2007 Mazda CX-9 Safety Review [ 2008 ]
Mazda CX-9 Safety Review
Safety - NA
The 2007 Mazda CX-9 does extremely well in federal government crash tests. Reviewers note safety features are abundant. New Car Test Drive says "Mazda gets credit equipping even the least-expensive model with important safety equipment."
The CX-9 gets perfect five-star scores for both driver and passenger safety in frontal crash tests, as well as for front and rear seat safety in side crash tests. Both the 2WD and 4WD models get four-star rollover ratings.
Accident Avoidance
The new CX-9 comes with several accident avoidance systems, including anti-lock brakes (ABS), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), traction control, Roll Stability Control (RSC), and a tire pressure monitoring system. The Detroit News notes "All of these systems work together to help make up for bad turn angles, too much speed or bad decisions by drivers -- it's Mazda's way of preventing them from killing themselves." Edmunds similarly says "The Mazda lets you have more fun than any of the other three-row sport-utilities, but the electronics remind you that you don't want to overdo it in a vehicle that makes it easy to forget it weighs more than 2 tons."
However, reviewers do note some visibility issues. The Detroit News observes a troubling blind spot on the front right: "A combination of the passenger's A-pillar, the deep dashboard and the car's width blocked me from seeing where the road ended and the ditch began. In city driving, this could be more troublesome, as the blind spot is right where pedestrians would stand before crossing a street." But Autobytel praises the driver's seat for its visibility, commenting "Besides ample side mirrors, this long crossover features extensive side glass, an expansive windshield, and pillars that are narrow enough so as to not be a problem." For better rear visibility, a rearview camera is included with the optional navigation system (available on the Touring or Grand Touring only).
Crash Protection
To protect occupants in a crash, the CX-9 boasts plenty of features, including advanced dual front air bags, front side-impact air bags and side air curtains with rollover protection for all three rows, three-point safety belts for all seating positions, and front safety belt pretensioners with force limiters. Also included are side-impact door beams, front and rear crumple zones, and a crushable brake pedal.
