It has been a while since we have had an edition of “She Said He Said” and reviewed a vehicle. Time gets away from us and we settle into our normal routine. However when I was asked to review the Mazda CX-9 I thought it sounded like a great car for the five of us. Any car that can hold more then five people at one time is a car from us. Well that is not entirely true just because a car is the right size doesn’t mean it is the right car. That said I will start out to by saying the Mazda CX-9 definitely could be the right car for us!
Though this absolutely has nothing to do with the car’s quality and features I absolutely LOVE the color. Now on to the meat and potatoes. Remember this review is from the “woman’s” perspective which means you won’t find a lot of gas mileage talk, or how the car runs because hey I’m all about the cool features. In fact I put together this little video of some of the features I feel need a visual.
Air Conditioning
Air conditioning is a way of life in South Florida it is a must in all homes and cars. Now I know all cars come with air conditioning but I love the features of the system in the Mazda CX-9. There is a dual system which means hubby can control his side and I can control mine. Usually we both are on the same page when it comes to the temperature but lately for some reason I am always colder then he is.
To take the air conditioning one step further the Mazda CX-9 also has temperature controls in the backseat. This proved to be very useful after a soccer game this past weekend. Hubby and I were comfortable with little air and the boys wanted it blasting to cool them off after the game.
Front Seating
There is definitely a lot to say for a seating in the Mazda CX-9. It took me a while to get comfortable in the drivers seat, until I found some buttons. Both the drivers and passengers side had electric seating to quickly adjust forward or back. Of course you can tilt the back of the seat to a comfortable level. However what was new was a button I found that adjust the lumbar position in the seating. This is what was at first making me feel uncomfortable. I almost felt like I was forced into an upright position. Once I adjusted the lumbar I definitely felt much more comfortable. The nice thing when you know multiple people will be driving the car is that you can set a position. This way when you get in the car after someone else you can easily adjust the seat back to your desired position.
Even though we may not use it much in Florida since I’ve often been called a “whimp” when it comes to cold weather I do enjoy the heating seats. Both the driver and passenger seats have a heating option. You can set it to different levels. We actually did use this option during one of “our cold spells” over the last couple of weeks.
Keyless Entry and Start
The Mazda CX-9 that we reviewed came with the keyless entry and start (sort of). I have no idea what the technical term. It is not push start but you also do not insert a key to start the car. It is easier to see in photos, the part in the ignition stays in the ignition. You simply have to have the remote in the car with you.
Back Seating
One of the best features about the Mazda CX-9 and why it is a good fit for Shibley Smiles is the amount of seating and the flexibility with the seating. The Mazda CX-9 has third row seating, the seating is pretty spacious and easy to fold down and move. If you watched the video above you will see that you can slide the 2nd row of seats up and back to give you the row where you need it. The back seating also reclines which the kids thought was pretty cool.
The third row seating can easily fold in on either side or both sides to create more space in the trunk. This came in handy when my son had a friend over and we had a soccer game to go too. We could fit all six of us in the car and still had room for all the soccer chairs and equipment.
Additional Features of the Mazda CX-9
There are a ton of fun features that just give added likeability to the car. There are cup holders for everyone, in the front, in the fold down in the 2nd row seating and even in the third row seating. There are chargers for everyone I even found one in the trunk for the third row passengers. This particular Mazda CX-9 came with all the bells and whistles with a navigation system, a way to sync my phone, and some good speakers.
The best part about testing driving vehicles is learning about new vehicles you may not have other wise known about or thought about purchasing. The worst part is giving it back. We loved the Mazda CX-9 and it is definitely a car I would think about purchasing for my large family.
Disclaimer: I received a Mazda CX-9 to test drive for a week. All opinions are my own. You may read more of my disclosure here.
