2012 & 2011 Mazda SUV Reviews & Ratings

Mazda are well known for their sporty and efficient vehicle designs, and it was only a matter of time before they turned their attention to the SUV with their range of SUV crossovers that still abide by their central design philosophy. The Mazda SUV shies away from a trend in the SUV market that seems to relish uniformity by continuing to produce good looking vehicles that are also reasonably good value for money to run. Where the Mazda SUV does seem to miss a trick though is that it doesn't run as a diesel vehicle, meaning that its fuel consumption is higher than it could be.

A Mazda SUV has all the space and features you would expect, from Bluetooth connections to five seats and plenty of leg room. They are also united across the various models in making use of the powerful engines used elsewhere in the Mazda family to put a useful reserve of power at your disposal. The CX-5 is the most fuel efficient model as the smallest vehicle, providing 25 miles per gallon for city driving and 31 miles per gallon on the highway.

There's a lot of competition for the Mazda SUV. Mazda themselves make four models available - the CX-5, the CX-7 and the CX-9 and the older Mazda Tribute - all with the various levels of trim that they do so well. As crossovers though they are sharing a market with SUVs like the Acura MDX, Audi Q7, BMW X3 and Buick Enclave at their own price point, let alone more expensive models like the Cadillac Escalade, the BMW ActiveHybrid X or the Porsche Cayenne.

When choosing aMazda SUV you'llbe looking at spending between $20000 and $30000, depending on the model that you choose. The CX-5 is the cheapest, with a 2 liter SkyAvtiv-G engine that provides 155 horsepower and a choice of manual or automatic transmission. It seats five people or up to 65.4 cubic feet of storage, depending on how you fold the rear seats to meet your needs. It comes in Sport, Touring or Grand Touring trim with prices ranging from $20,695 to $27,045. The next model Mazda SUV up is the CX-7 which uses a 2.3 liter engine and manages 17 miles per gallon in the city and 21 on the highway when using all-wheel drive, but it still has that sporty acceleration and handling that is proving popular with critics around the world. In addition to the standard trim, the CX-7 also has an SV version and prices range from $22,190 to $31,840 for the Grand Touring trim.

The 2011 Tribute sits somewhere in the middle of the Mazda SUV range with prices ranging from $20,555 for the I Sport to $27,315 for the Grand Touring trim and offers a choice of 171 horsepower for the I trim or a massive 240 horsepower for the Grand Touring option. The biggest Mazda SUV however is the CX-9 which can seat seven passengers and boasts a 273 horsepower 3.7 liter V6 engine. Prices range from $29,725 for the Sport to $33,735 for the Grand Touring trim.