2019 Mazda CX-9 GT AWD Review - Style, Substance

Yet another three-row crossover. Yawn.

It’s even painted white, like the appliance it’s certain to be.

But people keep buying these things, like it or not. Since few want my ideal family hauler – the minivan – this genre is the best way to haul more than five people. And I’d argue that this 2019 Mazda CX-9 is the best of the breed.

I’m not going to lapse into lazy tropes such as “the CX-9 is like a Miata, only a crossover!” or some such thing. It’s good, but physics is a reality. There’s only so much performance one can get out of a tall vehicle that weighs roughly double that of the Miata, after all.

But neither is the CX-9 a chore to drive. Conversely, this is one of the better handling three-row vehicles of any type I’ve experienced. Power from the turbocharged four-cylinder is good, if not neck-snapping. Steering, while light, is quick and precise. The ride is firm enough to minimize lean when hustling around an off-ramp while running late for the kid’s basketball game, yet not too firm to upset the kids shuffled to the third row when Grandma hops in after yet another devastating loss to those uppity girls from the private school, offering to let the kids drown their sorrows in ice cream.

Leg room is a touch tight in that third row – the younger child at just under five feet tall was fine, while the five-foot-five seventh grader complained about her knees against the second-row seatback. But she’s nearly a teenager – she always complains about something. One thing the CX-9 gains by nipping at that third-row legroom? Decent cargo space behind the third row. This is one of the best three-row crossovers for useable luggage space behind that third row. Road trips are possible.

Second-row seats are all-day comfortable, with head and legroom aplenty. Up front, I found plenty of power adjustments on the driver’s seat, allowing me to quickly relax in comfort. I’m not completely enamored with the color of the leather seats in a family vehicle. While the seats look handsome, I’d be concerned that the off-white leather would quickly degrade toward the “off” side of the equation when confronted with the filth my always-active-in-sports kids can hand out.

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There’s a reason I always try to photograph the interior of my test cars before the kids have been in the car.

When it was time to pick the kids up, the CX-9 was easily the best-looking crossover in line at the school. It’s simply stunning, at least from the front, where the chromed pentagon(ish) corporate grille blends beautifully into the wraparound headlamps.

Behind the A-pillar, the styling is a bit more generic, but the gentle downward slope to the upper window line – paired with the fast rake to the rear glass – visually lowers the roofline without affecting actual headroom. It’s a neat visual trick. A more upright rear glass might give a bit more cargo room, but at this point, the CX-9 looks a little less crossover and a little more tall wagon to me. It’s a fine distinction, to be certain, but it’s a nice change from the basic blobs that fill the parking lot.

That’s the beauty of this CX-9. It’s just different enough to get noticed, but not radical enough to offend. It’s plush enough to woo luxury buyers, but priced more like a mainstream model. It drives well, it looks good. What’s not to love?

[Images: © 2019 Chris Tonn/TTAC]