Mazda CX-9

THE AUTO PAGE

By John Heilig

• MODEL: 2016 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD
• ENGINE: 2.5-liter Turbocharged I-4
• TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with sport mode 
• HORSEPOWER/TORQUE: 227 hp @ 5,000 rpm/310 lb.-ft. @ 2,000 rpm 
• WHEELBASE: 115.3 in. 
• LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT: 199.4 x 72.5 x 69.0 in. 
• TIRES: P255/50R20 
• CARGO: 14.4/38.2/71.2 cu. ft. (all seats up/3rd row down/2nd row down) 
• ECONOMY: 21 mpg city/27 mpg highway/21.4 mpg test 
• FUEL TANK: 19.5 gal.
• CURB WEIGHT: 4,301 lbs.
• COMPETITIVE CLASS: Chevrolet Equinox, Honda Pilot, Mercedes-Benz GLC 
• STICKER: $46,215 (includes $900 delivery, $300 options (Machine Gray paint)
• BOTTOM LINE: The Mazda CX-9 is smooth, quiet and comfortable. It’s a good driver on long trips and around town.

            The Mazda CX-9 is the kind of vehicle you like or dislike almost immediately. I fall into the like category.

            First, the seats are among the most comfortable I have sat in. At first blush, they hold you in nicely, without being intrusive. For example, Recaro seats really hold you in, but they are sometimes hard to get out of. Mazda put some time into setting these up. We took the CX-9 on a long trip to the beach (and on an even longer one back thanks to traffic) and suffered no discomfort. Power adjustments permit you to customize the seat as well. And they are heated, but not cooled.

            At the beach, we went out to dinner and stuffed eight people in the CX-9. Even the teenagers in the third row didn’t complain about discomfort or lack of decent leg room. Access to the third row is made available by folding the second row seat up and out of the way. Assist handles over all four doors make entry and exit easier. Most of the time we folded the third row seats for maximum cargo capacity. Folding the seat backs is easy and the result is a lot of cargo capacity. The cargo area has four tie downs plus under floor storage. 

            Second row legroom is excellent. In addition, the rear doors have sun shades. The pull down rear center arm rest has a pair of cup holders, two USB connections and a small console. There are four cupholders for third row passengers. 

            There is good power from the 2.5-liter turbocharged four. We didn’t notice any turbo lag. Most of the time the engine is quiet. The only time it complains is when you hit the gas pedal for hard acceleration. During our test we drove on Interstates and my winding hillclimb route. The CX-9 thoroughly felt right on all roads.

            The instrument panel has a tachometer, large central speedometer and an information panel/gauge. There is also a heads up display that we found to be a slight problem. One of our roads is a dark tree-lined lane that often has deer on the sides, and even an occasional fox. The HUD’s background is bright enough that it’s hard to see through it on this particular dark road. It’s not a problem on other roads, though, or in daylight. 

            There is a full suite of safety features, including advanced blind spot monitoring, Mazda Radar Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist that vibrates the wheel slightly when you wander, high beam control, and several others. Needless to say, the CX-9 is safe as well as smooth.

            Both my wife and I liked the interior styling. Dark wood trim accents the center console controls and the shifter as well as the window controls on the doors. Soft surfaces abound throughout the interior. 

            There’s a good audio system with the usual choices, except a CD (unless it was so well hidden I couldn’t find it). The volume control is on the passenger side of the center console where the passenger can make adjustments. The driver has switches on the steering wheel.

            The infotainment screen, while clear, seems like an add-on. Stuff can get lodged behind the screen. It would be nice if there was a way to lower it when it isn’t in use.

            On the center console is a control knob that allows you to navigate among the various choices. It is also used to program the navigation system, which is easy to do. My only concern was that when you are switching states for your destination, you always have to go through a “Country” selection. 

            Interior storage consists of a nice cubby at the base of the center stack that is ideal for keys or sunglasses. There are the standard two cup holders in the center console, plus room for water bottles in all the doors. The center console/arm rest has a clam shell affair for opening it, so you only have to open one half at a time. 

            The CX-9 has a well-designed interior and exterior. The optional $300 Machine Gray paint is nice, but $300 is a bit much. 

            Overall, the second generation Mazda CX-9 is a pleasure to drive. It is above all smooth, with great interior space for passengers and/or cargo.

(c) 2016 The Auto Page Syndicate

2016 Toyota Avalon

The largest sedan in the Toyota fleet straddles a unique space in the automotive market. Bumper2Bumpertv notes the Avalon may be the ultimate destination purchase for loyalists who want to stay in the Toyota family of vehicles.

Infiniti QX80

THE AUTO PAGE

By John Heilig

• MODEL: 2016 Infiniti QX80 Limited AWD
• ENGINE: 5.6-liter V8 
• TRANSMISSION: 7-speed automatic with manual mode 
• HORSEPOWER/TORQUE: 400 hp @ 5,800 rpm/413 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm 
• WHEELBASE: 121.1 in. 
• LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT: 208.9 x 79.9 x 75.8 in. 
• TIRES: P275/50R22 
• CARGO: 16.6 cu. ft. (behind 3rd row) 
• ECONOMY: 13 mpg city/19  mpg highway/13.4  mpg test 
• FUEL TANK: 26.0 gal. 
• CURB WEIGHT: 5,888 lbs. 
• COMPETITIVE CLASS: Cadillac Escalade, Ford Expedition, Toyota Land Cruiser 
• STICKER: $89,845 (includes $905 delivery)  
• BOTTOM LINE: The Infiniti QX80 is a big, comfortable, powerful and luxurious SUV, but at a price.

            Infiniti has done a good job with luxury in the QX80, its largest SUV. Inside, it has wood trim, and dark leather seats with diamond-shaped piping. The headliner, door pillars, door trim and dash top are covered in ultra suede. In the luxury department it has just about everything you could want.

            Under the hood of this enormous vehicle is  5.6-liter V8 that delivers 400 horsepower. The is very good power, and it’s necessary for a vehicle that weighs nearly three tons. Acceleration is good for the size.

            The QX80’s size is impressive. It’s a bit smaller than a GM Suburban, but it gives the same feel. The QX80’s size is mitigated somewhat by a host of safety accessories, including a blind spot monitor,  High Beam Assist, Intelligent Brake Assist with Forward Emergency Braking and Predictive Forward Collision Warning. Add to these Backup Collision Intervention, Intelligent Cruise Control, Blind Spot Warning, Distance Control Assist and front pre-crash seatbelt. Also included are blind spot intervention, lane departure warning and lane departure prevention. 

            The blind spot monitor warning lights are located on the A Pillars. I prefer them to be located on the exterior mirrors, but once you use them a few times you remember where they are.

            My favorite accessory is the around view monitor that gives an “overhead” view of the vehicle. Nissan includes this on other models. The feature is very useful when parking, because you can see the lines and what is behind you. You can also switch the monitor on when you’re headed forward to prevent running into a wall in front of you when you’re parking. 

            Entry and exit on the QX80 can be difficult. However, there are assist handles over all four doors as well as assist handles on the A and B pillars. Add to this a running  hard and entry becomes easier, even for senior citizens.

            With considerable size, there are a lot of features that can’t be available in a smaller vehicle. For example, there’s a huge center console/arm rest that eliminates fighting between the front passengers for arm rest space. 

            USB and AUX plugs are located in a small cubby at the base of the center console. In addition, there are the requisite pair of cupholders and a neat small round cubby in the center console that’s great for holding keys. 

            Luxury features include heated and cooled seats. We didn’t use the heated side of the equation because of exterior temperatures that hung around the mid-90s. But the cooling feature was a pleasant surprise. 

            Second row seats offer excellent leg room. They, too are heated and have their own HVAC controls. The second row seats fold and flip forward to provide access to the third row seats. And, again thanks to the 

QX80’s size, third row legroom is also very good. Entertainment screens for the second row are located behind the front row head restraints. 

            Cargo capacity in the QX80 is also extremely good. With the third row seats up, there is a substantial 16.6 cubic feet of cargo capacity. Lower the third row seats (there is a pair of switches on the right side that will do the job for you), and capacity doubles or triples (Infiniti doesn’t quote the capacity, but trust me, it is, as Donald Trump would say, Huge!).

            Infiniti’s goal with the QX80 was to make the most luxurious vehicle it could, and it has succeeded, to the extent that no options are offered. OK, the price sticker is out of the reach of many, but except for that “minor” detail, the QX80 is super.

(c) 2016 The Auto Page Syndicate

Coming to an Accord.

The Sport edition of the Honda Accord sedan may be in the sweet spot of the model's lineup. Bumper2Bumpertv came to that conclusion after checking out multiple versions of the mid size that has been around for four decades.

Toyota 4Runner

THE AUTO PAGE

By John Heilig

• MODEL: 2016 Toyota 4Runner Premium 4X4 Trail
• ENGINE: 4.0-liter DOHC V-6
• TRANSMISSION: 5-speed automatic 
• HORSEPOWER/TORQUE: 270 hp @ 5,500 rpm/278 lb.-ft. @ 4,400 rpm 
• WHEELBASE: 109.8 in.
• LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT: 191.3 x 75.8 x 71.5 in.  
• TIRES: P265/70R17 
• CARGO CAPACITY: 46.3/88.8 cu. ft. (rear seats up/down) 
• ECONOMY: 17 mpg city/21 mpg highway/19.1 mpg test
• FUEL TANK: 23.0 gal.
• CURB WEIGHT: 4,750 lbs.
• COMPETITIVE CLASS: Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Equinox, Nissan Pathfinder 
• STICKER: $41,690 (includes $900 delivery, $1,695 options)
• BOTTOM LINE: The Toyota 4Runner offers a surprisingly smooth and quiet ride for what is a very good hauler.

            Toyota promotes the 4Runner as “the go-to-SUV for Go-Anywhere capability.” This is true. The 4Runner, which has been around for three decades, not only looks the part, but it can do almost anything you ask of it. 

            Beneath the aggressive hood scoop is a 4.0-liter V6 that pumps out 270 horsepower and 278 lb.-ft. of torque, enough to tow a 5,000-pound trailer with a 470-pound tongue weight. 

            Handling is generally good, but it is compromised somewhat by a tall aspect ratio and ride height. Overall, however, ride quality is surprisingly good for what is essentially a truck. On decent roads, which are few and far between in Pennsylvania, it’s almost like riding in a luxury sedan with a long wheelbase and a heavy chassis.

            Its full-time 4WD system uses a TORSEN center differential with a locking feature and a three-mode center console-mounted switch. The system uses a 40/60 torque split in most driving situations and alters that in response to slippage. If the front wheels are slipping while the vehicle is turning, the differential changes the split to 30/70. If the rear wheels are slipping while the vehicle is turning, the differential changes to a 53/47 split. That’s all courtesy of Toyota.

            Again, according to Toyota because we drove it exclusively on-road, the Trail grade version can adapt the vehicle with the Multi-Terrain Select system. Using an overhead dial to select the mode that matches prevailing terrain and conditions, the 4Runner adjust wheel slip accordingly. Terrain choices include mud and sand, and moguls.

            I was impressed by the 4Runner’s cargo carrying capability, since I had no opportunities for off-roading. First, with two-row seating (three rows are available) there are 47.2 cubic feet of cargo in back. Lower the second row seats (and the seat cushions must also be lowered into the footwells for a flat cargo floor) and you have nearly 90 cubic feet of capacity. In our tester, capacity was somewhat limited by the addition of an available pull-out cargo deck (a $350 option) that can carry up to 440 pounds to make loading and unloading easier. Slide the deck out to its maximum, load your suitcases or boxes on it, then slide it back without having to stretch deep into the cargo bay. You can also use the deck as a seating area or as a table for tailgating. The rear cargo area has multiple tie-downs and grocery bag hooks, as well as a 110-volt outlet.

            We took neighbors to the airport and they were able to put their luggage easily in the back, then enjoyed a comfortable ride in the second row with more than adequate leg room. The second row seats have a pull-down armrest and feature 16 degrees of reclinability in four steps. Entering the rear is made easier with running boards on both sides. These are necessary because the 4Runner rides high. In addition, there are four assist handles, and the front passenger has an additional assist handle on the A-Pillar. Had we brought a third passenger, he or she could have ridden in comfort with a low rear center hump.

            The front seats are comfortable with decent side support. They are well padded. The center console/arm rest is deep. At the base of the center stack are 12-volt, USB and AUX connections.  

            Exterior styling is dominated by that hood scoop and generous use of chrome plating on the bumpers, etc. The “manliness” or “truckness” is emphasized inside with control knobs that have a rugged style. This style is echoed in the speedometer and tachometer bezels. Other than that, it’s a fairly standard instrument panel and dash. I thought the digital clock that is located at the top of the dash was hard to read in daylight. Interior styling has soft surfaces throughout, even on the rear door trim.

            The rear hatch is manually operated. While it’s heavy, it is well counterbalanced and uses good struts. Pulling it back down is tougher, however. The pull-down strap, to me, is located too far from the end of the hatch, where it would provide more leverage. 

            The full-size spare is mounted underneath the cargo area, outside. 

            Overall, the Toyota 4Runner is a rugged vehicle with off-road capability and the ability to carry four to five people in comfort with all their luggage and whatever else they might want to take with them on a trip. 

(c) 2016 The Auto Page Syndicate

The smaller Lexus crossover that is also a hybrid

Is there a place for a smaller crossover from Lexus with a hybrid powertrain ? Bumper2Bumpertv has a quick look at the NX 300h which tries to fill in that space.