2012 Mazda CX-9

The price for the Sport trim starts at $29,725 and goes up to $33,735 for the top-of-the-line Grand Touring trim. All the trims offer luxury grade interiors and agile performance that the Mazdas are known for. It faces competition from the likes of Dodge Durango, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Honda Pilot. 

The 2012 Mazda CX-9 is available in three trims namely the Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring. All the trims are equipped with the same V-6 engine and it offers decent fuel economy. The trims are available in FWD configuration as standard and AWD is available as an optional feature. The CX-9 is a three-row SUV and is known for well-built interiors and practicality. 

Which trim should you buy?

We would suggest the Touring trim, as it gets most of the features of the Grand Touring trim and also costs about $ 2,100 less than it. It comes with many features like automatic headlights, heated front seats with power adjustments, heated seats, and leather-trimmed upholstery.

The 2012 Mazda CX-9 is powered by a 3.7L V-6 engine producing about 273 HP and 270 lb-ft of torque. It is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission that is refined and comes with FWD as standard. The performance of the engine is good, especially when considering its size. It does a 0-60 mph sprint in about 7.7 seconds. It can also be had in AWD configuration by paying about $1400 extra. 

The CX-9 comes with the largest engine of the lot but produces much less firepower compared to the competition. The Dodge Durango comes with a slightly smaller engine but produces the maximum power at 290hp. It does a 0-60 mph sprint in 7.6 seconds, just 0.1 seconds less than the CX-9. The Honda Pilot and Hyundai Santa Fe do a 0-60 mph sprint in 7.9 seconds and 7.4 seconds respectively.

The 2012 CX-9 is equipped with the largest engine of the lot and delivers acceptable fuel efficiency. It gives 17 mpg, 24 mpg, and 21 mpg, in the city, on the highway, and in combined driving conditions. With a fuel tank capacity of 20.1 gallons, it can offer a range of 342 miles, 482 miles, and 422 miles, in the city, on the highway, and in combined driving conditions.

The Durango is less efficient than the competition but owing to a larger fuel tank of 24.6 gallons, it offers a range of 492 miles in mixed driving conditions. The Hyundai Santa Fe is the most fuel-efficient averaging but offers a range of 432 in combined conditions owing to a smaller fuel tank. The Honda Pilot can travel about 462 miles on a full tank of gas in combined driving conditions.

The interior of the Mazda CX-9 is quite elegant as compared to the competition. The good thing is that many of the creature comforts are given in the CX-9 as standard. The dashboard is well laid out and all the functions are within the driver’s reach. The waterfall motif on the doors and the center of the dashboard look unique and grant a premium look to the cabin. The seats are comfortable with enough headroom and legroom across two front rows. 

The third-row passengers might feel cramped and brush their heads on the roof due to a sloping roofline. The features like remote keyless entry, three-zone climate control a/c, and speed-sensing door locks are available as standard. As you climb up the trim ladder, the luxury increases and pampers you even more.

The Hyundai Santa Fe comes with a seating capacity of only 5-passengers. The 2012 Honda Pilot is the most spacious in the competition and can offer seating for up to 8-passengers. It also offers a better headroom and shoulder room across the front row. The sloping roofline of the CX-9 results in less headroom for the third-row passengers. The CX-9 gets a cargo capacity of 17.2 cu-ft and Durango also offers the same. The Pilot offers lesser cargo space, while the Hyundai Santa Fe’s trunk volume of 35.9 cu.-ft, puts it streets ahead of its competitors.

Some of the standout interior features of the 2012 Mazda CX-9 are:

• Piano black or wooden interior trim 
• Three-zone climate control system
• Speed-sensing door locks
• Leather-trimmed seats (1 st and 2nd row)
• Keyless entry and start system 

How intuitive is the 2012 Mazda CX-9’s infotainment system?

The 2012 CX-9 gets one of the intuitive and easy-to-use infotainment systems in its segment. It is equipped with a 5.8-inch touchscreen display, AM/FM/CD audio system with 6-speakers, AUX input jack, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, SiriusXM satellite radio as standard across all the trims. 

You also get optional features like a navigation system with a 7-inch touchscreen and a DVD- based voice command system, rear-seat entertainment with a 9-inch entertainment display, Bose premium audio system with 10 or 11 speakers depending upon the package you opt for.

Some of the standout infotainment features of the 2012 Mazda CX-9 are:

• AM/FM/CD audio system 
• Auxiliary input jack 
• SiriusXM satellite radio 
• Optional navigation package 
• Optional rear-seat entertainment system
• Optional Bose audio package
• Bluetooth hands=free connectivity 

The CX-9 is not a very aggressive or rugged-looking SUV. It feels subtle and minimalistic as compared to the competition. The design is very fluidic, smooth, and devoid of any character lines, creases, or angles. The front fascia imbibes two parallelogram-ish headlights and a small grille in chrome finish with the Mazda logo on it. The side profile looks good with a sloping roofline and chrome finish on window panes. The black cladding on the wheel arches grants it an SUV look and the rear profile looks like a sedan with higher ground clearance. 

The CX-9 gets a higher ground clearance of 8-inches which is good considering the segment it competes in. The Durango and Pilot follow the CX-9 with the same clearance. The Santa Fe gets a lesser ground clearance. The 2012 Dodge Durango gets a longer wheelbase of 119.8 inches which helps with better stability on the highways and better leg space in the rear. The Mazda is slightly longer than the competition.

Some of the standout exterior features of the 2012 Mazda CX-9 are:

• Privacy tint rear glass
• Rear roof spoiler 
• Halogen or HID Xenon low beam headlamps
• Dual stainless exhaust tips
• Dual body color heated power mirrors outside. 

The 2012 CX-9 is equipped with numerous active and passive safety systems to provide you with complete peace of mind. The features like front and rear crumple zones, side impact door beams, LATCH system, active whiplash reducing front seat headrests, collapsible steering column and many more are available as standard. The IIHS has also rated the Mazda CX-9 as “Good” in most of the test parameters. 

Some of the standout safety features of the 2012 Mazda CX-9 are:

• Active front headrests
• Tire pressure monitoring system 
• Dynamic stability control
• Front and rear crumple zones 
• Triple H-shaped body construction 
• Antitheft alarm (Grand Touring)

The 2012 Mazda CX-9 is a well-built and practical SUV. It comes with a powerful engine and elegant interiors. It also scores well in the safety department and comes at a very attractive price point for the features it has on offer. It offers good performance in the city and on highways too. It has the ability to be your daily driver as well as a weekend getaway family SUV.