>> Mazda's all about this soul of a sports car thing. Well let's find out. Here's the CX7, the smaller of their two swooply styled utz. Let's go for a run, check the tech and see if it really does make a sound at all like zoom-zoom.
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>> And when you get a CX7 even the Grand Touring you're stuck with an el dorko audio system, AM-FM, single CD, four speakers. That's it. Yikes. Cirrus can be added ala carte; a six-disc changer can be added ala carte. Which you really want to do is go to the Bose Audio System right? And that Bose Audio is available in a couple of different packages but it's still the same system either way--nine speakers around the cabin, 240 watts, six-disc changer of course; it's got a smooth sound, plenty of muscle down below, doesn't get stupidly bright. It's a must do upgrade. Navigation's here and boy I almost wish it wasn't. I can draw better than that. I mean ladies and gentlemen that is a rough--ruff looking display--doggie. The fonts are teacher. What is that? Tredev [spelling] or Neurotev [spelling]. I can't even tell. It's a horrid looking two or three generation-old interface so I'm disappointed in that. That's said, touch screen, large on-screen buttons, pretty darn easy to use the menu though I'll give it that. Now Bluetooth is a funny story on this car. The hands-free Bluetooth system is indicated as standard, at least on this trim level in some Mazda materials and not mentioned in others including on their main spec sheet on the website. So if you're going to buy an '09 CX7 make sure it's got Bluetooth. The NAS screen can also be used to display and operate audio and HVAC systems and the whole thing can be run also by voice command. The button there on the wheel which I named that button to Mr. Stupid. Well Ms. Stupid in this vehicle's case. I couldn't get one voice command guest. You have to go to the manual to figure out what you want this thing to say--that's bad information design. Yet you might be tempted to have a tape in one of these. Let's see how spacious it is for that. Now of course you buy a Crossover because it's more than a wagon. Is it? Yeah it definitely is in some dimensions although it does have these kinds of irregular sides intruding here and not quite a flat load floor with the back seats down. They are 60-40's though. I'll be damned--it does go zoom-zoom. I mean the power on this vehicle is really quite good, ample and ready. There's occasional turbo lag but I'll tell you a secret; when I pulled this thing out of the garage the first time and just started driving it I wouldn't have guessed it was a turbo. I didn't know yet until I checked the paperwork that it does have a turbo on this 2.3 liter 4. That's how well they have largely managed out turbo lag--244 horsepower; 258 foot pounds of torque; the downside of that whole formula and the way they've engineered it is the gas mileage. 16, 22 are your EPA estimates--kind of thirsty. Okay let's price out our CX7. Ours is top of the line Grand Touring trim level and all wheel drive undercarriage so almost 29 grand base with destination. The tech toys are largely optional. You're going to have to pay extra for the moon roof package which is moon roof and Bose audio primarily--that's about 1580 or go for the tech package for 4,000. That's way more CNET style. It rolls in the moon roof and the Bose audio and the navigation and just about every tech toy I've talked about for 4 grand a pretty good deal.
