Sports-utility vehicles were originally designed to take families and adventure seekers around town and off road, but few SUVs really ever leave the pavement. Crossovers take the SUV concept and merge it with the family friendliness and styling of sportwagons, while usually incorporating some van attributes and sedan characteristics.
The 2008 Mazda CX7 Grand Touring Sport Wagon adheres to the above definition and then some. It takes to the asphalt adroitly, is as sporty as a sportwagon and handles like a car with high-range power. It is turbocharged and suspension-tuned for highway speed, mountain-pass agility and stop-and-go city traffic, while never attempting to be an off-road warrior.
The ‘08 CX7 is essentially the same vehicle as the 2007 model except that you no longer need to run it on premium gas. Regular unleaded will do nicely and will still earn a 2008 EPA rating of 16/city and 22/highway. My review vehicle did even better, as my seven days of car tests produced an average of 23.3mpg.
The CX7 is athletic and nimble and has the muscular soul of a sports car with its turbocharged powerplant, but the sporty-looking crossover doesn’t really live up to Zoom-Zoom power. It certainly gives you more pop than a wagon does and a bit more zip than your run-of-the-mill SUV does in mid-range, but it is NOT a track car or smoke-your-tires sports truck.
At 4025 lbs., the CX7, with its 244-hp, 2.3-liter turbo 4-cylinder engine, just doesn’t demonstrate explosive get-up off the line. The turbocharged all-aluminum plant with direct injection spark ignition is mated to a 6-speed sports shift and active torque all-wheel drive. The set-up hesitates at low revs, but makes up for it with some genuine acceleration in passing gear, thanks to a more European-style torque curve that puts 258 lbs.-ft. of torque into play at 2500 rpm, while peak horsepower gallops out at 5000 rpm. On the track, I was able to move from zero to 60mph in 9.2 seconds – not bad for an SUV, but hardly Zoom-Zoom worthy. My test vehicle did show good mid-range power during a 17.1-second tour down the quarter-mile.
On an auto-cross course, the independent front MacPherson strut suspension, multi-link rear, front and rear stabilizer bars and power rack-and-pinion steering were responsive and handled the S-curves well. On a quick off-road trek in some water and mud, the CX7 proved that if a driver uses finesse, the vehicle will plow through small obstacles, but it had some difficulty generating the power and stability to successfully attack extreme off-road predicaments.
Ventilated 4-wheel disc brakes, anti-lock brake system with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist, dynamic stability controls and traction control provide good stopping power and hug-the-road balance.
On the outside, strong angular shoulders and windshield, distinctive roof spoiler, decisive front fenders, Mazda’s signature five-pointed grille and gentle sloping of the hood clearly show that sportiness was in mind when engineers designed the CX7. Younger drivers and hip car enthusiasts will love the 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels covered by P235/60R 18 all-season tires, auto on-off xenon headlights with manual leveling fog lights, body-color heated power mirrors, variable intermittent wipers, fixed intermittent rear wiper, chrome door handles and rear privacy glass.
In the cabin, interior features include roomy seating for five, GT leather-trimmed seats, 8-way power driver seat, heated front seats, auto up-down window with anti-pinch and remote open, 3-spoke tilt steering wheel with audio and cruise controls, leather-wrapped piano black accent steering wheel and shift knob, automatic climate control, power door locks and windows, front seatback map pocket, rear seat center armrest, lockable center console, four front bottle/cupholders and two in the rear, retractable cargo cover, rear window defogger, electroluminescent gauges with indirect blue lighting and AM/FM/CD clock with four speakers, that was upgraded to nine speakers with an option package.
The rear back-up camera works well and is excellent of you have little children or pets who amble into your driveway. The touch-screen navigational system can get fooled, but it is user-friendly and can be programmed to voice command.
I was disappointed by the high amount of road noise in the cabin that defeated a quiet engine and an otherwise comfortable ride.
Mazda addresses safety well in the CX7 with advanced dual front airbags, front side-impact airbags, front and rear side air curtains with roll-over protection, 3-point front seatbelts, LATCH rear child safety seat, tire pressure monitoring system, remote keyless entry system, anti-theft engine immobilizer and 24-hour roadside assistance.
Base priced at $28,000, my test vehicle bottom-lined at $31,468 after some upscale options were added. All-weather floor mats increased the fare by $78; Sirius Satellite Radio added $430; a package consisting of a moonroof, 240-watt 9-speaker Bose surround sound system with 6-disc CD changer was $1585 and scuff plates were $145. An under guard package and preferred cargo (net and tray) group added $445 and $190 respectively, and delivery charges topped it off for $595.
It may not be a Zoom-Zoom, but the Mazda CX7 certainly adds sporty crossover personality to the SUV segment.
Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
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