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Posted September, 2007

Road Test: 2007 Mazda CX7

By Kevin S. Lowery

What’s the automotive world’s favorite Buzz Word du jour? Crossover. Were it a dance craze like the Electric Slide or the Macareña, everyone would be doing it. In fact, there are only a handful of car manufacturers that have not entered the fray. This is Mazda’s year. There is a lot to be said for being a follower, with the market’s fear of possible gasoline hikes to four dollars a gallon (which is not too hard to imagine). As the demand for smaller SUVs with better gas mileage increases, the timing is right for the premiere of the Mazda CX-7.

Let’s start out with the obvious: styling is subjective. You may go to the dealership, take a spin and think, “Did he drive the same car?” I urge you to do so. That said, I find the CX-7’s exterior styling a jumble. What is the attraction to having a grille in the bumper? It looks like a catfish trolling the murky bottom of a stream. It is very reminiscent of the Volkswagen-Audi front grille. (To be fair, I didn’t like it there either.) In fact, I thought the CX7 was a VW or Audi until I saw the hood ornament. The wheel wells are too bulbous and the front end looks as if it were stretched and molded aggressively like Silly Putty. Case in point, the elongated, integrated headlights. Overall, it reminds me of the Siamese Cats in the Disney film, “Lady and the Tramp.” We are Siamese, if you please…. I don’t blame Mazda too much for this because it seems to be the fad these days. High Headroom leads to stubby cars with elongated and stretched front ends and exaggerated rooflines.

Our CX-7 was a four-cylinder, 16-valve, 138 cubic-inch engine, producing 244 hp and 258 pounds per feet of torque and coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission. The low-end torque was acceptable, but not exciting, due to the car’s four-cylinder engine. (I prayed that it would turn into a V6 every night. No such luck.) Our CX-7 had engine buzz, too, just loud and constant enough to be annoying.

The most fascinating feature is the deep center storage compartment — large enough for a purse or even a laptop computer. And it can be locked. The Grand Touring front-wheel drive model I tested had a keyless entry system that worked well—better than many others in its class. But the command console screen was difficult to figure out. The stereo system included a 240W Bose 9-speaker center point surround system with audiopilot. That package included a navigation system, rearview camera, and a voice-control system. With all the options, it rang up to $31,520. There are many features that are included as standard equipment, a generous amount when compared to competitive vehicles like the RAV-4 and the CRV. A standard equipped CX-7 will only set you back $26,300.

I was distressed about the gas mileage: 19 city/ 24 highway EPA ratings. These are slightly better than a full-size SUV, but I expected more. There is a hybrid version, but don’t get me started on that. Read the Toyota Prius review.