mts Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 BY MARK VAUGHN AUTOWEEK May 28, 2006 With the CX-7, Mazda has created a vehicle that is not easily categorized. Is it a minivan? A sport utility vehicle? A wagon? Actually, it's none of the above. Though Mazda says the CX-7 is an SUV, it's really not because an SUV, even a sedan-based one, has a little more ground clearance and maybe a roof rack. Similarly, the CX-7 is not a minivan because the roof is too low and there's not enough room behind the second row of seats. There is no third row, which also limits its "minivan-ness" and at the same time reminds us there will be a CX-9 later this year. CX-7 also is too agile-looking to really be a minivan. And it's not a wagon because it's too tall. That leaves crossover, a term so ill-defined that it could mean almost anything, although it usually is categorized as a car-based design produced with the general shape of an SUV. Meanwhile, Mazda has gone to some lengths to assure us the CX-7 is not just a MazdaSpeed6 sedan with a larger body, although the vehicle has more in common with the MazdaSpeed6 than it does with other Mazdas or Fords. It has the same powertrain, available in front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and it has much of the same suspension, though much of that is tuned specifically to this application. But the CX-7 also has Mazda5, Mazda3, European Ford Focus and Ford Edge in there. It is a parts-bin wonder but a wonderful sum of all parts. Imagine driving a larger, heavier, far more practical MazdaSpeed6. The 2.3-liter direct-injection turbocharged four is detuned from 274 hp. to 244; the transmission is still a six-speed but an automatic, and the 18-inch wheels are still 18s, though they are 235/60 H-rated all-seasons instead of 245/40 summer rubber. The vehicle weighs 3,710 pounds, goes from zero to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds, and is EPA-rated at 20.9 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving. All of the above makes you feel like your MazdaSpeed6 suddenly and violently grew. The CX-7 is 3 inches longer, 3 inches wider, 8.5 inches taller and a couple of hundred pounds heavier, but it still has something of the 6's responsive touch. The power rack-and-pinion steering is responsive enough, and the front struts and rear multilink suspension are well above average by crossover standards. The automatic and detuned engine means midrange acceleration is a bit sluggish, though. Go for a pass on the freeway and you have to wait for the kickdown, wait for the revs, and then later the car starts moving forward. But the CX-7 launches well off the line for such a large vehicle. Inside, the monster windshield makes you feel like you're landing an atrium on a carrier deck. Dashboard elements show up intermittently, reflected in the big glass. The two-plus-three seating is spacious and comfortable, and the back seats flop flat at the tug of wall-mounted releases to open a 70-inch-long load surface (39 inches with the seats up). The CX-7 makes the most of its size, but there are many minivans and larger SUVs that offer more. Pricing starts at $24,310, including the destination charge; a fully loaded CX-7 would probably run about $32,000. Mazda predicts it will sell 40,000 a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
///BHRpowered Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 I saw the very first cx-7 tv ad today. I must say, it looks like an suv...well atleast in terms of raised minivans that are an insult to real suv's. I'm not to happy about stealing the mazda 6 front, hwoever they mentioned turbo-charged? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mts Posted June 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Indeed they did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MazdaMomma Posted April 8, 2007 Report Share Posted April 8, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirmakesalot Posted November 24, 2007 Report Share Posted November 24, 2007 fact or fiction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troutman Posted November 26, 2007 Report Share Posted November 26, 2007 Or both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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