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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.
The CX-9 starts at about $30,000, and for that you get a generously sized car with optional all wheel drive and a 3.7-liter V6 engine. In exchange for mileage of 15/21 (about average for the segment), the engine delivers 273 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque – enough to get you going without feeling like you’re driving a tank.  Fun to drive
The standard CX-9 is called the “Sport” version – and this gets you air, power everything, and keyless entry, for about $30,700 in the AWD version. I assume you want AWD if you’re in the SUV market. FWD versions are about $1,000 less. If you upgrade to the mid-level “Touring” version, you also get seat heat, leather, and power seats for about $33,000 with AWD.  Roomy and Handy
At the top of the line is the “Grand Touring” package. With this, you get everything on the Touring package and also Xenon HID lights, 20-inch wheels, automatic wipers, keyless remote start, memory for the driver’s seat, and more.
You can also open up the option book and drop in a fancy Bose stereo/CD system with Auxiliary MP3 input, sunroof, power hatchback, DVD player for the kids, GPS navigation system, backup camera, and a nifty blind spot warning system developed by Mazda’s corporate sibling in the Ford family: Volvo. Comfortable and Attractive
I really like the blind spot radar. It lights up a little icon on the wing mirror when there’s a car or anything in the lane-change blind spot. I have never trusted it enough to stop looking before I leap, but it’s nice to have it confirm what my eyes are telling me. It’s easy to miss something back there on a dark night.
I also like the power hatchback. I admit that when I first saw this feature on an Escalade, I thought “how lazy do you have to be to want an automatic-opening hatchback?” But then early this week, I staggered out of a shop with arms loaded with the first Christmas treasure. A quick punch of a button on the key fob in my barely-free hand had the yawning cavern in the back of the CX-9 open for business. OK, I’m a convert.  GPS and backup camera
Finally, I really like the backup camera. It just works well, and covers the huge blind area directly behind the car. This feature will save thousands of bicycles and trash cans each year, and the corresponding dents and scratches that come with the act of backing over them.
Add in all this stuff on the Grand Touring edition and you’ll book out your CX-9 right at $40,000. That’s well within the price range for 7-passenger SUVs – you can pay more for other brands and still get a lot less.  Seats seven, if you're friendly
For the important part, I really enjoy driving the CX-9. When I first tried this SUV out in 2007, I was impressed with the handling, power, and comfort. The 2009 version of the car is every bit as good – Mazda hasn’t broken it, and I don’t think they ever will. The car corners flat and the engine takes hold nicely through the 6-speed automatic transmission to power you out of a corner. The seats feel sporty and secure, and the whole experience is still more sport sedan than 7-passenger SUV.
The bottom line is that if you know you need to haul the soccer team, but your heart tells you to haul ass, you need to check out the Mazda CX-9.
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