2010 Mazda CX-7 Review

2010 Mazda CX-7 Review Hi! I’m Mike Henley with Cars.com, and this is the Mazda CX-7 small crossover. It received some significant changes for the 2010 model year, including revised styling and a new, more efficient engine. The biggest change in terms of the CX-7’s looks is its new lower grill. It gets Mazda’s happy face styling that’s been spreading across models like the Mazda 3 compact sedan. And overall, it’s integrated pretty well into the overall look of this vehicle. The CX-7’s new based four-cylinder engine makes this model less expensive, and also more fuel efficient. The new engine is rated at 161 horsepower, and it gets 20 miles per gallon in the city, and 28 on the highway. Now, you can still opt for the turbo four- cylinder. It makes 244 horsepower, but its fuel economy is 1825. Now, the new engine doesn’t have the turbo power that the higher-level engine does. You really have to plan your passing on the highway because it’s a modestly-powered engine. There are some changes to the inside of the CX-7 for 2010. Now, they’re relatively minor. There’s a new dash top display that shows things like the radio station that you’re on, and fuel economy info, and it’s nice to have there but it’s so close to the windshield that you always kind of see it out of the corner of your eye. It’s a little bit distracting. This model has cloth seats and it’s nice. Mazda includes heaters for them. But, the heaters only have an on/off setting, so you can’t customize how much heat they’re giving off. The backseat of the CX-7 is fairly snug. The Equinox, for one, offers more space for adult passengers. The seat, also, isn’t adjustable. We’re starting to see in small crossovers more adjustability when it comes to the cushion sliding in the backrest reclining, but that’s not here in the CX-7. The CX-7’s cargo area is just under 30 cubic feet and that’s enough space for about three or four golf bags. Folding the backseats is straightforward because there are these release handles in the back, and you lift them up, and the seats flop down. The CX-7, with the turbo-charged engine, is one of the more fun and sporty crossovers in the small SUV class. But I think with this new base engine, it’s going to make the CX-7 more attractive to buyers who may have been turned off by the previous model’s lower than average fuel economy.