Mazda CX-7 2.2 Sport Tech Diesel 5dr Car Review - February 2012

The 2.2-litre diesel engine gives the model decent acceleration with the car reaching 0-62 mph in 11.3 seconds and a fairly impressive top speed of 124 mph. These credentials are provided by the powerful engine which delivers 173 bhp at 3500rpm with torque figures of 295 lb-ft. The CX-7 comes with a 6 speed manual gearbox and there is no automatic option.

This is a heavy car with a raised seating position. This makes the drive very comfortable, even on longer journeys, and the handling is excellent. The steering feels great, giving great driver feedback, and the 6 speed gearbox works smoothly.

Mazda is renowned for making some of the most distinctive looking cars on the road and this is the case once again with the CX-7. For a 4x4, the Mazda's design is aggressive but not overly so and the rakish window line, sculpted nose and jewelled rear lights all look brilliant, as do the polished 19-inch alloy wheels.

The interior is just as impressive and the dash is quite big with a host of buttons and dials. This can make it look a bit overwhelming but once you know your way around the interior it works well and becomes less daunting. Some of the interior plastics feel a little cheap, however.

In terms of equipment, the Mazda gives you everything you would want for the £27,580 price tag. Metallic paint is an extra £515 on top of this price but the standard kit offers xenon headlights, climate control, cruise control, automatic lights and wipers, a rear-view camera, leather trim with heated and electrically adjustable front seats, plus a multimedia system with MP3 and Bluetooth connectivity and sat-nav.

This mid-sized 4x4 has masses of space but unfortunately only seats five people with no seven seater option available - something which could be seen as a disadvantage considering the car's class. Despite this, there is plenty of head and leg room for passengers in both the rear and the front and the boot holds 445 litres when the car is at full capacity. Dropping the rear seats down gives a total 774 litre capacity. Whilst these credentials are good they fail to live up to rivals such as the Freelander which can carry up to 1,670 litres.

Mazda has a great reputation for producing cars which are very reliable and you get a three year/60,000 mile warranty - so if something should go wrong you are well covered.

The CX-7 received a four star score in the NCAP crash test, which isn’t as good as some of its rivals. Adult occupant protection is quite good but whiplash results were described as poor.

The safety kit includes brake assist, electronic stability programme (ESP), electronic brake force distribution and traction control, as well as emergency stop signalling (which activates the hazard lights automatically during harsh braking) and lane change assist.

The CX-7 is a large car and you therefore can't expect low running costs. Fuel economy of 37.7mpg is fairly average for its class but the CX-7's lack of a diesel engine puts it at a huge disadvantage compared to its competitors.

Maintenance is required every 12,000 miles although inspection services are also needed at 3,000 and 9,000 miles when bought from new and carbon emissions of 199g/km mean it’s not going to be cheap to tax either.

However, the £27,580 price tag is moderate for a car of this class and the range of features on offer is great considering the money.