All Mazda's CX-7 wants to do is Zoom-Zoom, but it poom-pooms?
Remember that horribly infectious song, "Rump Shaker" by one-hit wonders Wreckx-N-Effect? Apparently that's how the new Mazda CX-7 struck writer Warren Brown's family, butt not in a good way. While the reviewer enjoyed the crossover and its 2.3-liter, 244-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder, and its near sports-car handling, Brown's wife and daughters sharpened knives smoldered in their seats. Finally, they exploded, complaining how hard the firm squabs felt during the ride.
Didn't the family Brown also complain about the Lexus LS' seats? We haven't driven a CX-7 yet, but we're beginning to think that hard seats are the least of the author's worries.
[Source: Washington Post via the Post and Courier; Lyricsstyle.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Bill 12:22PM (6/07/2006)
That review was weeks ago.
I always read Warren though I differ with him. Me thinks his female family members are probably a couple of divas.
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Michael Karesh 12:32PM (6/07/2006)
Just about every single review I've read of the CX-7 likens its handling to that of a sports car. This author says it feels "almost as good as a super-tight, well-tuned sports car."
Well, I drove the CX-7 yesterday. And I've also driven sports cars. And the CX-7 is no sports car, much less a super-tight well-tuned one.
I suppose that the CX-7 handles well for an SUV. But that's not saying much. The harder I pushed it, the heavier and clumsier it felt. The Goodyear Eagle RS-As started screaming really, really early. You can keep pushing, and they'll still stick fairly well, with very progressive breakaway, but all that noise is bound to attract unwanted attention.
Maybe the press vehicles were fitted with different spec tires? I've driven many vehicles with Eagle RS-As before, even owned one, and while they're not excellent tires they usually don't start screaming until they're really about to break grip. OEM tires can be manufactured to custom specs, such that an OEM RS-A isn't necessarily the same as one you'd buy at a Goodyear store.
In other words, better tires might help a lot. But I still don't think the CX-7 would feel remotely like a sports car. Between the CX-7 and the RX-8 there is absolutely no comparison. Anyone who says otherwise has been imbibing too much Mazda PR.
So why does Warren Brown think it handles so well? Well, how hard do you think he pushed it with the whole family aboard? He says he especially enjoyed driving the CX-7 on 70 MPH highways. How many of those include challenging turns? Exactly.
I thought the ride rather comfy, better than that of a Murano, and noticed nothing off with the seats. But then I was driving it, not riding along as a passenger, and only spent a few miles on the highway.
My site's page for the CX-7, with a link to my review:
http:/www.truedelta.com/models/CX-7.php
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Michael Karesh 12:35PM (6/07/2006)
Botched the link, left one slash out:
http://www.truedelta.com/models/CX-7.php
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Sid 12:45PM (6/07/2006)
"CX-7 likens its handling to that of a sports car. This author says it feels "almost as good as a super-tight, well-tuned sports car."
Keywords - Likens. Almost.
No one ever said it's an RX-8 with 6 seats. But it definitely is a "sports-car" as far as the SUV segment is concerned.
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Michael Karesh 12:54PM (6/07/2006)
Sid, have you driven it, or are you basing your opinion on what you've read? If you have driven it, over what sort of roads, and how hard were you able to push it?
Almost means pretty darn close. This isn't close.
They don't say, "compared to a Chevrolet Tahoe, the CX-7 handles like a sports car." That I'd buy, but it wouldn't mean much.
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Brother Justin 12:56PM (6/07/2006)
Warren Brown's car reviews are social agendas, he's reviews almost never talk about the cars. But like a damn ass I read them anyway, just to see if he has something to say about the car.
How he got he job is beyond me, oh that's right is the Washington Post that he writes for.
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BCM 12:56PM (6/07/2006)
One of Warren Brown's daughters bought a Cadillac Catera. 'nuff said.
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Fabulo 12:58PM (6/07/2006)
It's probably tighter than a tahoe or a expedition.
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ddawg 1:00PM (6/07/2006)
It's time for automakers to wake up and realize NOT EVERYONE WANTS A FUCKING BMW 3-SERIES!!!
From a Buick driver who loves his soft comphy seats.
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JC 1:15PM (6/07/2006)
I've actually driven it and I DO also drive a sports car and a matter of fact have signed up on your site (Truedelta). I would say you could reverse the wording. It is a sports car among SUV's. To drive it like a sports car is not fair. To drive it as an SUV or sedan (being a crossover) and compare it to its peers is more like it. I did push it on some ramps and did notice the steering has pretty good feel and it cornered very flat for an SUV. While I was not able to do any backroad canyon carving I did push it. Compared to other SUV's you do not feel its heft as noticeable during high speed maneuvers. That being said I also drove the Murano back to back and I would say that the Mazda wins hands down as far as performance, handling and price. Not to mention this thing looks pretty good. I would probably say its an SUV that handles like a car, sports car probably not, but maybe a sports sedan?
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ian 1:18PM (6/07/2006)
Mommy, that bad man said the F word!!
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PJ 1:25PM (6/07/2006)
The 3-Series' seats are a lot more comfortable and supportive than those of any Buick I've driven. I can't stand the sink-in-to-your ears feel of traditional American seats. They're comfy for a trip around the block, but firm seats are far better on your (well, MY) back on a long drive.
Anyway, it sounds like Brown's wife and daughter are of a similar Barca-lounger school of thought, and such audiences won't be looking at the CX-7 to begin with. It's clearly targeting drivers of, say, WRXs who are looking to upsize. They won't mind firm seats.
And while it's not entirely realistic to expect a tall, heavy vehicle with a high center of gravity to handle like a sports car, there are some that legitimately feel sportier than some coupes. The BMW X5 and X3 are the two examples that come to mind (they steer more crisply than the company's Z4). In the CX-7's class, the Mitsubishi Endeavor comes closest to this standard, but then I haven't driven the CX-7 yet.
Incidentally, I'm not sure how Brown scored this job either. His reviews generally read like a "Family Circus" excerpt interspersed with a few lines from the car's brochure.
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Michael Karesh 1:54PM (6/07/2006)
JC,
Your evaluation is far closer to mine than any I've read by the pros. If Mazda and the mags say it handles almost like a highly-tuned sports car, then that's how I'm going to drive it. If I was forced to buy an SUV, and it was going to be my only car, it could well be this one.
What follows is an attempt to cut and paste an earlier attempt to comment--received malfunctioning link in the email...
Freeway ramps are fairly high radius turns and, with very gradual
entries and exits by design, don't test transient handling. On the
roads I was driving the CX-7's tires started squealing around 28 mph
and the vehicle generally felt out of sorts.These roads are
admittedly a very tough test. But any good sport sedan or sports car
is pure joy on them.I almost drove a Murano right after
driving the CX-7, then decided not to. Probably should have, as I
last drove one in late 2003. Looking at my review from that time, I
felt it handled well FOR AN SUV, but didn't feel it begged comparison
to a decent sedan. I did not hold it to as high a standard as I did
the CX-7. Driving them back-to-back might have led me to appreciate
the CX-7 more, but I still wouldn't compare it to a sports car.
I've driven a BMW 3-Series on the same roads that I drove the
CX-7. Just nearly twice as fast, with far more confidence, and
virtually no complaints from the tires. The X3 almost begs
comparison to a sport sedan, much more so than the CX-7. Like other
BMWs, and distinctly unlike the CX-7, the X3 feels better the harder
you push it. One of the times I drove the X3 was at a BMW-sponsored
driving course, off public roads. I've never liked it better. Still
much rather have a 3 than an X3.Any SUV requires serious
tradeoffs vis-a-vis a car. If people understand and accept these,
fine. But hype like that surrounding the CX-7 suggests that you're
giving nothing up for whatever the benefits of the CX-7 are. Not
true.
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Stoneman 2:12PM (6/07/2006)
Whiner... that's all I can say about the wife and daughters. Give me a break. The CX-7 is a good ride. A tad expensive, but a good ride but if you expect sports car performance and luxury seating, get a Lexus or BMW or Infiniti.
Stoneman
(My review of the CX-7 is in the linkage)
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G. Snyder 2:22PM (6/07/2006)
Brown is an idiot - plain and simple. He writes some of the worst reviews that I have every read. My crazy aunt would most likely write a more coherant and relevant review. I am embarassed for myself for even giving up part of my life to reading any of his reviews. I will never get that time back.
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gbh 2:30PM (6/07/2006)
If you want a jacked-up station wagon, er, SUV that handles - Get a Touareg/Cayenne. X5s are OK too.
It's nice that Mazda is trying to make these things handle better, but turn the hype machine down.
I drove one, not bad for the pricepoint, but it's no Miata.
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Sid 3:08PM (6/07/2006)
I continue to get surprised by people making comments such as "it's no RX-8" or "it's no Miata". No!!! A SUV is NOT a tiny, 2-seat roadster! Goodness!
Hype machine? If Kia can show an ad which talks about sports-car handling, I think Mazda can talk about sporty SUVs (like THAT's never been claimed before).
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khiem 3:36PM (6/07/2006)
I say this review never really happened with the reviewer's family. The part about his daughters in the back seat were a figment of his imagination or some filler for his review.
How the heck to you convice two adult daughters (one of them a lawyer) to ride with the rest of the family on a 600 mile trip? Tell, how often does this happen? It would have been more plausible if his daughters were 8 or 12 years old instead of professional adults.
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laserwizard 4:12PM (6/07/2006)
American Society of White Trash Divas
1000 Trailer Park Way
Pompous Arse, VA 12345
Dear Sirs,
Please be advised that we represent said Divas who complained that the Mazda Cx-7's seats were hard and uncomfortable.
Divas are particularly prone to suffering from bloodclots on the brain matter that they sit on and one should not ridicule these people for their disability. It is simply a fact that excessive lard and fat tissue, combined with overly firm and supportive seats, can cut off blood going to their mushmeat grey matter causing significant and permanent brain injury.
Furthermore, Divas like to look particularly swell and one cannot look the part in a vehicle that simply goes "zoom, zoom, zoom". It is simply not the style of our trailer park queens to ride in a vehicle with a numeric designation higher than their Intelligence Quotient.
Please be advised, members of this board, that further slights against the buttocks of our Divas will not go unnoticed nor will they go unpunished. Selected members of this board will be required to date our Divas and I can assure you that your punishment will be one that you will remember for decades to come.
Yours truly,
Romana Perdue-Oven-Stuffer-Roaster
President, ASWTD
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Michael Karesh 4:20PM (6/07/2006)
As I say in my full review, I usually cut SUVs a lot of slack because, well, they need it.
I didn't this time because Mazda is pushing the sports car comparison so hard. Brown's review was the most over the top of all of them. Again, he wrote that the CX-7 feels "almost as good as a super-tight, well-tuned sports car." Not just any sports car, but a good sports car.
Mazda asked for this comparison. Now it's received the answer from a few of us who weren't along on the press junket.
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