Pushing the CX-7's gas pedal yields substantially more speed than anxiety. Response is immediate, precise. That builds confidence, which provides peace of mind behind the wheel, especially on a long drive.
Also appreciated are infrequent fueling stops. The CX-7's four-cylinder engine delivers 31 mpg on highway runs.
Good, strong four-cylinder engines, especially advanced diesel models, probably could do more to reduce our crippling dependence on foreign oil than electric cars and other alternative propulsion technologies. They are more affordable and, thus, potentially more widely available than electrics.
The problem is that four-cylinder vehicles have long had an image problem — cheap, not sexy, that sort of thing. But Mazda has proved otherwise with its 2.5-liter, 161-horsepower CX-7 Sport. It can take you wherever you want to go, with speed, chutzpah and style, without driving you to the poor house.