I’ve had my wheels for just over 8 years now, so we have been slowly looking at new vehicles to get an idea of what we want when the time comes. For the last week of summer, we had the opportunity to go on a road trip to Las Vegas; last mini vacation in a Mazda CX-9. We loved the sleek design, awesome technology, safety and security features and the roominess for a family of 4. I was so sad to see it go at the end of the week because it is the perfect family car.
Our final destination for the summer took us on a road trip to Las Vegas. I had committed to an influencer conference being held at the SLS Hotel, Las Vegas, and was selected as a cast member of the Total Mom Makeover, so we needed to leave Thursday for filming. Since my mom lives in Vegas, we decided this was also a great opportunity for the kids to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa. This also posed as an excellent opportunity to spend checking out the Mazda CX-9 during our road trip, which would give us approximately 10 straight hours in the car.
On Thursday, the car was delivered for our road trip weekend. The kids were so excited to ride in a new set of wheels, that they quickly grabbed their booster seats and set them up in the Mazda CX-9. Amazingly, they were also quite helpful in packing up the car because they were anxious to get started. First stop: Ontario Mills Mall to pick up some necessities for heading back to school the following week.
I love the sleek design of the Mazda CX-9, a midsized crossover with three rows of seating. The first thing I noticed was the look of the front of the car. I like the clean lines of the grill with the chrome accents. Additional exterior features that just enhanced this car was the power moon roof, aluminum roof rails, the rear roof spoiler, and roof mounted shark fin antenna; all of which gave the vehicle a sporty look.
Ready to go, we plugged the address into the 8inch touch screen navigation system; the “Mazda Connect Infotainment system”. Eventually we discovered that the middle console had knobs that controlled the infotainment system as well. Mazda Connect combines the stereo (satellite radio for an additional fee) navigation, blue tooth and voice command technology. My kids even had fun with the infotainment system by playing back seat dj, hooking up their iPod to connect to their own music. My husband’s favorite feature of the navigation system was the big display when transitioning to different freeways. He was used to using cell phone navigation that has a smaller display.
Another standard we’ve come to love because I have it in my car is the controls located on the steering wheel that included volume and cruise control. The newer technology of cruise control was another feature that my husband raved about. He thought it was awesome to set a follow distance from the vehicle in front of you when utilizing cruise control (Distance Recognition Support System). Once you’ve reached that exact distance, the car automatically slowed down to match the speed. If the car in front of you sped up, or you changed lanes, the cruise control would resume the previous speed.
Additional safety features include:
- Ultra-rigid SKYACTIVE-body and SKYACTIV-Cassis
- Six airbags to protect passengers in all three rows
- Blind Spot Monitoring System
- Smart City Break Support (now a standard feature)
- High Beam Control
- Lane Keep Assist
- Mazda Rear Cruise Control
- Rear Backup Sensor and Smart Break Support
After we finished our shopping spree, we were back on the road to Las Vegas. As usual, we made our touristy stops along the way. The kids always get a kick out of Alien Fresh Jerkey and enjoy taking selfies with the aliens.
When we got closer to Las Vegas, I surprised the kids with a quick stop to see the Seven Magic Mountains, an art installation in the middle of the dessert off of Las Vegas Boulevard. Such a unique piece of artwork basically in the middle of no where, we just had to get a closer look.
Back on the road for Las Vegas gave us the opportunity to check out additional interior features of the Mazda CX-9. One of the features that first irritated my husband was the active driving display on the windshield. While you are driving, your speed and local speed limit signs are projected onto the window in front of you so that only you can see. It took him a while to get used to it, but by the end of the trip, he actually really liked the feature. Some of the other interior features include:
- 7 passenger seating – we could technically bring friends!
- Power driver and passenger seat with memory and lumbar and heat
- Push button start engine
- Rosewood interior trim
- Window sunshades in the second row
- Bose stereo and 12 speakers throughout the vehicle
Like what you see? We sure did. I was sad to give up the CX-9 by the end of the week. It sure left a lasting impression on my whole family. To find out more about the vehicle, visit www.mazdausa.com and customize your own vehicle or stop by their nearest dealership.
