A couple of weeks ago I made my annual girlfriends trip to Orlando. It was, as always, wonderful. I got to drive around in a sporty 2017 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD SUV.
Side note: Ladies, if you aren’t taking?time to get away for a bit with your besties, here are 5 reasons why you should change that!
Recently I’ve been exploring a bit more of Orlando on my visits, which means I’m not taking the Magical Express to Disney.? I need wheels to get around town!
I’ve partnered with DriveShop to drive and review vehicles while I’m out checking out the sights around Orlando. This is a win-win for everyone: I get spoiled with new cars for a few days and DriveShop gets to hear what a real mom like me thinks about these vehicles.
Moms, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to you, but we have a lot of power when it comes to what cars are being driven off the lots for our families. ?Market studies say we are influencing up to 84% of the new car purchases and outright making the decisions on 65% of the purchases. Kinda cool, eh?
Review of the 2017 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD
THE DETAILS
This is a small SUV that is roomy and would be great for a family of five. There’s a 3rd row that works well for smaller adults (think your 5-foot girlfriend who always needs to be in the front of a group picture!).
If you aren’t packing people in the back, there’s PLENTY of room for luggage. (Yes, it all fit).
Three women filled it up with luggage for a 6-day stay away from home. That’s a decent amount of shoes and running costumes packed in there, my friends!
It?comes with Skyactiv-G technology: 2.5G Turbo Engine. Weeeeee!!! This was fun to drive out on the highway.
BELLS AND WHISTLES
It was leather and fully loaded.
A nice backup camera, docking station for your electronics, and equipped with Bluetooth connectivity.
I was not too surprised at the cost of this car. MSRP is $45,655 for the?2017 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD.
It felt luxe. It drove like it too.
I love small SUVs like this but do wish the gas mileage was a little better. 23 MPG isn’t terrible by any means, but I’d love to see this somehow get closer to the 25-28 range. Filling up once a week feels better than filling up every 6 days. I know that sounds silly, but it’s true as any mom with a budget and hectic life can attest!
THE VERDICT
I’d buy this car. It’s ideal for a family of five or less, but we could still be very happy owning this one.
As a family of six, surprisingly we aren’t together in one car that often. I tend to taxi the kids around during the week, and on weekends we end up going in different directions in a divide and conquer plan of attack. This car is great for the 1 adult 4 kid makeup that I’m typically driving around, and that third row allows us to travel as a family when needed.
This car is great for the 1 adult 4 kid makeup that I’m typically driving around, and that third row allows us to travel as a family when needed. Plus there’s plenty of room for the sports backs and chairs needed to take the kids to games and practice.
When I’m ready to retire my mini-van mom status, this one is going on the list for a 2nd look!
Patty Holliday is the owner and creator of all things No-Guilt Universe. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.