Video: 2016 Mazda CX-9

How did Mazda do all that? And what is this new CX-9 like to drive? So, about that gas mileage. Five to six miles per gallon better than the old V6 CX-9, and Mazda did that by, well, getting rid of the V6. Underneath the hood of the new CX-9, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Doesn't quite have as much get up and go as you get in some other V6 SUVs in this class, but definitely enough power, we think, for hauling even a few adults and some luggage up to highway speed. Now, as far as room for all those passengers, the CX-9 gets a big family thumbs up here for the second row, which has a nice seating height, good headroom, and good legroom. Plenty of adjustments here. No problem for adults sitting in this row. Third row loses more than two inches versus a prior generation CX-9, which didn't exactly have a very big third row to begin with. Now, it's tight, limited legroom, limited headroom, not exactly a space you'd wanna stash a lot of adults, maybe just kids. If you really need to use that third row, SUVs like the Ford Explorer, the Dodge Durango, those have better third rows. Second row here, also, no captain's chairs. If you really wanna separate your passengers, to keep the kids from fighting maybe, a lot of other SUVs in the segment offer that layout, Mazda still does not. Big families need to store their stuff, though, and the CX-9 comes up short in terms of front cabin storage space. Now, you get into certain competitor's, cars like the Toyota Highlander that have a huge dashboard shelf, or the Honda Pilot that has a giant center console, the CX-9 kind of has neither. It's got some obligatory nooks and crannies here and there, but just not a ton of space to store your stuff. Now, one thing I do like about this cabin, the multimedia system. Mazda's one of those rare automakers that actually combines both a knob-based system here, if you wanna use these controls, with a regular old touchscreen for this tablet-like display, you can use that as well. One ding though, still no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Now what the CX-9 lacks in family friendliness, though, it makes up for in driving fun with the level of nimbleness that's missing in a lot of competitors. For smaller families with moms and dads who liked to drive, this might be a real winner. (upbeat music)