Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 80%

Mazda aimed to put the sporty into sports utility vehicle with its Mazda CX-7.

The car looks fantastic and is a fitting addition to the manufacturer which has been revitalised by the zoom-zoom campaign.

Now it’s only gone and produced the best-looking SUV on the market.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor

1. Looks

The zoom-zoom branding which has served Mazda well since it was first unveiled on the original Mazda 6 marches on. For the Mazda CX-7 it set out to create a car which put the sporty into sports utility vehicle and it’s done it in spades. The CX-7 is a great looking car. It fulfils its billing as an RX-8 on steroids and also takes styling cues from the iconic MX-5. A sharply raked windscreen, twin exhausts, 18-inch alloys and rear light clusters which bring premium manufacturer Lexus to mind all contribute to a great looking car. It looks much more expensive than it is.

9/10

2. Looks inside

The interior combines sporty features including a MX-5 style steering wheel with quality, robust materials throughout and stylish, luxury design to create a really nice environment for drivers and passengers. Displays are easy to read, the central console combines air-con and audio controls with minimum fuss and, as with the exterior, the inside of the car has the look of a more costly purchase. Heated leather seats are standard – and very comfortable.

8/10

3. Practicality

So it looks nice inside and out but buyers will still be looking for a vehicle which can shift a fair amount of stuff. With all five seats in place the CX-7 boot can swallow 455 litres of luggage, increasing to 774 litres if you flatten the rear three seats. This is up to the window-line so there is plenty more if required. The glove compartment, storage between the driver and front seat passenger and door wells are also generous.

8/10

4. Ride and Handling

This is another area where the Mazda CX-7 excels. The sporty looks are matched by handling which is precise, responsive and make motoring fun. The car is very comfortable on long-distance drives.

9/10

5. Performance

The Mazda CX-7 is a car with few options, and a choice of engines isn’t one of them. All models are fitted with the same 2.3-litre engine found in Mazda’s MPS performance versions of its Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 cars. It’ll shift from 0-62mph in just 8 seconds and can hit a top speed of 130mph. All models are fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox. The box labelled “sporty” is ticked again.

8/10

6. Running Costs

Unsurprisingly the petrol-engined performance SUV is not cheap to run, returning a claimed average of 27.7mpg. We handed back our test car with the average mileage returned on 21.8mpg. A CO2 output of 243g/km places the car firmly in car tax band G, currently an annual bill of £300 rising to £400 in April. Performance also means insurance group 15. On the plus side the cars are expected to hold on to their value well in years to come.

6/10

7. Reliability

This was a new model in 2007 and as such it is too early for problems to have surfaced. However, Mazda is a manufacturer which has built a reputation for sturdiness, , featuring second in the Reliability Index, and there is nothing to suggest this model will be any different.

8/10

8. Safety

It may be a SUV rather than an off-roader but the Mazda CX-7 does boast four-wheel drive in addition to driver aids anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, dynamic stability control and traction control system. Should these prove insufficient to keep you out of trouble each model comes equipped with six airbags.

7/10

9. Equipment

The only choice Mazda CX-7 buyers need to make, beyond whether they buy the car, is whether to pay the extra £375 for metallic paint. All other features come as standard including 18-inch alloy wheels, BOSE 6-CD car stereo, privacy glass in rear and side windows, heated leather seats and a host of features listed in the safety section above.

8/10

10. X-Factor

We could pick a few for this very competent car but will plump for looks. Is there a better-looking SUV out there right now? Certainly not for this money there isn’t.

9/10