Crossover to the Bright Side
Karl Perkons, Canadian Auto Press

During these tumultuous times that have seen the US and Canadian governments stepping into the roll of corporate stakeholder instead of just regulating body, the repeated mantra from on high seems to be that small fuel-efficient cars are the antidote for healing what ails North America’s automakers. Yet there’s still money to be made selling SUVs and crossovers, as long as the right ones are put on sale. Mazda just might have the ideal answer in its sporty yet fuel friendly CX-7, as it’s difficult to ask much more from an SUV.

2009 Mazda CX7

Okay, so it’s really a crossover. The Mazda CX-7 holds five-passengers and is big, but not too big. Seven passenger vehicles are all the rage, but there is a reason the automobile has evolved around a four-plus-one arrangement. Because really, how often do those extra two seats in the back really save the day? Five seats is all most people normally need, unless they have more than three kids.

But what about power? There are many people who think if there isn’t at least a V6 under the hood, a vehicle will be slow and won’t have enough power to meet their needs. After all, how often do you pull a 20-foot boat? How often do you need to rush to the next city at over 200 km/h? How often do you have to pass three trucks in a row on a two-lane highway? It’s not the ‘80s anymore, and four-bangers are no longer weaklings.

The CX-7 has a turbocharged 2.3L 4-cylinder with a very healthy 244hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. With a 6-speed automatic it gets a reasonable 11.9L/100km city and 8.7L/100km highway with front-wheel drive, or 12.7 and 9.1 respectively with all-wheel drive. So a 4-cylinder is all most people will need for everyday use.

2009 Mazda CX7

Somehow, unless our parents had a Range Rover, we all managed to survive many winters driving that first crap car with front-wheel drive on nearly bald tires. So, is all-wheel drive really necessary to get us over the mound at the end of the driveway, when the real problem to be solved is our lack of ambition to shovel it in the morning? Front-wheel drive, and maybe a set of snow tires, once again is all most people will ever need.

With front-wheel drive, a six-speed automatic transmission and a good list of standard features, the CX-7 GS starts at $30,295 – a very solid value. You can add all-wheel drive for $2,000 or a power moonroof for $1,000. My loaded GT tester came with all-wheel drive, the moonroof, Xenon headlights, automatic climate control, a leather trimmed interior, a better sound system, Bluetooth, a keyless ignition system and other goodies for $37,655.

At this point I am not making the CX-7 sound very sexy, because all I’ve talked about is its layout. But it is the combination of a smart-package with being comfortable, stylish, affordable and sporty (yes I am saying sporty) that makes it a great vehicle.

2009 Mazda CX7

The CX-7 can feed that occasional craving to carve a corner, or to push the drivetrain through a few gears for some satisfying pace. The 2.3L turbo pulls hard, and makes the tallish Mazda lean on its big 18-inch tires, forcing the suspension to keep composure, which it does very well. The tight and direct steering is a big part of the crossover’s sporty feel.

The steering wheel itself is thin and simple, looking like a slightly larger version of the wheel from the MX-5. You sit upright, but feel like you sit lower, thanks to the high beltline. Small triangular windows will help you see through the big A-pillars, and big side mirrors help to see around the CX-7’s distinctive hips.

2009 Mazda CX7

The dashboard has lots of shape and structure to it. A two-tone scheme goes all around the vehicle’s interior trim with black on top and creamy beige on the bottom. A cool vertical black stripe runs the length of each seat along the spine – including those in the rear.

Back there you get a surprisingly comfortable bench, except you can’t tuck your toes underneath the seat in front of you so legroom is limited. Those rear seats fold nearly flat, with just the slightest slope when leveled with the cargo floor. The look and feel of the interior is near luxury, adding to its appeal and value proposition.

The CX-7 takes the simple SUV people used to love and modernizes it into a true crossover. It isn’t better by being bigger, faster or more flamboyantly styled, and it hasn’t recalled an old name to generate hype. With the CX-7, the SUV ingredients have changed, but the recipe remains the same.