If you are in the market for a premium, midsize, three-row crossover SUV, skip the obvious choices and have a look at the new 2016 Mazda CX-9. The car looks refreshingly different from the other contenders in this segment, it has Mazda’s legendary quality and driving fun, and best of all, it starts at just $31,520.
That is what you pay for a 2016 Mazda CX-9 in Sport trim which comes as standard with LED headlights and taillights,fabric seating surfaces, an electronic parking brake, 18-inch wheels, rear backup camera, trailer stability assist, and MAZDA CONNECT infotainment. If you spend an extra 950 bucks on the Sport Package, you’ll also get power driver’s seat, heated front seats and heated door mirrors.
Next up in the trim grade is the CX-9 Touring, boasting auto-dimming rearview mirror, Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, HomeLink garage door openers, black- or sand-colored leather seating surfaces, Mazda Advanced Keyless Entry System, a power liftgate, power front seats, and an eight-inch MAZDA CONNECT. This one starts at $35,970.
The Grand Touring 2016 Mazda CX-9 is the one that comes next, featuring Adaptive Front-lighting System, 20-inch wheels, aluminum interior trim, Mazda’s first Active Driving Display that projects instrument and navigation information onto the windshield, high-beam control, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Smart Brake Support, roof rails and memory settings on top of what you get with the previous trims. Prices start from $40,170.
The range-topping model is the Signature, starting from $44,015, adding i-ACTIV all-wheel drive, Auburn-colored Nappa leather, rosewood supplied by Japanese guitar-maker Fujigen, LED signature accent grille lighting and LED accent lighting around the automatic shifter.
All 2016 CX-9 models are powered by the same SKYACTIV-G 2.5T turbo engine developing 250 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox.