Mazda CX-9 sport-ute has refinement and much more

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- I'm usually not likely to agree with the public relations language that accompanies an automaker's basic information on a model, but in the case of the 2020 Mazda CX-9 Signature All-Wheel Drive sport-utility vehicle, I thought they hit it on the nose.

Elegantly refined.

Yeah, that's nice.  And spot-on to describe my week with the CX-9.  It was agile and peppy.  Well-equipped.  And remarkably quiet and luxurious.  It more than justified the $47,855 on the sticker's bottom line.

I was impressed with it at first sight, courtesy of a head-turning "Soul Red Crystal Metallic" paint job, set off inside with "Parchment Nappa Leather."  An inviting combination, with superb fit and finish.

Others commented on the its good looks, not the sort of thing you expect when your ride is a midsize crossover SUV.

Mazda hit the mark with this one, saying it wanted the CX-9 to represent a premium-level Mazda experience with a "first class cabin feel."

On the road, the CX-9 was fun to drive and surprisingly robust with just a slight nudge on the accelerator.  The 2.5-liter turbo-4 -- rated at 227 horsepower and 310 foot-pounds of torque -- actually produced an enthusiastic rumble at full song and easily blazed out of harm's way when prompted.  Steering was firm and pleasantly responsive.

And should you want to take the CX-9 off-road -- although I can't imagine scratching such an exquisite paint job -- those 20-inch alloy wheels should come in handy.

On-board standard equipment on the tester was a lengthy, 70-item-plus dream wish list.  It included a full boat of state-of-the-art driving enhancement/safety features and information technology.  Notable perks included heated/auto-fold exterior mirrors, heated first/second row captain's chairs, LED lighting bumper to bumper, a 9-inch color touchscreen display, a 12-speaker Bose audio system, a traffic sign-recognition system, a power moonroof and a power liftgate.

Beyond all that, the CX-9 Signature earned a max five-star rating in federal government crash tests.  Fuel mileage is OK at 20 miles per gallon in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.

All in all, a sophisticated ride -- a Mercedes or Lexus-like experience with a Mazda badge.