Mazda’s Revamped 2013 CX-9
It is hard to believe the Mazda CX-9 has been with us for seven years now. Having just undergone its first thorough facelift, it serves as an interesting foil to Infiniti’s upmarket, seven-passenger JX35.
The Mazda’s exterior update seems quite successful; its more aggressive front façade not only brings it inline with the company’s latest styling theme, but is less offputting to women, who seemed to find the older CX-9 too svelte and perhaps redolent of the minivan they were trying to avoid by getting a seven-seat crossover in the first place. Compared to the Infiniti, it is sleaker and better proportioned, though not as expensive looking to the masses.
Inside the Mazda little has changed—but then little had to. The materials are as good as or better than most all competitors in its price range. The Infiniti initially feels richer, but the more time you spend aboard, the more you note how the Japanese-build Mazda offers better assembly quality. And the things you touch the most, such as the wheel, seats, armrests and door handles, are every bit as nice as in the much more expensive Infinity JX35.
Where the Infiniti pulls ahead is in space; it has slightly comfier second and third rows and just a bit more cargo room. Also, its optional panoramic roof makes things airier for rear occupants. But this smaller-framed driver found the CX-9’s seats more supportive than those in the lounge-like JX35.
These two are closely matched dynamically, and the Infiniti does blunt small, sharp impacts better, thanks to its taller tire sidewalls. But the Mazda maintains better control over larger pavement blemishes and handles better as well. It’s steering is still the best of anything remotely like it, and it will untwist a set of corners with a joyous acumen that still eludes most other crossovers. That the JX35 runs it close is quite an accomplishment. Road and wind noise intrusion is too closely matched to call; take it that both are quiet and refined enough for family duty.
The Mazda’s six-speed automatic is a more enjoyable partner than the Infiniti’s CVT, and there appears to be no performance or economy disparity either, with both clocking high-7s runs to the benchmark 60mph and high-teens mpg in mixed, mainly urban, use.
Where the JX35 lags behind is the lack of throttle response (even in Sport mode) that seems endemic to CVTs. In contrast, there is a much more direct feel to the way the CX-9 deploys its 3.7-liter’s 273hp/270lb-ft to the pavement, though it isn’t actually much faster. What it is is more alert off the lights and when passing at highway speeds.
But performance isn’t all such vehicles are about, and there is more tech available on the Infiniti—at least as options. Some is annoying, such as the collision-mitigation system that slammed myself and a passenger against the seatbelts when it thought I wasn’t aggressive enough on the brakes in traffic. But its rear parking assist was quite useful in my small garage and when backing out of spaces in cramped Whole Food parking lots. The Mazda’s navigation/infotainment interface, new for 2013, was adaquite but no more; I actually couldn’t follow its directions to a destination the first time I used it, as they came too close to the required course changes and turns, and resorted to my iPhone. But blind spot monitors are standard on almost all models and the Mazda’s music interface is as good as anything built outside of Germany.
Mazda didn’t have the resources to apply any of its fuel-saving Skyactiv tech to this CX-9 refresh, and there is only one available powertrain, meaning those looking for more frugal or faster crossovers will end up elsewhere (Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Ford Explorer Sport, respectively), but for mainstream buyers the Mazda is fine. Also, the lack of a bucket seat center-row option limits the Mazda’s breadth of salability.
For those who can look beyond those limitations, the Mazda CX-9 still beckons as the class’ best value, with a combination of driver enjoyment, useful size and superb reliability to rival any other, at a price that beats everything it competes with. That it comes in at a stunning $15,000 less than the very similar, “premium” Infiniti JX35 only serves to underscore its continued competitiveness.
EPA 16/22 18 combined
Price as tested: $40,030
Here is what Mazda has to say about it.
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