Need a seven-seat SUV for 40,000 euros

 

There are only a handful of budget-friendly yet spacious crossovers on our market. According to our regular reader, this short list includes the Mazda CX-9 and Hyundai ix55. Let's find out what impressions they left on him.


Vladimir Sazonov, 24 years old, manager, driving experience 6 years, drives a Subaru Impreza 2.5 ST. Wants a seven-seat SUV. Budget - €40,000


What he expects from a car

Image — Not flashy, but noticeable. Visually, it should look more compact than its actual size.

 

Style — The exterior must clearly convey dynamism. Rough, massive forms are not my taste.

Fuel efficiency — It's clear that with such dimensions and engine, one can only dream of economy, but still...

Handling — Speed capabilities matter more to me than the ability to conquer off-road.

Interior — Inside should be spacious and comfortable. And a third row of seats is a must.

Equipment — Stability and traction control systems are welcome, but only if they can be turned off at will.




To be honest, I can't stand cramped spaces. At home, only three of us are comfortable; at the dacha, five fit freely. Often, to ensure space and comfort for everyone, I have to limit the circle of company. I apply the same principle to a car: everyone should be comfortable and spacious. Currently, I have a five-seater, and three people ride in it, but when a trip with a large company is needed, I have to rent something significantly larger — for example, a seven-seat SUV or minivan, where both I and five passengers would be comfortable. At some point, I realized: any road is more pleasant to travel in your own, familiar car. This prompted me to decide to buy a true seven-seat, sporty, practical, and versatile vehicle — an SUV.

It's worth noting that the choice of seven-seat cars on the market is small. Minivans immediately fall away — they have weak engines and low ground clearance. Then, full-fledged SUVs: I'm not ready to overpay half a million rubles for a set of reduction gears, transfer cases, and suspensions that I'll use a couple of times a year, and good maneuverability and stability on asphalt are unattainable for them by definition. That leaves two relatively inexpensive large crossovers — the Mazda CX-9 and Hyundai ix55.




Mazda CX-9 €40,800

Why chosen: stylish, dynamic, and, most importantly, spacious car. Plus, it almost fits the budget.

Almost forty horsepower for each of the seven passengers, two tons of curb weight, five meters of length — the makings of an ideal heavyweight athlete. When there are no other cars around, it cleverly hides its size, pretending to be either a playful hatchback or a compact "wagon." But once in a courtyard-well, the CX-9 suddenly catches the eye, like a UFO towering over all its neighbors. By combining impressive dimensions with the cutest facial features, Mazda's designers created a car that radiates kindness and light when it greets its owners.

The CX-9's interior is as welcoming as its exterior. The driver and front passenger find themselves in a meticulously thought-out interior where the hand of an inspired designer is felt. The stylistic unity of the dashboard, doors, and center tunnel creates a sense of completeness and coziness. The rather low seating position of the driver seems to isolate him from the outside world, but it has a significant drawback: the CX-9's dimensions seem endless, and even an experienced driver has difficulties parking. The main thing is not to look back, because there are another two and a half meters of full-fledged living space, which the driver has no access to due to the high center tunnel, narrow windows, and wide seats. In the back, Mazda has a completely different life: just as comfortable but more sociable. Five adults can fit there without hesitation, but all luggage will have to be placed at their feet or on the roof, as the trunk volume with the seats unfolded won't even suffice for a picnic set.

In motion, the Mazda again confirms its Driver's car character. Forget about the mother-in-law and kids, enter corners more boldly, brake sharply, and try to overtake everyone. Otherwise, the meaning of the precise, informative steering wheel, overly sensitive brake pedal, and suspension that transmits all joints and cracks to passengers, and even reports large bumps somewhat intrusively, is lost. The CX-9 can clearly go faster than needed for those in the second and third rows. All of Mazda's agility disappears on a broken country road, where suddenly knocks begin to come from underfoot, and the ABS uselessly crunches when attempting active braking.

 

Style
I like that the car is completely devoid of brutality. This may not be cool, but given its size, it's very aesthetic. Reasonable

Handling
This chassis lacks only a more powerful engine. It seems the car will fit into any turn. With reserve

 

Interior
If you ignore the crowd that can fit in the back, you feel that everything is done for the driver's pleasure. Good

 

Fuel efficiency
I can't say it's insufficient. After all, 13 liters per hundred in mixed cycle suits me fine. Acceptable

Standard equipment
Essentially, everything one could wish for is here. But the main thing is that if I want, I can get rid of electronic restrictions with one press of a button. Just what's needed

 

Pros and cons

+ Excellent handling, superb dynamics.
- Vague sense of dimensions, lack of space in the third row of seats.

 

Specifications

Make and model - Mazda CX-9
Dimensions - 5075x1935x1730 mm
Engine - petrol, 3726 cm3, 273 hp/5000 rpm
Transmission - automatic, 6-speed gearbox
Performance - 181 km/h; 10.1 s to 100 km/h

Hyundai ix55 €36,400

Why chosen: a fresh player on our market, offers a spacious interior and a powerful engine. Reasonable price and equipment.

 

Almost everyone who can afford a car for one and a half million rubles, when this brand is mentioned, will say: "Oh, no." For me, the ix turned out to be a car of "but." As if in contrast to all prejudices, it declares: "But I have excellent sound insulation, but I am well-assembled, but I accelerate and brake decently, but I am comfortable, I am big and spacious!" Hyundai has made a logical seven-league step forward — towards European quality. Throughout the entire test, I found nothing that would cause antipathy or distrust. The Koreans have finally created a "clean" product that can evoke sympathy, find a buyer, and lead followers.

Externally, the ix55 does not try to hide its roots and carries the general style of the brand's SUVs. The complex, sometimes unfinished lines still do not spoil the quite successful overall silhouette of the body. Thanks to the fact that the Hyundai is 20 centimeters shorter than the Mazda, it is distinguished by composure, sportiness, and the absence of long overhangs.

 

Inside, everything is quite simple, but at the same time well thought out. All buttons and controls are exactly where you expect to find them, and there are no complaints about the quality of finishing, although, honestly, in photos the interior looks more attractive than in reality when you sit behind the wheel. You sit higher than in the CX-9, and because of this, you sometimes catch yourself thinking that you are driving a real SUV. The driver is not cut off from the rest of the space — you can easily talk to any of the passengers. In terms of space, the ix55 is not inferior to the Mazda, and getting to the third row is even easier here. True, in both cars I would ask passengers in the gallery to take off their shoes, and give helmets to tall ones: on uneven roads, when sitting directly above the rear wheels, it's easy to hit your head on the ceiling or rear window.

Hyundai does not provoke sharp maneuvers at all. It rolls exactly until the foot itself asks to release the gas, on bumps in a turn it gives jolts to the hands through the steering wheel, and on large asphalt waves rear passengers sometimes get a feeling of flight. For those who have already dealt with body-on-frame SUVs, this behavior will seem familiar and controllable, you just need not to try to fight the car.



Style
Recognizable Hyundai handwriting. But who, besides the manufacturers themselves, is proud of this? Not impressed

Ride quality
With some roll, the car remains predictable. Only the jolts on the steering wheel from bumps in turns disappointed. Compromise

Interior
With excellent assembly and materials, the cabin clearly lacks the work of a designer. Otherwise — spacious and comfortable. Without frills

Fuel efficiency
With such an engine displacement, one could expect that the car would literally devour gasoline. But the ix55 calmly fits into the same 13 liters per hundred. Surprising

Standard equipment
A mountain of options already in the base trim can leave anyone speechless and quicken the pulse, but I was not impressed. Indifferent

Advantages and disadvantages

+ Spacious cabin, good dynamics, the ability to disable the stability control system.
- Boring design, jolts on the steering wheel when going over bumps.

Specifications

Make and model - Hyundai ix55
Dimensions - 4840x1945x1750 mm
Engine - petrol, 3778 cm3, 264 hp/5100 rpm
Transmission - automatic, 6-speed gearbox
Dynamics - 190 km/h; 8.3 s to 100 km/h

My choice

I believe that these cars can be considered classmates only formally. The Hyundai is a solid crossover with obvious build and design quality and decent off-road potential. The Mazda is a family wagon that grew up not in an era of fuel shortage, entrusted with the role of the brand's flagship. It has access to both a fishing shore and country clubs. I would choose the CX-9, if only because it has one important advantage over the ix55 — prestige.

Editor's choice

If all other conditions are equal, we still prefer the ix55. Yes, it does not have as solid an image as the Mazda, but quality, equipment, and dynamics are at a high level. And the price with such a rich set of options is quite adequate, even underestimated. As for the Mazda CX-9 — it is also a very worthy car.
It is just that the overpayment of 5000 euros for the image is a bit confusing.