Mazda CX-7 (07 on) - Review

The petrol CX-7 falls into the same kind of performance bracket as petrol versions of the BMW X3, the Nissan Murano and even the Porsche Cayenne V6. It has a 260bhp turbocharged 2.3-litre engine that is more efficient than the latter two and is competitive with the most recent versions of the X3 with BMW's latest fuel-saving technology. It's an enjoyable engine to use and incredibly responsive, while a 0-62mph time of just 8.0 seconds is impressively quick. The car has good in-gear pulling power too but there can be a flat-spot in performance if you find yourself in too high a gear, but there's no turbo lag between changes and the CX-7 is happy being hustled along country lanes. Fuel economy suffers though - the claimed figure is 28mpg, but unless you stick to mainly motorways it's difficult to achieve this. In November 2009 this engine was dropped and replaced by a 2.2-litre diesel engine with much improved fuel consumption of 38mpg. It’s not as powerful (173bhp) or as quick (0-62mph in 11.3 seconds) as the petrol, but thanks to a decent amount of pulling power it does feel quick as the power starts from low-down and builds smoothly across the rev range. There’s no hint of clatter from the refined engine, only a sporty exhaust note.

Various suspension tweaks, body reinforcements and steering settings mean the CX-7 handles deftly considering its size. The steering, while lacking the razor-sharp feel of a sports car, is lively enough to steer the car confidently on twisty roads, and gives drivers good feel for the road surface. The CX-7 has excellent composure when changing direction suddenly and good levels of grip when cornering hard - the gearchange is also satisfyingly short and precise.