Last year's 263-hp, 3.5-liter V6 worked well with the standard six-speed automatic transmission to deliver decent acceleration in almost any driving situation. For 2008, Mazda has increased the cylinder bore to 3.7 liters, for 273 horsepower, while maintaining the same short, 86.7-mm stroke for free-revving response. The torque curve surges from 3000 to 6000 rpm and peaks with 270 pound-feet at 4500. Best of all, the CX-9 still runs on 87-octane regular unleaded, despite a healthy compression ratio of 10.3:1.

The 60-degree V6 is state-of-the-art throughout, featuring a die-cast aluminum block with cast-in iron cylinder liners and aluminum heads for minimal weight. The valve train includes chain-driven dual overhead camshafts operating four valves-per-cylinder through easily adjusted bucket tappets. Intake valve timing is variable.

The CX-9 is surprisingly fun to drive for a large vehicle with so much weight up front. That is no small accomplishment for such a large, practical package. The price for the responsive handling, however, is a relatively stiff ride on anything but a smooth surface. The passengers will just have to suffer quietly while Mom or Dad has fun at the wheel. Meanwhile, the CX-9 felt strong and tight on rough roads, refusing to quiver even when striking potholes.

For the driver who wants to be a bit more involved, on mountain roads, for example, the transmission shift lever can be moved to one side, which then allows the driver to manually shift gears by tapping the lever. It is a system that works well with the transmission-control computer doing a good job of blending the upshifts and downshifts to avoid any jerks or stumbles.

We noticed a difference in steering feel between the front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models. The steering in our AWD test vehicle had a more rubbery feel, weakening the connection between the vehicle and the driver. The steering on our FWD model was much better. The steering is tuned a bit differently on FWD and AWD chassis, according to Mazda.

On the other hand, an annoying downside of the FWD model is what is called torque steer: Push hard on the gas pedal, and the steering wheel tugs to one side as the front wheels scramble for traction. This requires the driver to make minor steering corrections to keep the CX-9 going straight. Torque steer is not a danger but it is a disappointment. It isn't a problem in the AWD model because some of the power is being sent to the rear, reducing the demand on the front tires.

The AWD model does send most of the power to the front wheels in normal driving. But under hard acceleration, or if the front wheels begin to slip, as much as 50 percent of that power can be sent to the rear wheels. It is an automatic system and does not require the driver to do anything.

The CX-9 has anti-lock brakes to help in an emergency. The brake pedal felt slightly soft initially but overall feedback was reassuring, and it was easy to trim a little or a lot of speed.

The new Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system watches both rear corners of the CX-9 when vehicle speed is 20 mph or greater. The system notifies the driver of vehicles in the detection areas by illuminating the BSM warning light located in the appropriate side mirror. Additionally, the light flashes and a beeper sounds if the driver signals a turn into the path of a detected vehicle.