What kind of car is the 2022 Mazda CX-9? What does it compare to?
With the CX-9, Mazda has a seven-seat SUV and its largest vehicle ever. The three-row crossover rivals vehicles like the Toyota Highlander, Subaru Ascent, even the Volvo XC90.
Is the 2022 Mazda CX-9 a good car?
Review continues below
We give it a TCC Rating of 6.5 out of 10, with high marks in styling and safety. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What’s new for the 2022 Mazda CX-9?
All-wheel drive has been made standard across the board.
It’s become a familiar shape, but the CX-9 still earns its welcome, with well-tuned handling and, especially, a trim SUV shape that doesn’t pander to rugged clichés. Mazda’s biggest vehicle has a slim front end with a reasonably sized grille and emblem—that alone is victory—and wears pretty curves draped over all its corners, for a look that’s at once substantial and elegant. The interior shares a spare but sleek appearance, split along the horizon with metallic trim and topped by a 10.3-inch non-touch display, with wood trim and nappa leather in top Signature editions.
A 227-hp 2.5-liter turbo-4 streams its power to all four wheels through a 6-speed automatic, generating ample if not exciting forward thrust. It has fewer gears than a Toyota Corolla, so the CX-9 can’t launch as briskly or cruise as silently as it might with more cogs, but it still clips along easily at highway speeds, where its low-speed turbo lag disappears. Acceleration’s average, but handling and ride are a cut or two above, thanks to excellent suspension and steering tuning, particularly on CX-9s with the smaller 18-inch wheels.
The lovely interior Mazda has crafted comes with less space than vehicles in its size class, but front passengers get well-shaped seats wrapped in cloth; heating, cooling, and leather are available. Row two trims back on leg and head room versus rivals, but also offers a bench seat or two great captain’s chairs. The third row’s small and more difficult to access, but it can be folded out of the way to expand storage to more than 38 cubic feet, even with four or five passengers are on board.
The CX-9 earns a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS, and five stars overall from the NHTSA. It has standard automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, and active lane control, too—but its rotary-knob infotainment causes distractions for some of our editors, who long for the touchscreens Mazda sanctioned until just recently.
How much does the 2022 Mazda CX-9 cost?
It’s $36,505 for a CX-9 Sport with all-wheel drive, heated front seats, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. At the top end, the $48,435 CX-9 Signature wears wood trim, nappa leather, and has a panoramic sunroof and premium audio.
Where is the 2022 Mazda CX-9 made?
In Japan.