On the Road in the Mazda CX-7

The CX-7's Zoom-Zoom factor comes from a four-cylinder engine with a turbocharger, intercooler, and direct fuel injection (which improves power, response and mileage). The good news: Power output (244 hp, 258 lb-ft of torque) is similar to a V6, and aside from a slight hesitation when floored from a standstill, the engine pulls like a V6. The bad news: It consumes fuel like a V6, with EPA city MPG estimates of 19/24 for front-drive models and 18/24 for all-wheel-drive. A new six-speed automatic with manual mode is the sole transmission offering.

I drove the CX-7 on a test route set up by Mazda for my fellow writers and I which included a mix of freeways, two-lane country roads and Washington, DC rush hour traffic (cripes, its worse than Los Angeles!). The CX-7 is comfortable and relaxing on the freeway, but it's on the back roads that its character really comes out. The CX-7 stays well-planted in the curves deals well rough patches. It responds like a car, albeit a heavy one. I enjoyed it as a driver and appreciated it as a passenger -- the ride was composed enough to avoid motion sickness, even through the narrow twisty bits. There was quite a bit of road noise, but not so much that my co-driver and I couldn't talk in a normal tone of voice.