By Kurt Gensheimer

Blings

• Soul of a sports car
• Gutsy turbocharged four cylinder
• Inspired design inside and out
• Safe

Dings

• Thirst of a sports car
• Low rear visibility
• No illumination on manumatic shifter indicator

Ruling: A stylish, practical family vehicle that appeals to the driving enthusiast.

For a lot of people, growing up means getting a real job, finding that special someone, purchasing a house, getting a dog and then the real life changer - rugrats. Along this path of maturity, the youthful joys of swim trunks, slacking on rent with your roommates, a beer fund and your sports car have been long replaced with suits, a mortgage, a college fund and of course, the family vehicle. Unfortunately, for many folks, the family vehicle is forever linked with words like stodgy, slow, asexual, big, and according to your kids, like totally embarrassing.

Fortunately for us, one too many designers and engineers at Mazda got tired of driving around an MPV, so came the birth of the CX-7. Crossover vehicles are quickly replacing minivans, station wagons and even SUVs as the preferred family vehicle due to their versatility, truck-like cargo room and car-like handling.

Our 2.3 liter turbocharged four-cylinder CX-7 came with the Grand Touring package and front wheel drive, which hit the register at an extremely reasonable $26,000. With additional options like a Bose stereo system with Sirius and a sunroof, it still came in under $30,000.

Driving Impressions

Although the crossover vehicle segment is still relatively new, there are already a plethora of options out there. However, the CX-7 brings something to the asphalt that no other $30,000 CUV in its class can touch - handling. Steering is linear much like a sports car, the turn-in is crisp and the taut suspension prevents jiggly Jell-O body roll so common on bigger SUVs. The CX-7 handles as well as or even better than some cars, with skid pad numbers of over .80-g.

The turbocharged 2.3 liter direct injection four-cylinder is the same motor that is used in the fire-breathing Mazdaspeed 3 and 6. For this application, Mazda engineers reigned in the boost a bit and tuned it so the majority of boost is delivered down low at 2500 RPMs, where power in a CUV is needed most. This gives the CX-7 terrific grunt and provides 244 horsepower along with 258 lb. ft. of torque. And at a reasonable 3700 lbs. for the FWD model, the CX-7 has enough huevos to power through the 0-60 in under 8 seconds.

However, the engine’s performance also had its drawbacks, namely in fuel economy, which, for a four-cylinder was quite disappointing. 17 MPG in the city with 22 on the highway ranks 5-10 MPG lower than competitors like the RAV4 and CR-V. And don’t forget, due to the turbo, the CX-7 must run on premium grade fuel. But hey, like we said, the CX-7 has the soul of a sports car - for better or worse.

The six speed transmission shifted smoothly, and we noticed it really liked to keep the revs right around the peak powerband of 2500 RPMs, which meant rolling in fifth gear at speeds as low as 40 MPH. But once throttle stomping commenced, the tranny downshifted two gears without delay. But if you like delayed shifting, then we recommend you try the manumatic mode, which we gave up on after only a few minutes. One other thing to note is that Mazda reversed its manumatic to be like BMW so the downshifts are away from you and the upshifts are towards you. That’s all well and good until nightfall comes and you forget, shifting the wrong direction because neither the + nor the - are illuminated.

Build

Mazda doesn’t have the impeccable quality build reputation of Toyota or even Honda for that matter, but with every new model that Mazda releases - like the CX-7 - build quality gets better. Panel gaps are even and tight, the doors close with precision, and interior materials appear more expensive than Ford equivalents. However, we’ve driven some newer Mazda models to the 40,000 mile marker, and notice that normal wear and tear on the interior takes it toll on lower-quality plastic components. We’ll see how the CX-7 fares as it ages.

For the safety-minded buyer, the CX-7 is a standout. It attained a 5-star frontal and side impact rating from the NHTSA, and the standard anti-lock brakes, Electronic Stability System, traction control and optional all-wheel drive put its rollover prevention performance at 4-stars.

Interior

Over the years, Mazda has nearly perfected the sporty interior. There’s a lot to love about it regardless of your gender. Guys love the tri-spoke steering wheel with that nostalgic button horn design of yesteryear. Girls love the stylish leather seats which swank an snakeskinesqe stripe down the middle. In a nod to the RX-8’s winning interior design, the CX-7 shares tasteful piano black panel accents and circular vents.

The stereo and A/C controls are big, in your face and easy to reach while the readout is so far away it could be used as a vision test. The Bose audio system is more than adequate for all but the most discerning audiophiles, but like other Mazdas, we find the limited readout space paired with the Sirius system to be annoying. Continual button pressing and knob turning is required to see the station name, artist and song title.

Cargo space in the CX-7 is copious, with 30 cubic feet seats up and nearly 60 cubic feet seats down. In fact, there was so much room that we managed to fit four bikes in the back, but don’t try this at home unless you are a Tetris master.

One of the main drawbacks of the CX-7 was the low rear visibility when driving. It’s high shoulders in the back make for extremely small rear windows. Mazda’s tagline for the CX-7 is “The SUV you never saw coming”, but they might be referencing the SUV you’ll blindly merge into if you’re not careful.

Exterior

Big Mazda logos, sculpted front fenders reminiscent of the RX-8, steep windshield rake angle, high aggressive shoulders behind the rear doors, chrome-tipped dual exhaust, 18-inch alloy wheels - from the outside, this machine will never be confused with your dad’s old Dodge Caravan. On Grand Touring models, the CX-7 also features adjustable-height Xenon headlights.

Value

Yet another high point for this sporty CUV. The only options our $30,000 Grand Touring model lacked were AWD and Navigation. Comstock loaded, the CX-7 tops out at a shade under $35,000. This makes the already attractive CX-7 an extremely competitive player in the mid-priced CUV market.

Who Should Buy It?

Any couple - rugrats or not - who swears up and down that they’ll never end up as square and boring as their parents. Anyone who has added cargo requirements but doesn’t want to completely give up the feel and fun of a sports car.

Conclusion

Unlike competitors such as the RAV4, CR-V, Outlander and Forester, the CX-7 occupies a unique niche in the crossover market that deftly balances sports car handling and family vehicle hauling. It’s biggest drawback is the low fuel economy, but if you can learn to live without your foot slammed on the skinny pedal, the CX-7 will reward owners with style, safety, space and of course, sportiness.

>> Do you have an opinion of the Mazda CX-7? Submit your review of a 2007 or 2008 Mazda CX-7 at CarReview.com

>> See all of the Mazda CX-7 photos in our photo gallery

>> Watch our video review of the Mazda CX-7

>> Check out the Specs

>> www.mazda.com - the official website of Mazda Motor Corporation