2007 Mazda CX-7 Review | Buyer Guide
CX-7 Truly Combines Sport and Utility
Your first glance at the Mazda CX-7 tells you that this is no ordinary SUV. Mazda gave this sport-ute some Zoom-Zoom. They designed it to be sporty, yet at the same time, roomy and practical.
The CX-7 is a crossover vehicle based mainly on the Mazda6 sedan, but it has a lot of sports-car styling cues. Mazda gave it a wedge-shaped body, with a jaunty kick-up over the rear wheels that conveys a sense of speed and power. The steeply raked windshield is something you might expect to see on the next Mazda Miata, and the slanting headlights, the prominent front fenders and the large lower grille are styling cues reminiscent of the Mazda RX-8.
However, the cool styling creates some visibility problems. The upper tier of the dash impairs the forward view on steep grades, and the driver’s side mirror gets in the way when making sharp left turns.
But there is nothing to complain about in the look of the interior. Crisp, modern styling catches your eye as soon as you open the door. The driver faces a three-spoke, sports-car-type steering wheel and three large, back-lit gauges. Glossy black accents on the steering wheel and center panel, as well as brushed silver trim, provide interesting contrast to the large, charcoal-finished dash. The dash itself is divided into two tiers, with digital readouts in the gap in between. The rest of the cabin of my test car was trimmed in a pale gray, and the seats sported a charcoal stripe to coordinate with the dash. A nice touch.
Mazda envisions the CX-7 being bought by single people or couples, who are more interested in hauling stuff, rather than other people. Yet, the back seat is adequate for two adults, and three in a pinch. However, the cargo area is where this compact SUV shines. The cargo floor, with the rear seat down, stretches to nearly six feet. That’s longer than that of the Honda CR-V or the Toyota RAV4. Furthermore, the floor panel is reversible—one side is carpeted, the other side is plastic. Nice to have, if you’re carrying wet gear. And, if you happen to have a laptop computer with you, it can be stowed it in a deep bin in the center console.
Mazda powers the CX-7 with its mighty-mite 2.3-liter turbocharged, four-cylinder engine, that delivers strong performance. In the CX-7, it puts out 244 hp., and power comes on with force at just 2500 rpm. The CX-7 will scoot to 60 in about eight seconds.
Teamed with the turbo is a six speed automatic gearbox. The tranny performed well overall, but would sometimes hesitate to downshift in a passing situation. However, there is a manual shift mode that provides more control, but the shift pattern is opposite to that of most other cars I’ve driven. You nudge the shifter forward to downshift, and move it back to go up a gear, which, to my mind, is counter-intuitive.
On the road, The CX-7 displays the feel of a sports car. The steering is taut, and feels a little heavy at low speeds. The suspension has been tuned for sporty handling. The CX-7 is right at home on a winding road. It gobbles up corners with poise and balance. And Mazda has equipped it with an anti-skid system to help you keep it on track, in the event you get too exuberant.
Yet, the ride quality won’t please everyone. It’s real firm on the highway and choppy on city streets. But if you are used to driving a sports car, this won’t be a problem.
The CX-7 comes in three levels of trim, and with front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Prices start at $23,345 for the base Sport model, and range up to $28,595 for the top-of-the-line Grand Touring with AWD.
Snapshot Review
Sporty Styling
Good Power
Sporty Handling
Choppy Ride
Specifications
Base Price $23,345
Engine 2.3-ltr, turbo, 4-cyl
Horsepower 244
Transmission 6-sp auto/manual shift
Brakes disc, ABS
Gas Mileage 18-24 mpg
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