Mazda CX-9 Wins 2017 AutoGuide.com Reader's Choice Utility Vehicle of the Year Award

The Mazda CX-9 took home the 2017 AutoGuide.com Reader’s Choice Utility Vehicle of the Year award.

The new three-row SUV is the first iteration of the CX-9 to be designed entirely in house by Mazda, since the previous-generation CX-9 was co-developed with Mazda’s former owner, Ford. This time around, the Japanese automaker used a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine to give the CX-9 a sportier driving experience, offering 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, while 250 hp is available with 93-octane gasoline. The engine is paired to a six-speed automatic and its $32,420 starting price makes it extremely attractive in a highly competitive segment. It also returns 22 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway for a 25-mpg combined rating for front-wheel-drive models.

SEE ALSO: 2016 Mazda CX-9 Review

The CX-9 has proven itself at the AutoGuide.com offices, mostly under the care of family man Jonathan Yarkony, who found it a serviceable vehicle for his clan, but came to relish the drive more than anything else: “It may be a big crossover, but it is fun, and lives up to Mazda’s ‘Driving Matters’ credo.” A comfortable utility vehicle that can also entertain on a winding road is a win-win in our books, so a hearty congratulations are in order for Mazda!

With eight different vehicle categories voted for in this year’s 2017 Reader’s Choice Awards, Acura took home the coveted title of Reader’s Choice Car of the Year. Chevrolet earned itself two Reader’s Choice wins for the Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport as the Reader’s Choice Sports Car of the Year, while the Chevrolet Bolt was named Reader’s Choice Green Car of the Year. The Reader’s Choice Luxury Car of the Year honors goes to the Lincoln Continental. In the Reader’s Choice Utility Vehicle of the Year, the Mazda CX-9 grabbed top honors, while the Reader’s Choice Luxury Utility Vehicle of the Year was the Jaguar F-Pace. The Ford F-150 Raptor took home Reader’s Choice Truck of the Year and the McLaren 570S earned Reader’s Choice Exotic Car of the Year.

AutoGuide.com’s annual Reader’s Choice awards are chosen by visitors to the over 600 automotive websites under the AutoGuide.com Group umbrella. With 242 million monthly pageviews the AutoGuide.com group is the largest auto audience online according to ComScore Media Metrix.

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