I had a chance to finally sit in the new CX-7
at the NY auto show last week. It's not as roomy as you might expect for a vehicle that sports a 108" wheelbase. You can thank the extreme rake of the windshield for that. This forces the front seats rearward, which in turn cuts down on rear passenger room...
I'm not saying it's cramped (it's not), but it's not as roomy as you would expect.
Snippet: But the design element Kawasaki insisted on was the CX-7's steeply raked windshield, which at 66 degrees is reclined slightly more than an RX-8. This moves the driver farther aft, explaining the 108.3-inch wheelbase, 3.6 and 5.0 inches longer than the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, respectively.
Inside the CX-7, Mr. Kawasaki strove to establish a distinct cockpit feeling. The raked windshield and seating position help here, while still providing a generous 38.2 inches of with-sunroof headroom — plenty for this 6-foot-2-inch tester. The seats are grippy and comfortable, and the three-spoke steering wheel looks identical to the one that guides our 2006 MX-5 Miata.
Snippet: But the design element Kawasaki insisted on was the CX-7's steeply raked windshield, which at 66 degrees is reclined slightly more than an RX-8. This moves the driver farther aft, explaining the 108.3-inch wheelbase, 3.6 and 5.0 inches longer than the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, respectively.
Inside the CX-7, Mr. Kawasaki strove to establish a distinct cockpit feeling. The raked windshield and seating position help here, while still providing a generous 38.2 inches of with-sunroof headroom — plenty for this 6-foot-2-inch tester. The seats are grippy and comfortable, and the three-spoke steering wheel looks identical to the one that guides our 2006 MX-5 Miata.
jerrywimer says:
04:44 AM, 04/26/06
When I first read that article I had a feeling that interior space would suffer because of the "sportiness". Glad to see someone verify that. The CX-7 probably won't suffer sales losses because of it, but it will be interesting if this "flaw" gets the kind of attention the lack of fold-flat seating has received for GMs new full sized SUVs.
carlisimo says:
04:43 PM, 04/26/06
You can't have it all...
The practical-but-boring crowd has plenty of other choices, so I don't think the CX-7 is any worse for its shortcomings.
johnnymurph says:
06:45 PM, 04/26/06
Now that Ford and Mazda are one - are there any similarities between the CX-7 and proposed future Fords?
mirth says:
09:34 AM, 04/27/06
Yeah, the CX-7 and the upcoming Ford Edge are basically the same except for the engines (plus I think the Edge doesn't have as much of a raked windshield).
blueguydotcom says:
02:27 PM, 04/28/06
Edge won't have Mazda's sporty suspension tuning either. No Japanese or American brand can compare to Mazda's BMW-like handling across its line.
sasquatch53 says:
06:58 AM, 05/25/06
Actually the Edge and the CX-7 are not the same. The articles stating that it is built on the Mazda6 platform, the same platform as the Edge, are incorrect. The CX-7 comes from Japan and is built on the same line as the Mazda3 actually. The handling is better because there is a lot less engine up front. There is nothing Ford about the CX-7 and nothing Mazda about the Edge.