Pop quiz: What new CUV – crossover utility vehicle – costs less than $100 per horsepower, looks like nothing else on the road, and emphasizes on-road performance over a cushy ride or four-wheeling capability? Well, it ain’t a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, that’s for damn sure. Nope, it’s the new 2007 Mazda CX-7, which was priced this week at the 2006 North American International Auto Show with a base sticker of $23,750 plus a $560 destination charge. That’s for the standard 2007 Mazda CX-7 Sport with front-wheel drive. Touring trim adds $1,750, and the luxed-up Grand Touring runs $800 more than that for a total of $26,300 plus destination. Choose all-wheel drive versions, and the sticker starts at $25,450 for the Sport, $27,200 for the Touring, and $28,000 for the Grand Touring (not including the freight charges). A wide range of options can be added to the 2007 Mazda CX-7, and it’s theoretically possible to pay as much as $34,500 with every option. A big chunk of that is the $4,005 Technology Package, which includes plenty of appealing goodies such as a power sunroof, a Bose Audiopilot Centerpoint surround sound system with nine speakers and an in-dash six-disc CD changer, a DVD navigation system with voice command and a touch screen, a rearview camera, a keyless entry and ignition start system, and an anti-theft system. Other slick features that can be added to the Mazda CX-7 include all-weather floor mats ($60), an auto-dimming rearview mirror with a compass and programmable garage door opener ($250), remote engine starting ($350), and Sirius satellite radio for morning rides with Howard Stern ($430). Or, you can stick with the base Mazda CX-7 Sport and concentrate more on driving your favorite backroads than whatever smut the airwaves are peddling. Either way, this looks to be one fun little trucklet.
Photos by Ron Perry
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About Christian Wardlaw
Christian Wardlaw joined Autobytel's Automotive Information Center (AIC) in January 2003, and current serves as Manager of Content Development for Autobytel. Previously, Christian spent eight years as Editor-in-Chief and Director of Automotive Data for Edmunds.com. A writer, editor, and automobile aficionado, Christian is a different sort of car enthusiast. His passion lies in the vehicles that people most often buy, rather than with high-performance sports cars or ultra-luxury sedans. “Given the choice to spend an hour with a Dodge Viper or a Honda Accord, I’ll choose the Accord,” he claims. Unless, of course, the driving venue is a racetrack. Christian has been a car enthusiast all of his life, uttering “car” as his first word while growing up in Detroit. A graduate of Western Michigan University, he holds a bachelor’s degree in English. His daily drivers include a 1994 Mazda Miata, a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata, and a 2005 Nissan Murano.
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