Earlier this year, I had the chance to take a Porsche Cayenne S Turbo V8 SUV out around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for some hot laps as part of the Western Automotive Journalists’ Media Days event. The experience was phenomenal – the big, heavy Cayenne took those corners like a sports car, and made me a believer that it is worth the $100,000 price tag.
Handles like a sports car
And about the only other mid-size SUV that I think could handle with the Cayenne (or its doppelganger, the $50,000 VW Touareg V8) is the Mazda CX-9. The CX-9 is a seven-passenger SUV that drives like a sports car, but is rather easier on the wallet than its German competitors.
There’s a clear leader emerging in the sub-$16,000 economy car market. The Suzuki SX4 Sport sedan is far and away the most fun car in the segment, and also boasts some of the best features. Suzuki is doing everything they can to raise awareness of this model, and I’m happy to help them out.
Thrifty and Fun to Drive
The SX4 Sport is a different flavor of car from the SX4 “Crossover” hatchback. The main difference is that the hatch features all wheel drive. But the Sport sedan features the same spunky 2-liter engine, sporty 5-speed transmission, and great handling. Plus, the sedan starts at $13,994, and you can get one well-outfitted for under $16,000. The car I tested booked out at $15,834.
It’s fall, and that means it’s SUV testing season in the great Northwest. Last week we looked at the Suzuki XL7 and this week we’ve got another Asian manufacturer headed upscale in the CUV market.
Nice Looking SUV
The Hyundai Veracruz is a V6-powered, three-row, 7 passenger crossover SUV. Like most of its asian competition, it’s reasonably priced ¬ especially when you consider how much you get for your money. Pricing has not yet been announced for the 2009 model, but the 2008 Veracruz ranged from the mid-27,000 base model to the top of the line Limited at $36,000. No SUV maker is raising prices much this year, especially not on larger models, so you can expect the 2009 Veracruz to be about the same price.
Suzuki is celebrating its centennial in 2009 - believe it or not, the company got its start making looms for weaving cloth in 1909. Along the way, they’ve had a successful history, introducing their motorcycles to the United States in 1963 and bringing the first four-wheeled ATV to the U.S. in 1983. They introduced their first passenger cars here in 1985 with the popular Sidekick mini-SUV.
Enjoyable to Drive - Seats 7
Fast forward to today and Suzuki has an impressive lineup of small SUVs, priced to move and designed to appeal to a wide swath of the market. We’ll talk about my favorite, the sporty SX4, in a couple weeks but right now we’ll focus on Suzuki’s flagship, the XL7.
Update: The good folks at Suzuki said that 2009 pricing will remain the same as 2008, and Suzuki dealers are offering smokin' deals on all '08 and incoming '09 XL7s. Checkitout!
Mazda cars are fun to drive – that’s the first thing to know. You know the RX-8 and the MX-5 are going to be a giggle when you first look at them, but even the little “minivan” Mazda5 is fun to drive once you’re in it. The CX-7 and its bigger CX-9 sibling are Crossover SUVs - meaning that they’re built to drive more like a car than a traditional truck-based SUV.
Drives like a sport sedan
I’ve reviewed the Mazda5 and CX-9 before, but this was my first chance to take an extended drive in the CX-7 – and it included a trip to the Northwest Automotive Press Association’s off-road course near Seattle’s Pacific Raceways.
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