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Size matters at the Sutton House garage. You pay $10 more a night to park a sport-utility vehicle than you pay to park a car. I was parking the 2007 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring, and that was a problem.

“You know you pay $10 extra for that one?” an attendant asked as I handed him the key.

“No, I don’t,” I replied.

“Yes, you do,” he said. “You got a SUV.”

“It’s no SUV,” I said. “It’s a wagon, you know, a crossover utility vehicle on a car platform.”

I spoke rapidly with authority. I caught the attendant off guard. He was backing down. But he regained composure and rallied.

“It looks like a SUV to me,” he said.

I tried the homie approach.

“Man, that’s whack,” I said. “Check it out.”

I opened the driver’s door and showed him the CX-9 Grand Touring’s interior — leather seats, elegantly long door handles with wood and brushed aluminum accents, a center console that looked like a super-slick home entertainment center.

I opened the left rear door. That was a mistake. The CX-9, available with front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive, has three rows of seats — more than some full-size SUVs. The attendant smirked. I knew what he was thinking: SUV.

He was a short fellow — about my height, 5 feet 5 inches tall. But I could touch the top of the CX-9 without standing tiptoe. I told the attendant to touch the top. He did, also without standing tiptoe. He smiled. I understood.

Nuts & Bolts 2007 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring

Complaint: The CX-9 is a heavy runner with a factory weight — vehicle weight absent cargo and passengers — of 4,546 pounds. That weight is noticeable in low-speed city traffic, where the CX-9 feels a bit cumbersome.

Head-turning quotient: Some people thought it was a slick minivan, while others saw it as a slick SUV. But nearly everyone who had anything to say about its appearance gave the CX-9 high marks for styling.

Body style/layout: The Mazda CX-9 is a large crossover utility/tall wagon. It is not a sport-utility-vehicle. Its body and frame are integrated — unitized — much in the manner of a car. It has four side doors that open and close like those of a large sedan or wagon. It has a rear lift-gate; and it’s available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

Engine/transmission: The CX-9 comes with a standard 3.5-liter, 24-valve V-6 engine that develops 263 horsepower at 6,250 revolutions per minute and 249 foot-pounds of torque at 4,500 rpm. The engine is linked to six-speed automatic transmission that also can be shifted manually.

Capacities: There is seating for seven. Maximum cargo volume is 17.2 cubic feet with middle and third-row seats upright, and 47.5 cubic feet with seats folded. Maximum payload, the weight of what can be carried onboard, is 1,479 pounds. The CX-9 can be equipped to tow 3,500 pounds. Fuel capacity is 20.1 gallons of regular unleaded gasoline.

Mileage: I averaged 20 miles per gallon in highway driving. My assistant, Ria Manglapus, averaged nearly 16 mpg commuting in the Washington metropolitan area.

Safety: Standard equipment includes electronic traction and stability control, head and side air bags, and four-wheel antilock brakes.

Price: Base price on the all-wheel-drive 2007 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring is $33,875. Dealer’s price on base model is $31,875. Price as tested is $36,660, including $2,190 in options (sunroof, Bose premium audio system, Sirius Satellite Radio) and a $595 destination charge. Dealer’s price as tested is $33,775.