More room room from zoom zoom

The latest offering from Mazda is its largest, roomiest and most powerful ever.

The CX-9 is built on the same platform as siblings Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, with a two-inch longer wheelbase. Crossovers (or CUVs) are unibody vehicles on car platforms, making them easier to drive and handle and giving them appreciable boost in fuel economy over truck-based SUVs. This platform can be traced back to the Mazda 6 sedan.

But the CX-9 is some 14 inches longer overall to accommodate a third row of seats that isn’t available in either the Edge or MKX. The CX-9 is built in Japan, while both Edge and MKX are put together at the same Canadian factory.

Visually the CX-9 is almost identical to the smaller CX-7 we reviewed last September. So much so, they need to be parked side by side to tell the difference between them.

The CX-9 is among the best looking CUVs, with a sharply raked windshield and front nose. With its strong-shouldered rear fenders, its wedge-shaped profile resembles a powerful panther ready to pounce.

Inside, the cabin is exceptionally roomy. Our Grand Touring tester came equipped with mild two-tone leather seats trimmed with textured inserts meant to keep driver and passengers from sliding around on traditional vinyl coated leather. The dash and doors were trimmed in unconvincing faux wood and touches of brushed aluminum and piano black accents. There was no shortage of hard plastic.

The large, wide cabin has ample legroom for front seat occupants, however the wide center console restricts sideways leg movement, making the space feel narrow.

Second-row seats slide but do not tilt or recline. There’s room for three but the middle passenger’s seat is very firm. Passengers access the third-row by pulling a single, one-handed lever that’s nearly flawless. It’s among the roomiest third row seats we’ve tested, but is still best suited for a couple of kids rather than adults.

The same 3.5-liter, 263 horsepower V-6 engine powers all CX-9 models. Ford uses the same engine in both Edge and MKX, but Mazda uses the excellent Aisin six-speed automatic, which we prefer over the awkward and less refined six-speed used in the Ford products.

The CX-9 is available in three models: Sport, Touring and Grand Touring. Each is available in standard front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive ($1200). Prices start at $29,630 for the front drive Sport and rise to $34,470 for the all-wheel-drive Grand Touring model. With a variety of options, the CX-9 can quickly top $40,000.

Standard safety features include dual front seat airbags, front-seat-mounted side impact airbags and side-curtain airbags for all three rows. Side-curtain airbags deploy from above the windows for head protection. Other safety features include roll stability control, which shuts engine power down when the vehicle senses an imminent rollover situation — if the vehicle is moving too fast on a turn or in an accident avoidance maneuver, for example. Both traction control and stability control are also standard.

We liked the overall ride and handling of the CX-9, ranking it as one of the best in the CUV business. This is a very comfortable vehicle that’s easy to drive and park, with a high seating position for better visibility.

Cargo space with the third row in place is at a premium with only 17 cubic feet. It expands to nearly 48 cubic feet when the third row is folded.

Overall, we place the CX-9 near the top of the CUV list, on par with Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander and just below the Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia.

We think the CX-9 would be an excellent choice for those who want the size and versatility of a minivan without the stigma associated with driving one.