New 2008 Mazda CX-9 Safety Review [ 2009 , 2007 ]
Safety - What the Auto Press Says
New Car Test Drive says "Mazda gets credit equipping even the least-expensive model with important safety equipment," a statement backed by the CX-9's excellent safety crash test scores.
In government crash tests, the CX-9 earned five out of a possible five stars for both the front and side crashes, and has a four-star rollover rating in front-wheel and all-wheel drive. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives the CX-9 top scores of "Good" in frontal offset and side impact tests, but a lower score of "Marginal" for rear protection.
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 finds a 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.
