Test Drive Mazda CX-9 since 2007 SUV

Three Crossover - Honda Pilot, Mazda CX-9, Hyundai IX55

Semyst Mazda CX9, Honda Pilot, Hyundai IX55 are created for the United States. But we also love all ... I write this article, not knowing who to call the winner. Clarity will appear in real time, perhaps at the very end of the text.

Rosie in Tomate
When I have any doubts, I usually advise Ivan Evdokimov, but this time he did not help.

Ivan, why do you need a huge crossover?
In the hypermarket ride.

Ivan, you're wrong. I was in Auchan and bought seven big bags with products and all kinds of economic junk. Given the trolley to the Fileen part of the Mazda CX-9, loaded everything into the trunk, but the thought was prevented that on the first traffic light, the thrower with acceleration will go into tomatoes, and the cream will fill the washing powder. Seven bulk bags are too small for such a trunk. They will fly from the wall to the wall, with each right blow to destroy my reserves, the upholstery of the cabin, the nervous system of his wife and beautiful spring evening. What to do? I could not buy another fifteen bags to score the cargo compartment completely. I had to unload everything back and stuff on the second row, right on the floor. These megacrosters are not suitable even for the simplest purchases. Is that furniture to carry.
Honda turns off the electronic collar in manual control mode
We look for another use. Probably nicer to cover the kilometers of the route on a long liner than shaking in a short car? Check. And we went to Volokolamsk. About 120 kilometers. Mazda CX-9 passed all the way the most predictable way. The suspension is harsh for holes in the canvas and in a row can be a little bit, but without surprises. I sat down, I went, it is not necessary to get used. I do not even remember the five-meter of the car.
Honda Pilot as a cargo elevator, which is moving between floors. What did I remember after the trip? Only heavy vertical star. Up down. Tedishly.
Hyundai IX55 behaved decently. There were no convexity-inquosity of asphalt, they did not disappear from the trajectory. If you choose transport to ride in bad roads, he is the first.
Hyundai has everything you need a crossover: and blocking the coupling, and disabling the ESP (although it is not complete)
On the highway Honda lost. First and second place, arrange yourself. CX-9 Favorite lovers keep the car under control. IX55 For those who believe that the car itself will pave a faithful trajectory.

Dump Land Cruiser.
Powerful crossovers, but heavy. Their overclocking and braking like takeoff and landing the aircraft. Honda confidently picks 150160 km / h. Her speedometer is in vain is drawn to 200. Maximum that it can, it is 180, and then on the nerves; And most importantly, slows down in chance. Mazda takes up to 190 km / h, and then, despite the red lights of the instruments, relieves turns. Titula Rocket is worthy only Hyundai. The most cheerful overclocking, and confidently goes up to 200 km / h, or even more. But the Korean slows down strangely, the pedal move is long, and at the end of the wool. Want to slow down, do it on Mazda, and everything will turn out to be transparent and predictable.
Mazda is deprived of a full drive connection clutch. It interferes somewhat in critical situations, but not deadly
Pilot loses again. We must urgently look for charms in order not to program the end result. Maybe you will be played on the design and interior decoration? Honda artists worked on conscience. I even know for what purpose. Want to blame Toyota Land Cruiser. The secret is not making a secret. How to fill up two hundred Toyota? A good jeeper knows: locks in bridges, animal pole, better geometry. And the formidable muzzle to drive is a trick for female. One visibility. Dust in the eyes. Long hood, wide seats, Hummer-shaped meter bardak between front seats. Strokes win-win. Brutality in its pure form, if you do not take into account the glass front panel, looks like an office table. And who did you want to fool? Another gray hard plastic and the crossword of the climate control buttons and multimedia, which is easier to simply beat the fist, how to pick your finger: maybe it turns on.
Once inside Honda, the brand of the car can only be determined by the nameplate and another automatic transmission lever with too short, it will absolutely flies past Drive. Mazda is all otherwise. Belonging to the surname is not necessary to guess. It is issued red-free devices, big climate breaks and a convenient machine selector. Even with indifference to the zoom zoom ideology here is more pleasant. And Korean and surprised at all. Soft plastic, stylish interior, plus quality assembly. If he loses in the simplicity of the climate management algorithm, then on materials far ahead. You see, I honestly tried to stand on the side of Pilot, but he again behind.

Devoured bugry
Off-road will solve the dispute finally. First we play the king of the mountain. The hill is covered with slippery mud and cut the rut. Honda immediately sat in her belly. Despite the most impressive among rivals an angle of entry (27.8 degrees), she has the smallest ground clearance (200 mm) and, especially unpleasant, relief bottom. Sweep bulk absorber vapor gasoline, gas tanks are fastened, and a spare wheel hangs low. This Honda engineers have ceased: they wanted to align the floor in the cabin, and they were raised in stalactite.
Mazda has the most modest angle of entry 21 degrees, but then the ground clearance is 204 mm and a flat bottom, so it climbed above. Hyundai also climbed the confident Pilot and if not if there is no weak protection of the front, would go to the top of the top.
Then went uneven primer. Pilot, for nothing like SUV, disperse on the capping did not give. In the pits so slander the nose, which had to be asked. Again this vertical routing. How does it tire on the track and off-road! CX-9 passed the site somehow in a passenger, too shaking. It was a pity to rape her, but I had to. Only IX55 did not notice Bugrov at all, shorny them in one fell. Impressions from Hyundai, obtained last year in Korea, were fully confirmed. Rustic life he likes.
The button to disable the stabilization system is equipped with all dough participants. Honda turns off ESP, and the anti-test system is tight. Mazda, the anti-test function in any case will be turned on when a speed is 16 km / h. In the manageable drift, do not walk. At Hyundai, when you turn off electronic helpers, the threshold of their response is simply moved. At what speed, they will begin to act again, the manufacturer does not indicate, because many factors are involved not only acceleration. Be that as it may, namely the IX55 gave an introduction to frolic in the rally style. In rivals, Drive came out sour. Diagonal hanging overcome all three crossovers. So, let the anti-test system be not perfect for off-road, but it works well.
The blocking of the coupling of the connection of the full drive is also at Pilot, and at the iX55, and CX-9 is without it. That is why Mazda did so many unnecessary movements and buried the wheels into the ground. We checked it on a sandy climax with a turn closer to the top. Although all rivals took this obstacle, the question was not in the technical stuffing, but in piloting. Therefore, the lack of blocking from Mazda in experienced hands is not a hindrance. One misfortune she does not have an anterior towing eye. Hold not for what. So learn carefully.

The main thing is more children
According to the results of the off-round walk, Hyundai won the victory in almost all articles. The text is almost completed, and I recognize the test winner with you, as promised, in real time. You ask: why can't I think over everything in advance? Just the whole test did not allow me to focus intrusive thought: Why build seven-bed crossovers with such a strange and contradictory set of consumer properties incompatible with life outside the United States? All-wheel drive universal understand. All-wheel drive minivan, too, without any questions. But the seven-party parckarter? However, colleagues quickly explained to me the truth of life. You just have little children, they said. Prevent at least three. Then you will understand than the semist crossover is better than minivan! Of course, both can accommodate into a huge trunk and baby stroller, and things, and products for five days. And beer box. Both allow, if necessary, to put on the third row grandma or nanny. But at the same time the crossover leaves you, hopelessly family, at least some chance to feel like a man. And he, in contrast to the woman behind the wheel, gives a sense of security.
So, the test wins the IX55, the car with excellent interior trim, tolerant of bad roads, gambling in a drift, with an excellent engine, easily overclocking it more than 200 km / h, and a wonderful warranty for five years. Only to high passengers, it is not too hospitalized by the seat adjustment range is small.
We give second place CX-9. A harsh, but obedient car, according to its chants approaching a car and not forgetting what kind of corporate identity is. And the comforting prize conquers Pilot, similar to heavy swing, unsuccessfully swung on the chair Land Cruiser.

A source: 4x4 magazine [July / 2009]