Although the Mazda CX-9 is neither a racing vehicle nor the fastest three-row crossover, it won the primary "of the Year" awards for 2008, with good reason. Not only was it best among the new-or-substantially-revised players invited to award games, it's the best seven-seat CUV value if you'd really rather be driving a car.

Let's face it, the essential arguments for choosing a crossover over a van are limited to all-wheel drive and vanity. All three-row vans carry more luggage with three rows of seats in use, have superior passenger space, and all the DVD-powered distractions available in crossovers. But people don't want to be seen driving a minivan and will gladly sacrifice space and utility to the cause of vanity. They want something "sportier," not yet aware that starting with a two-plus-ton mass sitting five feet high isn't the ideal engineering way to get there.

Fortunately Mazda has figured out a way to make a big box feel relatively good. Not good like a Miata or RX-8, but good in the sense the driver feels quite connected to the CX-9 and road, and aware of the interaction between them. There are a few C/S-UVs that share some of those characteristics, though they ride stiffer, cost 50 percent to150 percent more, have just five seats, or all of the above.

With a flowing silhouette and smallish rear side windows the CX-9 gives a sleeker profile than most UVs, thoughtfully unadorned with superfluous character lines and excesses of chromium-coated plastic; parked all alone it doesn't look anywhere near it's actual size (more than a foot longer than Mazda's CX-7). Only subtle creases above the wheels set off the arches, and apart from a single ring around the windows chrome is found only at the ends, much of it inside the light housings. Eighteen-inch wheels fill the openings and 20s come on the top-line model but test-drive one over miserable roads before making that commitment.

Despite 4,500 pounds to haul around the CX-9 accelerates briskly, the extra dose of torque on the 2008 model's 3.7-liter V-6 noticed more than the bump in horses. The six-speed automatic has no "sport" mode and none is needed because transmission programming is faultless; since it has six gears to work with the CX-9 will downshift as you start up a grade in order to maintain pace rather than making you mat the pedal, shove in a big shot of fuel and then downshift one or two gears. It also offers a manual mode where you push the lever forward to downshift and back to upshift—racecar style. What else would you use in a truck?

Keeping in mind relative mass, many of the same characteristics that make a good car show up on the CX-9: Steering that's direct, offers good feedback and is nicely weighted; a brake pedal that's firm, quick to react and brings progressively more retarding the harder you push it; and roll stiffness that keeps the body from leaning much in the curves. With twice the weight and a significantly higher center of gravity, the CX-9 doesn't change direction like a Miata, yet it's more than capable and won't let you think twice about a winding road detour just for a change of pace.

And it delivers this drive without the stiff ride that gets you bobbing down sections of Highways 101 or 118 like a pogo stick, offering the elasticity to soak up bumps as singular annoyances rather than ongoing wallowing. Certainly at the price the CX-9 is the best-sorted three-row driver; among the best at any price. It does however, have one drawback. The traction control can be disabled at less than 15 mph lest you need some minor tire spin to get out of snow, but the DSC (electronic stability control) can not. DSC is generally far removed from actuation but on those roads you know better than the car, in the rare case it does engage — typically under braking into a tight — or downhill — corner, it comes on with a bite, lurching occupants forward and surprising traffic behind it.

Generous room highlights the CX-9 cabin, with smaller adults able to sit in the third row and plenty of space in the first two. There is rear air but the only vents found were in the back of the center console so don't forget those behind, and the center row tilts and slides forward for third-row access; the big rear door has a max opening more than three feet long and about two feet of flat floor entry, and there are recessed grab points at hand height.

The cargo hatch opens under most residential garage doors and has about 6'1" of head room under it. Beneath the floor are one large and two small cargo bins, and a subwoofer for those frequencies you feel. Around the periphery are a power point, six tie-down hooks to secure things third row up or down, and four bag hooks — each stamped with a weight limit that will be tested by a gallon of milk. The bumper's top is protected with plastic but not the back upper edge that everything will be dragged across.

A simple pull strap drops either side of the third row flat and the second row drops in similar fashion; it also slides fore-n-aft for third-row knee room or keeping juveniles within reach. Well executed details include belt-holders that secure the seat belt and its buckle out of the way and bottle holders in each door that allow to bring your own four bottles to any party.

A complementary color frames three sides of each door, with soft-touch materials up high and cushy padded armrests. Similar contrast is used on the seats, although the second color sections between centers and bolsters are also textured differently than the seat leather. The style throughout is coherent, and highlighted by arcing, piano-black (or woodgrain, depending on trim) buttresses. These flow down the sides of the center console and the front doors in angles not unlike many sport cruiser boats to break up the height of the interior. On the doors these buttresses slope from the mirror, house the window and lock switches and are split by the armrest; on the console the side rails split the buttresses.

A three-spoke tilt-telescoping wheel offers rocker toggles for volume, cruise control, tuning and so forth, and the instruments are housed in a matte-finish dark surround for zero distraction or glare. Typical Mazda amber illumination, adjustable anytime, provides the basic data, with gear selected and gear engaged shown down the center.

Radio and ventilation data are in a small window top center, with radio or navigation below the vents and climate controls below that. A bin, two very big cupholders and a deep armrest well offer a place to put everything and there's nothing complicated here: The rearview camera screen is in the inside mirror so you don't need navigation to get it, and the shifter is a model of simplicity. The only thing you may have to get used to is the parking brake pedal well in from the door because of structural members behind the carpet. Outward visibility presents no issues.

Minor complaints are few: the turn signal's audio clicks in front and in the back which might irritate your passengers more than you, the rear washer system needs a check valve so it doesn't drool at metered on-ramps or steep hills, and the sunroof motor is one of the noisiest we've heard. And it does do one thing like a lot of sports cars drink fuel in the teens.

There are six CX-9s to choose from: Sport, Touring and Grand Touring, each in front or all-wheel drive, ranging from $30,000 to $35,000 plus options. A Touring all-wheel drive such as this, which includes power accessories, front seat heat, leather and so on, with added Sirius and 6-disc Bose Centerpoint sound system, back-up camera, towing package (3,500-pound limit), and moonroof rolls out less than $37,000.

(Whale, a longtime Ventura County resident, has been breaking parts for 30 years and writing about it for 22.)

2008 Mazda CX-9

Engine: 3.7-liter DOHC V-6, 273 bhp

Length/width/height (in.): 199.8/76.2/68.0

Weight: 4,528 lb

MPG city/hwy/observed: 15/21/17.4

Base warranty: 3 yrs/36,000 miles

Price as tested: $36,890

Alternatives: Buick Enclave, Chevy Traverse, Ford Flex, GMC Acadia, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Veracruz, Saturn Outlook, Subaru Tribeca, Suzuki XL7, Toyota Highlander