2014 Mazda CX-9

As with most Mazda vehicles, the spacious and refined cabin is designed to transport passengers in comfort, while its performance and nimble handling make driving enjoyable. It faces competition from Kia Sorento, Honda Pilot and Hyundai Santa Fe. 

The 2014 Mazda CX-9 is available in three trims namely the Sport, Touring and Grand Touring. With all the three trims, FWD is standard and you can opt for AWD configuration if you are a corner craver just like us. Some of the standard features include 18-inch alloy wheels, remote keyless entry, Power side mirrors, cloth trimmed seats, 5.8-inch touchscreen display etc.

We Recommend 

We recommend the Touring trim for its well balanced list of features and price. You get access to most of the features of the top trim and power driver’s seat package as standard. Also you get to opt for an available touring technology package to load up the Touring trim with premium Bose audio system, Navigation system, Power Sunroof, SiriusXM satellite radio etc. 

The 2014 Mazda CX-9 is powered by a 3.7L V6 that produces 273 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. It is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control. The engine is found to be refined and provides enough torque to carry heavy loads without any issue. The performance from the engine is peppy and you would find overtaking on highways a piece of cake. It takes about 7.7 seconds for a 0-60 mph sprint and about 15.8 seconds to complete a quarter mile drag. 

The CX-9 is equipped with the biggest engine of the lot but makes less power than the smaller engine on the Korean twins. The Santa Fe is the fastest in the 0-60 mph sprint and quarter mile drag too. The Honda Pilot is equipped with a smaller 3.5 L V6 engine and is the slowest to complete 0-60 mph sprint and the quarter mile drag. 

The 2014 Mazda CX-9 is equipped with the biggest engine of the lot and offers less fuel efficiency than the competition. The EPA rates it at 17 MPG, 24 MPG and 19 MPG in the city, on the highways and in combined driving conditions respectively. With a fuel tank capacity of 20.1 gallons, it can travel up to 342 miles, 482 miles and 382 miles in the city, on the highways and in combined driving conditions respectively on a full tank of gas.

The Korean twins come with the smallest engine of the lot and offer better fuel efficiency of about 21 MPG in combined driving conditions .With a fuel tank capacity of 17.4 gallons, they can travel up to 365 miles in mixed conditions on a full tank of gas. The Honda Pilot is equipped with a larger fuel tank of 21.0 gallons and can travel about 420 miles on a full tank of gas in mixed driving conditions.

The 2014 Mazda CX-9 comes with a well designed interior space. The materials used for dashboard and interior trims are of very good quality but we expected a bit of flair and premiumness in the cabin at this price point. The centre console is cleverly designed and you get a good amount of storage space for your articles. The seats offer good comfort and the front two rows can seat 5 people comfortably. However the third row is mainly for kids and adults will have a tough time getting there and making themselves comfortable. 

With the base Sport trim, you get many features like three-zone automatic climate control, remote keyless entry, power windows and door locks and optional power driver’s seat package. As you climb up the trim ladder, features like heated front seats, leather-trimmed seats, 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and 4-way power adjustable passenger’s seat and optional touring technology package wins your heart. 

The Mazda CX-9 provides a cargo capacity of 17.2 cu-ft which is just 0.8 cu-ft less than the Honda Pilot. The Korean twins are less practical as compared to the CX-9 and Pilot. As in most three row SUVs, the third row is cramped in the CX-9 but offers etter legroom than the competition. Even the second row legroom is better in the CX-9. Some of the standout interior features of the 2014 Mazda CX-9 are:

• Three zone automatic climate control 
• Remote keyless entry
• Heated front seats 
• Rearview camera 
• Driver’s power seat memory 
• Leather-trimmed seats
• Bordeaux accent interior trim 

How intuitive is the 2014 Mazda CX-9’s infotainment unit?

The infotainment system on the Mazda is just about adequate, nothing special about it. It gets a 5.8-inch touchscreen which isn’t exactly laggy but the response time is more. We would have also liked better resolution on it. We also expected the interface to offer a more seamless experience. It gets standard features like bluetooth connectivity, AM/FM radio, USB connection, 6-speaker audio setup, AUX input etc. 

As you climb up the trim ladder, you get access to voice commands, SMS text delivery, satellite radio, optional Bose centerpoint audio system and a DVD entertainment system for the second row passengers. You also get support for Pandora Internet radio compatibility as standard across all the trims. Some of the standout infotainment features of the 2014 Mazda CX-9 are:

• 5.8” Touchscreen Display 
• AUX input
• Pandora Internet Radio 
• SiriusXM satellite Radio (GT tech package)
• Navigation system (GT tech package)
• Optional rear seat DVD entertainment (Optional)
• Bose Centerpoint audio system (Optional)

The KODO design language from Mazda seems to work well in the favour of the CX-9 and it stands out in the crowd. It gets a distinctive styling which is reminiscent of the CX-5 and is not overdone from any angle you look at it. The front fascia imbibes a small grille with a Mazda logo on it and gets a chrome outline. The two headlights are like actual eyes and look good on the front fascia. The headlamps come with auto on/off functionality and you get Bi-Xenon HID headlights with auto on/off function on the Grand Touring trim

The sides are a plain affair with absence of strong character lines and the smooth fluidic design on the sides actually works in its favour. The cladding on the wheel arches give it a rugged appeal. The rear profile comes with two good looking tail lamps and two exhaust outlets in the rear bumper grant it a sporty character. Overall, the entire design is minimalistic but looks good and is youthful too.

The Mazda is also the longest here and has a longer wheelbase too along with a good ground clearance. However, that does not translate into better cargo capacity, or off-road capabilities. It tips a bit higher on the scales which does make it a bit difficult to maneuver around in tight spaces but else, the SUV handles well while on the go. It looks beautiful and some of the standout exterior features of the 2014 Mazda CX-9 are:

• Bi-Xenon HID headlights with auto on/off
• Power side mirrors with integrated turn signals
• 20-inch alloy wheels with Platinum Silver finish
• Heated side mirrors 
• Rain-sensing windshield wipers
• Optional glass moonroof with GT technology package

With a good design, the 2014 Mazda CX-9 also comes with a list of safety features three point seatbelts for seven positions in the cabin, front and rear crumple zones, side impact door beams, energy absorbing steering column plus a cleverly designed foldaway brake assembly to protect your ankle and leg, in an event of a frontal collision. It also comes with some driver assistance features to ensure the safety of the occupants. Some of the standout safety features of the 2014 Mazda CX-9 are:

• Alarm system 
• E911 automatic emergency notification
• Blind Spot Monitoring System
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Rear backup sensors 
• Tire Pressure Monitoring

The NHTSA has given it an overall 4-star safety rating and the IIHS tagged it as “Good” in most test scenarios. It gets features like brake assist, ABS, EBD, traction control, brake assist, advanced stability control starting from the base trim itself.

The 2014 Mazda CX-9 is a capable package and may be a well-balanced one too. It offers good quality interiors, comes with minimalistic but effective aesthetics and offers very good performance that you might expect from a SUV in its class. However, lower fuel efficiency and less cargo capacity are a bummer. It is a refined product and offers nimble handling for its size, making it the perfect driver’s SUV out there.