New Crossover Vehicles Comparison Tests

**Taurus** · September 12th, 2007 10:26 AM

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[/SIZE]The Hyundai Veracruz, Mazda CX-9 and Saturn Outlook (left to right, above) finished at the top of our scorecard. We also tested the Toyota Highlander, Subaru Tribeca and the Honda Pilot.
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Hyundai Veracruz leading to second place![/SIZE]

Hyundai Veracruz Limited | Second Place

Hyundai beats Toyota, Honda and GM? Well, … yes. The Veracruz, Hyundai’s largest crossover, might be this Korean automaker’s best vehicle. Our Limited came with some very upscale features. There’s a whole cubby for your iPod, with a jack and plug for charging. The steering wheel has power tilt and telescope. The center console is refrigerated, so no more melted chocolate bars for the kiddies. And the perforated-leather seats keep mommies and daddies cool, too. There’s even overhead mood lighting and an illuminated doorsill plate — features normally found on luxury cars. The Veracruz rides softly on the freeway, yet grips challenging roads. Even with the stability-control system turned off, it delivered safe, dead-neutral handling. Our only complaint was the rather numb, on-center steering feel. The 3.8-liter V6 is stronger than the midpack acceleration times would suggest and it’s relatively hushed at redline, too. On our canyon-handling loop, high above Malibu, Calif., the Veracruz had enough torque to stay in fifth gear on mild grades when others needed a downshift. Like the Saturn, its third row was easy to get into. But it had a bit less space behind that seat. Luckily, the last row is a split-fold design so we only sacrificed one person to fit our largest Coleman cooler. Most of the Veracruz’s goodness can be had on the lower-grade models. So you can skip some features and still have one of the best seven-passenger crossovers on the market.

The Mazda CX-9 was our unanimous winner. And it’s easy to see why. Beneath that taut, muscular bodywork is a chassis tuned to provide smiles when the road twists. It was the back-road hustler of the group. Under the sculpted hood sits a 263-hp 3.5-liter V6, which helped the Mazda earn second-quickest times in the quarter-mile and second-best fuel economy. Its six-speed transmission, like the steering and suspension, encourages frisky behavior. It’s usually in the right gear and if not, snaps off a quick, precise downshift. In this test, the gold-medal winner must do more. The sweptback roofline says “no room back here.” But somehow, the CX9 is one of the most spacious. Third-row-seat access and comfort are second only to that of the gargantuan Saturn. The middle seat slides easily forward, allowing a wide walkway to the “way back.” It’s a great gear hauler, too. With all seven seats occupied, it can still pack all the trimmings necessary for a family outing to the beach. Is the Mazda completely faultless? Nope. Our test model was delivered with fwd instead of all-wheel drive (which would add another grand to the sticker). A snowy driveway could pose a challenge to a CX-9. Particularly with the urban-chic 20-in. wheels and low-profile tires, it’s not our first choice for a rough road. In fact, the Mazda rode a bit too stiff, thanks to those “dubs.” Still, the CX-9 most cohesively satisfies a need to carry a large family and a desire for spirited driving, and wraps it all in a downright ***y package.

Test Comparison

**mazdamazda** · September 12th, 2007 03:52 PM

Wow......... I want the CX-9... :drool:

Here's the result

1. Mazda CX-9
2. Hyundai Veracruz
3. Saturn Outlook
4. Toyota Highlander
5. Subaru Tribeca
6. Honda Pilot