Introduction

What We Drove
Nimble, yes. Sporty, not so much. The aging Tribute SUV has trouble meeting the expectations of Mazda’s zoom-zoom brand identity, so the new CX-7 swoops in to feed the need for speed. Turbocharged and tuned for driving on the pavement rather than off, the CX-7 is available in Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring trims with front- or all-wheel drive. Prices start at $24,345 and we tested a Grand Touring AWD with a sticker of $29,585. After a week behind the wheel, including a rocking good time racing up and down mountain roads, it’s clear that the CX-7 possesses the soul of a sports car if not outright athleticism.

Why We Drove It
The Mazda CX-7 is brand new for 2007, a sleek crossover arriving at a time when consumers are switching from traditional SUVs to these more efficient car-based sport-utes in record numbers. Aimed at people who love to drive (our staff), the CX-7 gets the same turbocharged four-cylinder as the MazdaSpeed 3 and 6, making 244 horsepower in this application and optionally coupled with Mazda’s active torque-split AWD system. Forget about third-row seats; there isn’t one in this SUV. Instead, the CX-7 provides a good-sized cargo area and a flat load floor. Acura sells a similar package called the RDX at a premium price, but also provides premium materials and equipment not found on the Mazda.

Performance
Mazda’s 2.3L DISI turbo four-cylinder, when paired to this six-speed automatic, displays aggravating turbo lag. Direct injection supposedly cuts this inherent detriment to turbocharged engines, but doesn’t reduce the phenomenon enough in the CX-7’s powertrain. In city driving you’ll get halfway across an intersection before the turbo kicks in and then it’s more aggressive than I’d like. Manually shifting the automatic is made harder by a counterintuitive shift pattern requiring the driver to shift up for a downshift and shift down for an upshift. Once spooled up, this blown motor is entertaining, resulting in our unimpressive gas mileage average of 16.7 mpg.