Maybe when its here ill take for a test drive, the specs on it are nice, not surprising that the gas milage is not that great but then again it is SUV, this might be the ONLY SUV id buy.

 

i dunno, that suv just isn't doing anything for me...

 

I've seen a few of them in person and they are VERY nice. When we sell my wife's Mazda6 wagon, that will probably be the replacement. (Take a close look at the specs...it basically has the Speed6 drivetrain, just slightly detuned.)

 

True, it is actually built on a totally different platform, the mazda6 is built on a shared platform used by Ford/Mazda. The fronst suspension comes from the Mazda MPV, and the reas suspension comes from the Mazda 5, and the engine/drivetrain all come from the MazdaSpeed6. This SUV is all Mazda, it seems nothing is shared with Ford and will be built totally in Japan, nothing is coming from ths US going into this SUV. It seems like this is Mazda's attempt to pull away from Ford, hopefully if it does well enough more of the auto's will be stricly Mazda and not built on a shared platform with Ford.

 

I agree. As owner of both a 100% Ford (mom's 2004 slushstang [v6]) and a 100% Mazda (From the good ole 100% Mazda times 1987) I can say the Mazda is WAY better in every aspect.

 

everyone knows that Mazda makes some of the best handling cars on the road, Ford was smart to get a piece of Mazda when they did before the last 5 years, when hit the market with the "6" and the "3". With Ford sales declining, they are making money off of Mazda, with sales going up. I think a good partnership is Mazda and Volvo, if they were not owned by Ford as well.

 

My understanding is that the CX7 will replace the Tribute in the Mazda lineup as a Mazda based product. No need for 2 SUV's in the same carline. Nothing against the Tribute as there are much less problems now than when they first came out. Not bashing ford but they are a pain in my ****. Mazda needs badly to get out of the ford partership. I was working as a tech when the Navajo came out in 91? and thought, OH MY GOD, everything under the hood says ford on it (notice I do not capitilize ford). I just today replaced a rear main crank seal in a 2006B3000 truck, has been my 34th this year on B-truck with leaking crank seal. ford has been building cars since when, the 30's, and they can not output a product that does not leak oil off of the assembly line!!!!!!! Mazda product has never had this kind of problems. Am very much looking forward to the CX7 with Mazda based technology. The Direct Injection is a definite pulloff from the Speed 6 technology. Still do not have any info yet on who is building the turbo system.

 

true, there is no need to have 2 SUV's in one model year at the same time, but Mazda will have 2 more suv's coming in 2008. They have some very nice concept cars as well, hopefully they will get released within the next 3-5yrs and be able to get out of the ford partnership. This a little snipet from AutoWeek:

Other shared parts in the CX-7 include the front suspension design from the Japan-market MPV and the rear suspension from the Mazda5 minivan. The rear differential, active torque coupling, and prop-shaft components are similar to those from the MazdaSpeed6, although they are not the exact same design, said CX-7 program manager Shunsuke Kawasaki.

It took 17 months from program approval until Job 1, which Kawasaki says is a record development time for a Mazda vehicle done from scratch.

As for the turbo, it is all Mazda, they even have it on the MPV in Japan, producing 244hp. and it is also the only turbo engine to be designated as an SU LEV emission vehicle, meaning it produces 75% less emission than what is required (in Japan). Mazda is really making a push it seems to break away from ford

 

Our Mazda dealer (who, btw, we actually trust - imagine that) expects them May/June. If you look at the Web site, go to "search inventory" and you'll see that vehicles have already been allocated to dealers. And yes ... it is being released as an early 2007.

Larry

 

If some dealers have enough interest in them from customers then, I would think Mazda would release them to specific dealers only. toyota did that with t he Scion last year, they released some to afew dealers for a kind of show and tell type thing, and it worked cause i see a lot of Scion's in my part of town. i think the actual mass-release is going to be in spring like they say.