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 So
here's a Car Guy dilemma. You're taking a day trip, racking up about 300
miles round trip on a freeway that's short on twisty bits and long on
open road.
In one bay of the iZoom.com garage bay sits the Behemoth. No, really-the
2010 Dodge Ram 3500 isn't just a four-door pickup, it's a monster with
a floor 26 inches above the ground and a 6.7-liter, inline six-cylinder
Cummins Turbo Diesel churning out 650 pound-feet of torque. That's a lot
of torque-enough to embarrass many "sports" sedans in a 0-60
sprint in spite of the rig's 7,300-pound curb weight.
In the other bay sits the 2010 Mazda CX-7 i Sport, a front-drive crossover
SUV outfitted with a 161-horsepower, 2.5-liter four cylinder engine mated
to five-speed automatic transmission. If this CX-7 had the upgrade 244-horsepower
2.3-liter turbo four it wouldn't have been much of a decision-sporty should
always wins out over brute force.
But alas, it was the economical edition, so making the choice was something
of a toss-up.
When there's minimal sport on the one hand, and a whopper of a sledge
hammer in the other, other factors tend to come into play, too. Like the
8.1-inch ground clearance offering easy ingress and exit offered by the
Mazda, as well as its adequate behind-the-rear seats storage capacity
of about 30 cubic feet.
Ultimately it came down to a question of style, and with family in tow
the updated CX-7 won over the day. That its new front fascia incorporating
the current Mazda "smiling grille" theme, aggressive appearing
larger wheel flares and handsomely tapering roofline make an appealing
package in a sea of rather bland alternatives -- including the Honda CR-V,
Toyota Rav4 and Subaru Forester -- sealed the deal.
We also appreciated its nicely weighted three-spoke steering wheel, reasonably
supportive front seats and willing if underpowered engine.
In typical Mazda fashion, the driving dynamics are sporting, though you'd
never mistake the experience for a sports car or sedan. Its suspension
feels a bit more buttoned down and taught than the competition, though
in this category of performers, that's not saying much.
The CX-7 is both a cute 'ute and a relative lightweight-at least in our
as-tested trim, tipping the scales at 3,496 pounds. Be aware that as the
features are added, so too is the weight, with the range-topping AWD Grand
Touring coming in at 25 pounds more than two tons.
Mazda says it introduced the normally aspirated engine as a way to offer
the CX-7 at a more economical price point, and our "i sport"
front-wheel drive model came in with a base price of $22,340. For those
even more price conscious, in "i sv" trim the CX-7 starts at
$21,550. At the other end of the spectrum is the AWD GT, with a base price
of $32,885.
Our test vehicle may have been just a notch up from the starting model,
but it was well equipped, bringing its as-tested price to $25,990. Optional
equipment included the convenience package ($1,750 for heated front seats,
power driver seat, power moonroof and 4.1-inch color screen Multi Information
Display with rearview camera when backing up) as well as scuff plates
($430), fog lights ($400) and satellite radio ($125).
The "i sport" standard equipment includes 215/60 all season
tires on 17-inch alloy wheels, power doors with remote lock/unlock, windows
and side mirrors, air conditioning, tilt-telescope leather-wrapped steering
wheel, 60/40 split fold-down rear seats, four-speaker CD stereo, tinted
rear glass, Bluetooth and a lockable center console.
For safety, the CX-7 is equipped with ABS, stability control, front,
front side and side-curtain airbags, rear side curtain airbags, a tire
pressure monitoring system and 24-hour roadside assistance. This Mazda
also did well in IIHS and NHTSA crash worthiness, earning the top score
of "Good" and five stars, respectively, in side impact and front
offset (front for NHTSA) testing.
The decision to take the Mazda proved to be a wise one, as our posteriors
remained comfortable all throughout the trip, and the CX-7 returned an
on-EPA target 28 mpg on the highway in spite of averaging more than 70
mph. EPA-rated at 20 mpg city, 23 mpg combined and 28 mpg highway, this
SUV proved it can be a reasonable alternative to a traditional sedan,
at least in terms of fuel economy and interior comfort.
.Mazda CX-7 photos...
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