2022 Mazda CX-9 GT SP AWD family car review

This model Mazda CX-9 is getting close to the end of its lifecycle, however, it is still one of the best seven-seater SUVs on the market for families. It is perfect if you need a seven-seat SUV that you can actually use all seven seats on a daily basis, without driving a big people mover. It is one of the few that do the job well and it should definitely be near the top of your test drive list.

In the BabyDrive garage this week is the 2022 Mazda CX-9 GT SP AWD model that has been updated to have real leather burgundy seats and black wheels to make it look and feel like a top-of-the-range luxury model even though it isn't. The Mazda CX-9 is one of the nicest all-round seven-seater SUVs to drive and with these updates, the interior feels great to be in too. All Mazdas seem to drive really nicely and the CX-9 is no exception, so let's find out how practical it is as a BabyDrive…

When it comes to child seats, the Mazda CX-9 has five top tether anchorages and fits five full-size Infasecure child seats in all five rear seats, which is pretty exciting for those who need it!

In the second row there are ISOFix points in the two outer seats and I could fit three Infasecure child seats across that second row of seats nicely; I fitted two rear-facing Infasecure Attain More child seats using the ISOFix points in the outer seats and a forward-facing Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster seat in the central seat.

In the third-row seats, there are no ISOFix points but I could fit two full-size Infasecure child seats back there forward-facing using the top tether anchorages (I installed the Infasecure Achieve More and the Aspire More in the third row. of the 2022 Mazda CX-9).

The second-row seats of the Mazda CX-9 are split 60:40, and unlike many cars the 40% is on the kerb side of the car, which means passengers can access the third-row safely.

The Mazda CX-9 has THE BEST third-row access mechanism. You can access the third-row seats WITH three child seats installed in the second row, from either side of the car, as long as the child seat on that side is installed using ISOFix rather than the seatbelt in the second-row chair you are moving forward.

I found it works best when you have a booster seat or slimmer child seat in the middle seat to allow the mechanism to come forward easily. The step-through space is very good and there is plenty of room for an adult or tall teenager to climb through.

The driver's seat will also come forward quite far, which gives second-row central seat passengers a way to step through if you have rear-facing child seats in the two outer two seats.

The rear doors of the mid-priced GT SP AWD model I tested have built-in window blinds, which are great for keeping passengers shielded from the sun while driving and means no more towels or blankets trapped in the window!

The Mazda CX-9 has very good legroom, so with a rear-facing Infasecure Attain More installed in the second row, we could fit a 180cm driver in the front and a 180cm passenger or forward-facing child seat in the third row.

The doors of the Mazda CX-9 open nice and wide, which makes installing child seats, loading kids in and out of their child seats and climbing in and out of the car easier too.

We also find visibility good from both rear rows of seats, as the windows are nice and large and you sit quite high so you can see out well, which helps with kids who get travel sickness.

The upgraded and updated media system in the 2022 Mazda CX-9 is not a touch screen. and it can only be operated using the rotary dial down in the central console.

It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for easily accessing your phone's communication, navigation and listening apps…

…and a good reversing camera with easily muted parking sensors.

The Mazda CX-9 has a wireless phone charging pad, in front of the gear lever.

Charging is good throughout the 2022 Mazda CX-9 GT, with a 12V socket in the front passenger footwell and USBs in the central console box…

…as well as one in the boot.

There are USB sockets for the second row in a tray in the fold down in the central seat back…

…as well as two more USBs in the third row for passengers.

Storage in the 2022 Mazda CX-9 is good throughout all three rows of seats. In the third row, passengers get double cup holders on both sides that will fit a refillable water bottle or reusable or disposable coffee cup.

In the second row, there are two cup holders and a storage tray in a fold-down armrest in the central seat back and the door bins are a good size and will hold a refillable water bottle and an iPad.

There are double map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold and conceal an iPad or books.

In the front, there is a lined sunglasses case in the ceiling, which is fabulous as most modern cars are doing away with this, leaving drivers nowhere for their glasses to go.

If you have four or five young children storage in the boot can be a little tricky in the Mazda CX-9. When you are using all seven seats we found only a compact or single pram, with the wheel removed, will fit in the boot. So if you have young twins or two still at pram age it can be a problem.

Our solution was to use a compact stroller, so we had room beside it for other items.

When you are using all seven seats, the boot of the Mazda CX-9 will hold seven shopping bags, that is two more than the Kia Sorento that holds five, one fewer bag than the Hyundai Palisade and Nissan Pathfinder which will both hold eight and three less than the Kia Carnival the will hold ten shopping bags. The Mazda CX-8 is a bit smaller with the third row up, holding six bags in the boot.

When you are only using five seats the boot is huge. All sizes of single, tandem or twin strollers fit. From empty it has enough spare room for seventeen shopping bags,vwhich is comparable to the Kia Sorento which also holds seventeen, the Nissan Pathfinder which holds twenty, the Hyundai Palisade which holds twenty-one and the Kia Carnival that holds twenty-six shopping bags. The Mazda CX-8 also holds 17 bags in the boot.

There are air vents in the back of the central console box for the second-row passengers and controls there for the climate and heated seats too. You can also control the second-row air-conditioning from the front dashboard while driving which is helpful.

There are no third-row aircon vents in the Mazda CX-9, which for me is its only negative. It is definitely a consideration with the Australian climate in the summer, when you have been parked in the sun and are loaded up with kids and child seats it can take a while to cool down the third row.

The Mazda CX-9 GT I tested has auto lock and unlock doors, which made going to and from the car much easier when carrying my baby and all their things too!

I really enjoy driving the Mazda CX-9, it drives beautifully, it is smooth and quiet and everything feels intuitive to touch and use as a BabyDrive.

Visibility is a little bit tricky from the second-row windows back when loaded up with five child seats so I definitely relied on the rearview camera when manoeuvring.

For a seven-seater SUV, the Mazda CX-9 is fantastic! It will really comfortably hold five Infasecure child seats without them feeling squashed or crammed in, few cars match its practicality and it is a fantastic BabyDrive!

The Mazda CX-9 scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2016 and has six airbags as standard. The Mazda CX-9 has a great seatbelt removal visual so you know if anyone in the back has removed their belt!

I love the fact the CX-9 has curtain airbags that extend to the third-row seats too, which they don't in a number of competitor vehicles such as the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe!

BabyDrive Indepth

BabyDrive Indepth - Storage

How good is the storage in the 2022 Mazda CX-9? How big is the boot of the 2022 Mazda CX-9?

When only using five seats, the boot of the Mazda CX-9 is enormous! I could fit 17 bags of shopping in the boot of the Mazda CX-9, which is comparable to the Kia Sorento that also holds seventeen shopping bags, three less than the Nissan Pathfinder which holds twenty, four less than the Hyundai Palisade which holds twenty-one and nine less than the Kia Carnival which holds twenty-six shopping bags. The Mazda CX-8 also holds 17 bags in the boot.

2022 Mazda CX-9 space for shopping with two rows of seats in use

The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Bub’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.

Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.

I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres ia not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.

A side-by-side or twin stroller fits in the boot of the CX-9 with ten shopping bags around it.

2022 Mazda CX-9 space for twin side by side stroller pram and shopping with two rows of seats in use

A tandem pram fits in the boot of the Mazda CX-9 with eleven shopping bags beside it.

2022 Mazda CX-9 space for shopping with tandem stroller pram if two rows of seats are in use

A single pram fits in the boot of the Mazda CX-9 with eleven shopping bags around it.

2022 Mazda CX-9 space for single stroller pram and shopping with two rows of seats in use

Our compact stroller fits in the boot of the Mazda CX-9 with fifteen shopping bags around it.

2022 Mazda CX-9 space for shopping with compact pram if two rows of seats are in use

You could fit one very large, or multiple smaller dogs in the boot of the Mazda CX-9 when you are only using five seats.

2022 Mazda CX-9 space for dogs with two rows of seats in use

When using all seven seats the boot space in the Mazda CX-9 is still a usable size. I could fit seven shopping bags in there. For comparison the Mazda CX-8 is a bit smaller with the third row up, holding six bags in the boot.

2022 Mazda CX-9 boot space for shopping with all three rows in use

A single stroller would fit in the boot with one shopping bag and a wheel removed.

2022 Mazda CX-9 boot space for twin side by side stroller pram and shopping with all three rows in use

When using all seven seats our compact stroller fits in the boot of the Mazda CX-9 with five shopping bags beside it.

2022 Mazda CX-9 boot space for compact stroller pram and shopping with all three rows in use

The boot is probably a little too small to carry a dog when using all seven seats.

2022 Mazda CX-9 boot space for dogs with all three rows in use

Storage inside the Mazda CX-9 is good in all three rows. Starting in the third row there are two cup holders on each side for passengers that will hold refillable water bottles and coffee cups, there is also a USB port there too for charging devices.

In the second row of the CX-9 GT SP there is a fold-down armrest in the central seatback with a phone tray, USB sockets and two cup holders. The cup holders will hold a re-sable or disposable coffee cup and a refillable water bottle fits in there too.

There are double map pockets on the back of both front seats, they will hold and conceal an iPad in the back pocket and books or phones fit in the front ones.

Door bins in the second row will comfortably hold a refillable water bottle and an iPad.

In the front, the door bins are larger and fit a water bottle and iPad with space to spare.

There are two cup holders in the central console for reusable coffee cups and water bottles. In front of the gear lever is a wireless phone charging pad too and a 12V socket on the side of the central console in the passenger footwell.

Behind them, the central console storage box is a good size and has two USB ports.

There is a 12V socket in the boot too and plastic storage areas on either side behind the wheel arches.

The Mazda CX-9 has a good size glove box and will hold an iPad and my wallet with the manual.

There is a lined sunglasses case in the ceiling of the CX-9 and there are lit vanity mirrors in both front visors too.

BabyDrive Indepth - Noise

How noisy is the 2022 Mazda CX-9? How good is the media system in the 2022 Mazda CX-9 GT?

The updated media system is nice and easy to use and navigate in the 2022 Mazda CX-9.

It is not a touch screen so you control it using the rotary dial down in the central console.

The CX-9 has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can easily access your phone's communication, navigation and listening apps while driving.

You can adjust the volume of the vehicle's alarm warnings, which is great news for parents.

The reversing camera image is clear in the Mazda CX-9.

The parking sensors in the Mazda CX-9 are very BabyDrive friendly, you can turn them off with a button situated by the driver's right knee. The lane departure warning button is also situated in this same button panel so you can turn that on and off too. The lane departure is a vibration rather than a beep which is great for not disturbing little passengers and frazzled parents!

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

Also situated in this panel of buttons is the auto engine cut-out switch, it’s called i-Stop in Mazdas, and I find it is great to be able to turn that off as well so it doesn't disturb sleeping bubs by cutting out the engine at every traffic lights or junction.

I find this function really disturbing for sleeping babies, you have just got your baby to sleep in the car and you stop at lights and the engine turns off sometimes they will stay asleep but when the engine shudders to a start again it shakes baby awake and all your efforts are ruined!! Even coming to a stop at lights with the engine running can be enough to wake a sleeping child so turning the engine off and on again will definitely do it! I have driven routes I know have roundabouts rather than lights just to avoid coming to a stop for any length of time!!

The indicator volume is quite quiet in the CX-9 so I didn’t find it affected my daughter while she was sleeping.

The Mazda CX-9 GT has a wireless phone charging tray in front of the gear lever.

The windows and doors open and close quite quietly in the Mazda CX-9 and wouldn't disturb little sleepy passengers.

With baby asleep you can get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy. The same for the windows their mechanism is not too noisy and I didn’t notice them having a loud opening or closing sound.
With baby asleep you want to be able to get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy and wake Bub up!

You can lock the windows from the driver's door control panel but not the doors. The doors seem to lock automatically and you have to open the driver's door to unlock the others.

The CX-9 is a lovely and quiet car to drive, very easy and everything feels intuitive for the driver and it's a smooth ride for all the passengers.

There is a great rear seatbelt removal visual and alarm in the Mazda CX-9 on the central dash, it lights up to let you know exactly which seatbelt is removed while driving.

BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats

How many child seats fit in the 2022 Mazda CX-9?

The Mazda CX-9 is still a favourite seven-seat SUV when it comes to fitting child seats! It is one of few seven-seaters that very comfortably fit five full-size child Infasecure seats into the back! It has a top tether anchorage in the back of all five rear seats.

In the second row, the two outer anchorages are within plastic guides and the central top tether anchorage is unmarked down under the seatback. (For most rear-facing child seats, you will require an extension strap to reach it) I also needed an extension strap for my rear-facing child seat in the outer second-row seat too as the top tether anchorage is near the bottom of the seatback.

2022 Mazda CX-9 top tether child seat anchorages in the second row

In the third row, the top tether anchorages are clearly labelled on the backs of the two seatbacks.

2022 Mazda CX-9 top tether child seat anchorages in the second row

There are ISOFix points in the two outer seats in the second row, they are within plastic guides and clearly labelled.

2022 Mazda CX-9 ISOFIX child seat anchorages in the second row

It's very easy to install five Infasecure child seats into the Mazda CX-9. Depending on your child-seat needs, I found it best to put a booster seat in the central seat to allow easy access to the third-row seats. The front seats slide far forward so a child could step through to the central seat through the gap. Two full-size forward-facing Infasecure child seats fit nicely in the third row too. I installed the Infasecure Achieve More and the Aspire More in the third row.

2022 Mazda CX-9 with 2 child seats installed in the 3rd row

The second-row seats in the Mazda CX-9 are split 60:40, and unlike many cars, the 40% section is on the kerb side of the car, which is great for getting kids in and out safely. Also, the Mazda CX-9 has fantastic third-row access. With five child seats in the back, you can access the third row without uninstalling a child seat if you are using ISOFix rather than the seatbelt to fit your child seats. You can slide the seats forward giving lovely big step-through access to the third-row seats.

You do have to consider which child seat you put in the second-row central seat, to ensure it allows the seat mechanism to slide forward and back freely.

I fitted two rear-facing Infasecure Attain More child seats using the ISOFix points in the outer seats and a forward-facing Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster seat in the central seat.

2022 Mazda CX-9 with 3 child seats installed in the back row

Two full-size, forward-facing Infasecure child seats fit nicely in the third row. I installed the Achieve More and the Aspire More child seats.

2022 Mazda CX-9 with 2 child seats installed in the 3rd row

The door openings are nice and wide, which makes installing child seats simpler and the cabin is spacious so you have plenty of space to move around and get to the second-row top tethers. This also means it is spacious when posting children into their seats and reaching in to do up seatbelts and harnesses.

Legroom is very good in the Mazda CX-9 for a seven-seat family SUV. We found with a rear-facing Infasecure Attain More child seat in the second row, we could fit a 180cm driver in front of it AND in the third row behind it too. Pretty impressive!

The second-row seats do sit high up, reducing headroom but giving excellent visibility out of the windows while driving which does help with reducing travel sickness.

This does affect visibility for the driver though, which is very difficult, especially with the rear loaded up with five child seats.

I could sit between two rear or forward-facing child seats in the second row and I'm 162cm.

2022 Mazda CX-9 with 3 child seats installed in the back row

With two child seats installed in the second row, there is room to feed Bub in the back.

This 2022 Mazda CX-9 GT SP AWD model has burgundy real leather seats which are really nice and comfortable and easier to keep clean than pale seats.

BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort

How comfortable is the 2022 Mazda CX-9 as a family car?

The front seats in the Mazda CX-9 are nice and comfortable.

The headrests still do not adjust to allow for a ponytail though!

I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get it just right too… said no new mum ever!!!

In the second row of seats, the two outer seats are more comfortable than the middle seat, because it has the fold-down armrest in it so it is hard against your back.

The second-row seats sit high up which gives kids a really good view out of the windows.

The third-row seats are very comfortable and spacious, with good head, knee and kick room and a good view out of the sides. They feel like they sit lower than the second-row seats giving more headroom.

The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down in the 2022 Mazda CX-9.

The cruise control buttons are on the right on the steering wheel in the Mazda CX-9, I found them very simple to use but the cruise control did run away with itself a little especially on undulating roads at lower speeds.

There are four air-conditioning vents across the front dashboard, two in the centre below the media screen, and one at either end.

There are two vents in the back of the central console box for second-row passengers. There are controls on the panel with the vents which are within irresistible foot reach of little rear passengers and there are heated seat buttons there too so you do need to keep an eye on them so you do not end up with the kids toasting themselves!

My daughter has created a sauna for herself in a car before by pressing the heated seat or rear air-conditioning temperature controls with her feet and I knew nothing of it until she started saying “Hot Mummy!”.

The third-row seats do not have any air vents which is the only downside for the Mazda CX-9 for me.

The controls for the air-conditioning are located on the central console dash, and you can control the rear climate from there too. The airflow is good and not too noisy and I found it cooled the cabin down quickly.

This GT SP modelof the 2022 Mazda CX-9 has inbuilt rear window blinds which are great for protecting rear passengers from the sun. It's great to see this feature and the real leather seats in a mid-priced model rather than having to go for the top-spec as you do with most other brands.

Visibility out of the Mazda CX-9 is very good, however, because the second-row seats sit high up when you have the back full of five child seats the visibility backwards is very poor.

2022 Mazda CX-9 with 3 child seats installed in the back row

There are lit vanity mirrors in both front visors and a lined glasses case.

In the second row, the lights are in the ceiling between the front seats, making them easily reachable by the driver.

In the third row there is one in the ceiling too. There is a button in the front light panel to turn all the rear lights on and off.

I have found our daughter does not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.
Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a 5minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!
It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.

I really enjoy driving the 2022 Mazda CX-9 GT SP as a family car, it feels smaller and yet more practical than most seven-seat SUVs and intuitive to drive. Even though the CX-9 is older than a lot of its competitors, it doesn't feel it and everything in the cabin is just right and it is smooth and quiet to drive. It's a long car but it doesn't feel too big when parking and maneuvering in school and supermarket car parks. I did find I relied on side mirrors and the reversing camera a lot as visibility is tricky out of the back.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and the kids have either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread when we get the big cars and utes as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, the CX-9 was fine to reverse park with the help of the reversing camera and it was very enjoyable to drive!

There are two 12v sockets in the CX-9, one in the front passenger footwell…

… and one on the right hand side in the boot.

There are a lot of new seven-seat SUVs on the market now competing with the Mazda CX-9 and although the CX-9 is older in its lifespan it is a great-looking seven-seater family SUV and extremely practical.

I still think the Mazda CX-9 is one of the best seven-seat SUVs available for families, especially because it fits five child seats and has excellent third-row access. It doesn't feel like a frumpy car to drive around in and the interior is really pleasant and still modern too; the interior is intuitive, feminine and has a nice finish and doesn't feel cheap to the touch.

BabyDrive Indepth - Safety

The Mazda 2022 CX-9 has six airbags as standard. Dual frontal, side chest and side head-protecting curtain airbags. All three seating rows (outer seats) have head-protecting side curtain airbags.

The Mazda CX-9 scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2016 (before child occupancy testing was introduced). It got an overall score of 35.87 out of 37. Getting 14.87 out of 16 for frontal offset test, 16 out of 16 for side-impact and pedestrian protection was rated good.

As standard the Mazda CX-9 comes with anti-lock brakes (ABS), auto emergency braking (AEB)- city only, blind-spot monitoring (BSM), adaptive cruise control (ACC), adaptive front lighting systems, attention assist/fatigue warning, auto emergency braking (AEB)- interurban, automatic headlights, automatic high beam and lane support system (LSS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), electronic stability control (ESC), emergency brake assist (EBA), emergency stop signal (ESS), daytime running lights (DRL), hill launch assist, lane support system, reversing collision avoidance, speed assistance – automatic/intelligent speed limiting (ISA)/ manual speed limiting/speed sign recognition & warning, roll stability system and trailer stability control and tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

FAMILY CAR REVIEW: 2022 Mazda CX-9 GT SP