Conclusion
To be certain, the CUV segment is growing in popularity. At the time of publication, only seven new minivan nameplates remain in North American, of which three are based on the same platform, and one is rumoured to be kicking the bucket before long.
As far as we're concerned, more players will join the CUV group in the near future, from compact to large. Some will return completely revamped such as the next Hyundai Veracruz, a 3-row Jeep and perhaps something new from Subaru and Mitsubishi. The more the merrier, we say.
Although it may seem unfair to have included the Pathfinder in this test, we thought it important to at least sample one real 3-row off-roader; for some these soft-roaders simply won't do. The Nissan faltered because of its older build, but we are certain that if anything more than cottage trails were to be undertaken on a regular basis, the Pathfinder would be at or near the top of our shopping list.
We do realize that there are some players that were not included in the test. Frankly, it's impossible to get them all together as the logistics for a roundup this big rival those of a “small” Italian wedding. Among those that were not included, we find the Kia Sorento and other Ford, GM and Chrysler products. It's truly a bummer that the Sorento did not contend in this match as we are certain that it would have fared well.
At the end of the day, we realized that all of the tested vehicles required compromises; some many, some very few. Those with fewer obstacles and the right price—because let's not forget that the all-mighty dollar plays a huge role in the final selection—are the winners.
Our No. 2 pick, the Explorer, is one of the champions of doing everything properly. Between Canada and the US, in June, it was the segment’s No. 3 and No. 1 selling vehicle, respectively.
And as for the winner, the Mazda CX-9, some members of the jury are still perplexed by it beating out some of the more recent contenders. However, the results speak for themselves. With a nearly glamorous interior, strong sweeping lines, room for all, and good build quality, the CX-9 silently and stealthily took the comparo by storm. It's priced right, drives impressively well and has all the goods any growing family could ever need all wrapped in a sublimely attractive package.
To be certain, the CUV segment is growing in popularity. At the time of publication, only seven new minivan nameplates remain in North American, of which three are based on the same platform, and one is rumoured to be kicking the bucket before long.
As far as we're concerned, more players will join the CUV group in the near future, from compact to large. Some will return completely revamped such as the next Hyundai Veracruz, a 3-row Jeep and perhaps something new from Subaru and Mitsubishi. The more the merrier, we say.
Although it may seem unfair to have included the Pathfinder in this test, we thought it important to at least sample one real 3-row off-roader; for some these soft-roaders simply won't do. The Nissan faltered because of its older build, but we are certain that if anything more than cottage trails were to be undertaken on a regular basis, the Pathfinder would be at or near the top of our shopping list.
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| Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com |
We do realize that there are some players that were not included in the test. Frankly, it's impossible to get them all together as the logistics for a roundup this big rival those of a “small” Italian wedding. Among those that were not included, we find the Kia Sorento and other Ford, GM and Chrysler products. It's truly a bummer that the Sorento did not contend in this match as we are certain that it would have fared well.
At the end of the day, we realized that all of the tested vehicles required compromises; some many, some very few. Those with fewer obstacles and the right price—because let's not forget that the all-mighty dollar plays a huge role in the final selection—are the winners.
Our No. 2 pick, the Explorer, is one of the champions of doing everything properly. Between Canada and the US, in June, it was the segment’s No. 3 and No. 1 selling vehicle, respectively.
And as for the winner, the Mazda CX-9, some members of the jury are still perplexed by it beating out some of the more recent contenders. However, the results speak for themselves. With a nearly glamorous interior, strong sweeping lines, room for all, and good build quality, the CX-9 silently and stealthily took the comparo by storm. It's priced right, drives impressively well and has all the goods any growing family could ever need all wrapped in a sublimely attractive package.
| FINAL | |
| VOTING | |
| 2011 Dodge Durango Crew Plus | 74.0% |
| 2011 Ford Explorer XLT V6 4WD | 77.7% |
| 2011 GMC Acadia Denali | 76.7% |
| 2011 Honda Pilot Touring | 75.0% |
| 2011 Mazda CX-9 GT | 78.3% |
| 2011 Nissan Pathfinder LE | 67.1% |
| 2011 Toyota Highlander 4WD V6 Sport | 76.6% |
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