you really want to do is go to the Bose Audio
System, right? And that Bose Audio is available on a couple of different packages but it’s
still the same system either way, nine speakers around the cabin, 240 watts, six-disc
changer of course. It’s got a smooth sound, plenty of muscle down below. It doesn’t get
stupidly bright. It’s a must-do upgrade.
Navigation’s here and boy, I almost wish it wasn’t. I can draw better than that. I mean
ladies and gentlemen, that is rough, ruff looking display, doggie. The fonts are torture.
What is that? Tredev or Neurotev? I can’t even tell. It’s a horrid looking two or three
generation old interface. So, I'm disappointed in that. That said, touch screen, large on
screen buttons, pretty darn easy to use the menus though, I’ll give it that.
Now, Bluetooth is a funny story on this car. The hands-free Bluetooth system is indicated
as standard, at least on this trim level, in some Mazda materials and not mentioned in
others including on their main spec sheet on the website. So, if you're going to buy an ‘09
CX-7, make sure it’s got Bluetooth.
The NAS screen can also be used to display and operate audio and HVAC systems and
the whole thing can be run also by voice command. That button there on the wheel which
I named the button to Mister Stupid. Well, Miss Stupid in this vehicle’s case. I couldn’t
get one voice command guest. You have to go to the manual to figure out what this thing
wants you to say. That’s bad information design.
Yet you might be tempted to have a tape in one of these. Let's see how spacious it is for
that. Now of course, you buy a crossover because it’s more than a wagon, is it? Yeah, it
definitely is in some dimensions although it does have these kinds of irregular sides
intruding here and not quite a flat load floor with the backseats down. They are 60/40’s
though. I’ll be damned. It does go zoom-zoom.
I mean the power on this vehicle is really quite good, ample and ready. There’s
occasional turbo lag but I’ll tell you a secret. When I pulled this thing out of the garage
the first time and just started driving it, I wouldn’t have guessed it was a turbo. I didn’t
know yet until I checked the paperwork that it does have a turbo on this 2.3 liter 4. That’s
how well they have largely managed out turbo lag, 244 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds
of torque. The downside of that whole formula and the way they’ve engineered it is the
gas mileage. 16, 22 are your EPA estimates, kind of thirsty.
Okay, let's price out our CX-7. Ours is top of the line Grand Touring trim level and all
wheel drive undercarriage. So, almost 29 grand base with destination. The tech toys
though are largely optional. You're going to have to pay extra for the moonroof package
which is moonroof and Bose Audio primarily. It’s about 1580 or go for the tech package
for $4,000.00. That’s way more CNET style. It rolls in the moonroof and the Bose Audio
and the navigation and just about every other tech toy I've talked about. For 4 grand, a
pretty good deal.
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