2020 Mazda CX-9
HEADROOM, F/M/R 39.3/38.5/35.4 in
LEGROOM, F/M/R 41.0/39.4/29.7 in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/M/R 57.9/58.1/53.1 in
CARGO VOLUME BEHIND
F/M/R71.2/38.1/14.4 cu ftCURB WEIGHT; DIST, F/R 4,333 lb; 55/45%
GROUND CLEARANCE 8.8 in
APPROACH/DEPART ANGLE 17.7/20.0 deg
TURNING CIRCLE 38.8 ft
TOWING CAPACITY 3,500 lb42 MOTORTREND.COM MAY 2020LAYOUT, MAZDA CX-9
65.3”67.^6
”77.5”65.2” 115.3”
199.4”THE BIG TEST I 3-Row SUVs
with all-wheel drive, but because it was
much more than our $50,000 limit, we
instead took delivery of a rear-wheel-
drive XLT. It might sound cool to say you
have a rear-drive Explorer, but once you
get behind the wheel, your perception
could change. Its powertrain was poorly
calibrated, and we all complained about
its bouncy and unsettled ride. “On paper,
this engine should be a winner, tied for
the most torque of the group,” Walton
said. “But in practice it ends up feelinglacking, its transmission slower to shift
and less decisive.” On the freeway, every
judge noticed its poor noise insulation,
and our unit suffered from a whistle
coming from the windshield during
freeway driving, which speaks to the
Explorer’s build quality.Safety The primary job of these SUVs
is transporting your family safely. IIHS
has data on all of these SUVs except the
Highlander, which has not been tested
as of this writing, but with the new safety
standards for 2020, no three-row SUV
received the coveted Top Safety Pick+
award. To qualify for a 2020 Top Safety
Pick+ or Top Safety Pick, vehicles must
have Good ratings in each of the six
crashworthiness tests and have Good or
Acceptable headlights and available front
crash prevention technologies.
The Palisade, Telluride, CX-9, and
Ascent all received the IIHS’ Top Safety
Pick award (the Traverse, Explorer, Pilot
and Atlas did not), but the Chevy, Honda,and Volkswagen got five-star ratings—the
best possible score—from NHTSA. (As of
this writing, the Explorer has not been
tested by NHTSA.)
Although we enjoyed the way the Ford’s
smart cruise control adjusted to speed
limits, it leaves just enough of a gap in
front for other cars to cut you off. “The
cruise braking takes a little long to react,
and the turbo-four is slow to respond once
a gap opens in front of you,” Rechtin said.
During our testing we also knocked the
Traverse for not having adaptive cruiseThe 2.5-liter turbo engine and six-speed
automatic make the CX-5 a spirited SUV.