The Mazda CX 7 crossover, which was discontinued in 2012, can be compared to a bright star. It flared up in the sky in 2006, but, unfortunately, quickly faded away.
To date, the prices for cars of this model in the secondary market are more than democratic, despite the fact that, according to statistics, every 3rd car sold in Russia is a crossover.
This situation is incomprehensible to many motorists. So what is the reason for the cheapness of the Mazda CX-7 and why are the prices for this model so low?
Out of production, but not forgotten
It is very curious that the Mazda CX-7 is one of the few models of the Japanese automobile concern that does not have a direct successor.
It is authentically known that the serial production of the Mazda CX-7 was discontinued due to technical obsolescence, and its inability to compete with the more advanced, both in terms of design and in terms of technical characteristics, the Mazda CX 5. 
It is worth noting that the mid-size crossover discussed in this article was quite controversial from the very beginning. As conceived by the development engineers, it was created with a focus on the US market, where cars of this class are especially popular. Less than a year after the overseas "debut", Mazda began to offer the CX-7 in the European market.
This is where the mistake was made, since the all-wheel drive model was the best suited for confident driving on perfectly smooth roads at high speed, and not for Russian off-road. 
The running car was unprepared for pits and potholes. As a result, the owners of the CX-7 were forced to repair the front suspension quite often, as its support legs fell into disrepair every 40 thousand kilometers on average.
Ball joints cannot boast of durability, for which 60 thousand km are a critical figure. The most annoying thing is that they have to be changed along with perfectly serviceable silent blocks and front levers, which costs the owners of the crossover a pretty penny.
From a technical point of view, the motor turned out to be far from perfect. With a run of 30-40 thousand km, replacing a turbine is a common occurrence.
The first sign that it's time to change the turbine is thick white smoke from the muffler. 
This service, both at specialized and dealer service stations, is quite expensive, which cannot but affect the cost of the Mazda CX-7 in the secondary market.
"Weaknesses" Mazda CX 7
The list of shortcomings of this model is not limited to a small turbine resource. Among the obvious "misses" of the developers, explaining why the car is so cheap, can also be attributed to several positions.
- Pretty impressive fuel consumption. According to the manufacturer, the gasoline version with a 2.3-liter engine and 238 horsepower consumes about 15 liters of fuel in the urban cycle, and a little more than 9 on the highway. The owners of this crossover have a completely different opinion on this matter. They almost unanimously declare that the real numbers are much higher: 17-19 liters per 100 kilometers in the city and 10-12 on the highway. As for off-road, this figure even reaches the mark of 20 liters per 100 km.
- Short service life of the lambda probe (front oxygen sensor), the failure of which may be indicated by the “jitter” of the car during acceleration. The most interesting thing is that the most common topping up of brake fluid when replacing pads can become the cause of a breakdown, because oxygen sensors are extremely sensitive to additives contained in fuels and lubricants.
- Removal of brake discs. The “weak point” of pre-styling Mazda CX-7 cars are brake discs, which cannot at all boast of resistance to temperature extremes. Getting into the snow or puddle, even after a little braking, is sometimes enough to jar them. It is worth noting that by the last years of production, the manufacturer solved this problem by changing the material for brake pads and discs, and installing new casings.
- Unsuccessful decisions of engineers regarding the engine and automatic transmission - therefore, you need to constantly monitor them. If you stop monitoring these units, then over time, one malfunction will cause further avalanche-like, more and more expensive to fix.
- Bad soundproofing.
There are many complaints about other Mazda CX 7 units. In particular, owners often complain that the transfer case and rear gearboxes are leaking, and the headlights are fogging up, which in turn leads to the need for expensive repairs.
All of the above in combination forms not the most positive image of a car among potential buyers, which negatively affects demand in the secondary market.
Reducing the price in this case is one of the options to remedy the situation. That is why the cost of the Mazda CX-7 is an order of magnitude lower than cars of a similar class.
You can learn another independent opinion about this car from the video below:
Mazda cx 7 belongs to the SUV class and is a mid-size Japanese car that includes five seats.
More than 10 years have passed since the creation of the Mazda cx 7. However, at the official level, he was presented in January 2006 at a car show in Los Angeles.
ATTENTION! Found a completely simple way to reduce fuel consumption! Don't believe? An auto mechanic with 15 years of experience also did not believe until he tried it. And now he saves 35,000 rubles a year on gasoline!
The foundation for its creation was the concept of this crossover called the MX-Crossport, which was made public a little earlier, in 2005. The start of mass production of the Mazda CX 7 took place in the spring of 2006, at the concern's car plant in Hiroshima. It is worth noting that the crossover aroused great interest among drivers who like serious technology.
For reference! Iwao Koizumi, chief designer of Mazda, claims that he came up with the appearance of this crossover in a fitness center, which emphasizes the exterior of the car. After all, the design of the CX-7 turned out to be sporty-aggressive both inside and out!
Four years later, the model was restyled, the main change of which was the appearance of a front-wheel drive layout of the car. The Mazda cx 7 was discontinued in 2012, just six years after its introduction. The company's management decided to end the production of this crossover, which is very popular, due to the release of a newer model.
For reference! The predecessor of the Mazda cx 7 is the famous Mazda Tribute, and its successor is the newer crossover Mazda CX-5!
It's no secret that the crossover was developed on a completely new platform, which was designed specifically for this car.
Despite this, a significant part of the units, components and mechanisms of the Mazda cx 7 are borrowed components of other models from Mazda. For example, the front suspension is completely taken from the Mazda MPV minivan, and the developers decided to take the suspension from the Mazda 3, which has undergone minor modifications, as the basis for the rear.
The all-wheel drive transmission, which was also equipped with the presented crossover, was inherited from the Mazda 6 MPS. In addition, the 6th generation Mazda gave the owners of the CX-7 a derated engine with a capacity of 238 hp. The gearbox is a six-speed "Active matic" automatic unit, which has a manual shift function.
It should also be noted that the Mazda cx-7 car has a security system that includes the following elements:
- Six airbags;
- Dynamic Stability Control (DSC);
- Anti-lock braking system (ABS);
- Emergency Brake Assist (EBA);
- Traction control system (TSC).
Specifications Mazda cx 7
Before describing the technical characteristics of this car, it must be clarified that there are different modifications of it depending on the region of delivery, each of which has a standard and restyled version:
- Russia;
- Japan;
- Europe;
Below is a table that shows the technical characteristics of the engines that the crossover was equipped with:
| Russia | Japan | Europe | USA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine brand | L5-VE L3-VDT | L3-VDT | MZR DISI L3-VDT | L5-VE L3-VDT |
| Engine capacity, l | 2.5 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.2 2.3 | 2.5 2.3 |
| Power, hp | 161-170 238-260 | 238-260 | 150 – 185 238 - 260 | 161-170 238-260 |
| Torque, N*m | 226 380 | 380 | 400 380 | 226 380 |
| Fuel used | AI-95 AI-98 | AI-95, AI-98 | Diesel fuel; AI-95, AI-98 | AI-95 AI-98 |
| Fuel consumption, l/100 km | 7.9 - 11.8 9.7 - 14.7 | 8.9 - 11.5 | 5.6 - 7.5 9.7 - 14.7 | 7.9 - 11.8 9.7 - 14.7 |
| engine's type | Petrol, in-line, 4-cylinder turbocharged | Diesel, in-line, 4-cylinder turbocharged; Petrol, in-line, 4-cylinder turbocharged | Petrol, in-line, 4-cylinder; Petrol, in-line, 4-cylinder turbocharged |
|
| Additional information about the engine | Direct fuel injection, DOHC | Direct fuel injection Common-rail, DOHC; Direct fuel injection, DOHC | Distributive fuel injection; Direct fuel injection, DOHC |
|
| Cylinder diameter, mm | 89 – 100 87.5 | 87.5 | 86 87.5 | 89 – 100 87.5 |
| Compression ratio | 09.07.2018 09.05.2018 | 09.05.2018 01.01.1970 | 16.03.2018 09.05.2018 | 09.07.2018 09.05.2018 |
| Piston stroke, mm | 94 – 100 94 | 94 | 94 | 94 – 100 |
Based on the above table, we can safely say that the Mazda CX-7 engine range does not have a wide range of choices. There are only 3 ICE options to choose from - a diesel power unit and two gasoline ones.
The first is called the MZR-CD R2AA, has a displacement of 2.2 liters and is equipped with a turbocharger, which allows you to output power of 170 hp, acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h takes 11.3 seconds, and the average fuel consumption is 7, 5 liters. Below is a photo of this engine in the engine compartment: 
For reference! On the CX-7 crossovers, which were assembled for the European market, an exhaust gas treatment system (SCR) was additionally installed!
The 2.3-liter L3-VDT gasoline engine was inherited from the CX-7 from the Mazda 6 MPS. It included direct fuel injection, turbocharging and an intercooler. This motor was installed both on cars with a manual transmission, which made it possible to obtain a power of 260 hp, and with a six-speed automatic transmission, as a result, the power was reduced to 238 hp.
It must be emphasized that both versions of this power unit are not economical, because according to passport data, fuel consumption reaches 11 - 11.5 l / 100 km in the combined cycle. However, due to the presence of a turbine, the CX-7 crossover has good acceleration dynamics - 8.3 seconds to 100 km / h. Below is the L3-VDT in one of the Japanese catalogs: 
The last of the two gasoline engines, with a displacement of 2.5 liters, was installed on the post-styled versions of the Mazda cx 7. This engine differs in that it does not have a turbine and is considered an atmospheric power unit. Its power is 161 hp, acceleration to 100 km / h takes 10.3 seconds according to passport data, and fuel consumption in the combined cycle.
The engine is called L5-VE and works in conjunction with a five-speed automatic transmission. It is found in front-wheel drive models of the CX-7, which are intended for the American market. There is also a Russian version of the L5-VE internal combustion engine, which works in conjunction with a mechanical transmission and allows you to reach a power of 170 hp. 
Which engine to choose Mazda CX-7
When choosing an engine, first of all, you should consider your own preferences. For example, for one driver, an important parameter is the dynamics of the car, its maximum speed. For these purposes, the L3-VDT turbocharged engine is best suited. However, it should be understood that the supercharger not only adds power, but also reduces the life of the engine.
In addition, according to the owners of this power unit, very often there are problems with the turbine and engine oil starvation. Fuel consumption is also an important parameter, because turbocharging significantly increases it.
Naturally, for most drivers, the reliability of the engine, its economy and resource are more important. For these purposes, the naturally aspirated L5-VE engine, which has a working volume of 2.5 liters, is best suited.
Unfortunately, the MZR-CD R2AA diesel engine, which is installed on the European versions of the CX-7, is extremely rare in our country. However, if you are lucky enough to find such an instance, then it will be a good alternative to gasoline aspirated. Diesel engines have greater efficiency and operational life, and also have greater traction.
Which engine is most popular among Mazda CX-7 owners
In our country, almost all Mazda CX-7 cars are equipped with a gasoline turbocharged L3-VDT engine. And it's not because it's the most attractive option. The thing is that in our secondary market to find any other engine is an extremely difficult task.
This motor gives such a difficult crossover a pleasant acceleration dynamics, but with reliability everything is not entirely smooth. So, the most common problems in the L3-VDT engine are:
- Supercharger (turbine). The owners note that this unit fails very often, without showing any signs of a future breakdown. However, it is worth considering that many owners personally reduce the life of the supercharger by performing poor-quality maintenance;
- Increased timing chain wear. Many owners agree that it can stretch in just 50,000 km;
- Coupling VVT-i. If the other two malfunctions are difficult to identify or prevent, then everything is much easier with a clutch. The main sign of its failure is a crackling when starting the engine, and immediately before it breaks down, the sound of the engine becomes rough, more like a diesel engine.
Recommendation! For a gasoline turbo engine, an increased consumption of engine oil is characteristic. For L3-VDT, 1 liter per 1,000 km is considered the norm. It is very important to monitor the level of engine oil, because its lack entails increased wear not only of the turbine, but of all engine systems!
Mazda cx 7 produced from 2007 to 2012, currently out of production
Mazda CX-7 downed SUV with an expressive look, in a good basic configuration, leather interior and automatic transmission. Mazda cx 7 was produced with engines of 2.3 and 2.5 liters, as a full and front-wheel drive, with a 2.3 engine there was only an all-wheel drive version, although all-wheel drive was connected only when the front wheels slipped.
Suspension Mazda cx 7 front independent, spring, McPherson, with anti-roll bar, and rear Independent, spring, multi-link, with anti-roll bar. The suspension is very stiff, every junction of the road is felt with your back, that is, where you drove in a regular sedan and think, well, road and road, then driving a Mazda CX7 you will feel every joint and every little dimple. But it doesn’t cause any special problems, racks generally go 150-200 thousand km, links 80 thousand km each. It happens that the racks creak, but this is because the silents in the racks themselves have worn out, you will not find them in the original, but there are duplicates of these rubber bands, however, to replace it, you need to remove the rack. Keep an eye on the fluid in the transfer case, because after 80 thousand mileage the oil seal starts to leak, characteristic splashes will appear under the bottom near the transfer case, the oil seal costs 200 rubles, its replacement is 1000 rubles, plus a liter of transmission fluid will be needed.
There are no problems with the power steering, only in the early versions the hoses themselves froze, they were changed under warranty for frost-resistant ones.
With automatic transmission Mazda CX-7 there are no special problems either, the mechanics were not installed on this car.
The wheels were installed, both 18 radius and 19. There are problems with the choice of rubber, the range is extremely low, and therefore its cost is high.
Now let's go to the most important unit
Mazda CX-7 engine
Mazda cx 7 engine 2.3 liters turbocharged and direct injection, Euro4, under 95 gasoline, power 238 horses. The tank is only 60 liters, and this car consumes 13.8 liters on the highway in cruise mode at 99 km per hour on a flat road, it is worth going up a small hill, the consumption rises to 14.5 liters on a computer. If you drive 120 km / h, the consumption rises to 16 liters, in the city it’s impossible to get below 25 liters, and don’t listen to sellers who treat about low fuel consumption. Even in the TOP GIR television program, they said about this car that you can only drive it to a gas station. But the problems are just ahead, problems with the turbine start from 80 thousand mileage, its repair is about 40-60 thousand rubles. This engine was put on a charged Mazda 3, where it showed itself in a not very good shape, the timing chain jumped, which leads to expensive repairs, the chain stretched, the replacement of which reaches 100 thousand rubles, and it stretches up to 100 thousand more. km of run.
Expensive bodywork, which makes this car stolen for analysis, so take care of the security system.
The owners of this car are faced with the problem of selling this car, it is very low liquidity. Even the officials offer to trade - in for ridiculous money. Having bought this car, you must understand that you can only sell to an unknowing person. And the one who knows will bypass this car
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Mazda CX7 is a crossover of high comfort, with a pronounced sporty appearance and a powerful engine. This car is able to show itself on the road, its aggressive dynamics allows you to quickly overtake and pick up the desired speed, immediately stop and firmly “sit” on the road. Aerodynamic characteristics allow you to press the car to the roadway as much as possible, and all-wheel drive allows you to confidently take turns and quickly pick up speed. Moreover, this car always stands out in the traffic because of its elegant appearance and sporty appearance. All these qualities of the Japanese car quickly attracted fans of fast and aggressive driving.
But it is not enough to buy a car, it still needs to be serviced in a timely manner so that it is a joy, and does not cause trouble with constant repairs.
Mazda CX-7 was supplied to the Russian market with a 2.5-liter engine and 2.3-liter TURBO. In this article, we will tell you about the most common breakdowns of the Mazda CX-7 with a 2.3 TURBO engine and how to prevent them. It is better to prevent than to repair several times more expensive.
power unit
One of the “weakest” units in the CX-7 is the turbine. The resource of the turbine with proper operation is up to 100,000 km of run. Certainly not the most record resource, but still.
The main prevention of turbine failure is a timely oil change, although according to the maintenance regulations 15,000 km are indicated, but in practice this mileage is not real, because. mileage in a metropolis due to constant traffic jams (acceleration-braking), the engine experiences enormous loads, should be changed every 10,000 km. A mandatory recommendation is to install a turbo timer, which will extend the life of the turbine.
But if you do not have a turbo timer, before turning off the internal combustion engine, you should let it idle for 3-5 minutes. What does it give? As you know, the turbine is lubricated with engine oil and cooled with antifreeze. When the internal combustion engine is stopped and turned off, the hot turbine reaches a high temperature, which contains oil, which stops circulating and simply starts to burn out in the turbine, releasing the corresponding resins, which, in turn, gradually clog the oil channels designed for oil and lubricant circulation. Over time, this can lead to failure of the turbine, and the failure of this unit can lead to serious damage to the internal combustion engine.
Of all the Mazda 2.3 engine lines, the turbo proved to be the most capricious and with a small margin of safety, an internal combustion engine. Timing chains tend to stretch quickly and should be replaced with a run of 75-90, it all depends on the driving style, the more aggressive the ride, the wear will occur faster. This applies to all parts of the car and not only this model, but any car. When the chain is stretched, the engine starts to work unstably, additional noise occurs, various errors appear. It is also worth noting that together with the chain it is necessary to replace the timing gear mounted on the intake camshaft.
Practice has also shown weak fuel injection nozzles. Timely replacement of the fuel filter and control of the fuel being poured will allow extending the life of this element. You should not refuel at little-known gas stations and do not fill in gasoline not lower than AI-95.
I would like to pay special attention to the control of the oil level in the engine. At the slightest "oil starvation" irreversible processes occur in the motor.
The result of "oil starvation"
Everything happens after cranking the connecting rod bearings, due to lack of oil, they stick to the connecting rods and turn. If you suddenly allow a critical drop in the oil level and you hear extraneous noise in the engine, you should immediately turn off the engine and take it to a technical center on a tow truck. You may be lucky and your repair will not include the replacement of the crankshaft (the part is not cheap, if you try hard you can find 1200-1300 US dollars), it will be enough to replace the liners plus all the costs associated with engine repair.
Suspension
The undercarriage also includes some shortcomings that you should pay attention to and take all necessary measures to prevent serious damage. In the hodovka, the CX-7 has "weak" wheel bearings, mainly the rear and angular gearboxes. In the event of a malfunction, a characteristic hum appears when driving, which causes discomfort in driving, and most importantly, that it is dangerous! If the bearing suddenly jams on the move at high speed, then the consequences can be anything. Imagine a highway, you are driving at a speed of 110 km / h, everything is fine, when suddenly it jams, let's say the right wheel, what happens? Yes, if you are an experienced and attentive driver, you will have time to hold the steering wheel and slow down, but what if not? To prevent premature failure of the bearing, we can only advise wheel balancing control, careful driving, and less “catching” pits on the roads. Unfortunately, the safety margin of the CX-7 hub bearings is not large, perhaps this is a miscalculation of the designers or the quality of Russian roads, which the Japanese, of course, did not focus on. The wheel bearings should be replaced immediately at the slightest noise.
About the angular gearbox, one can note the appearance of an oil leak due to weak seals. Mandatory timely maintenance will prevent serious damage to the "razdatki" on the CX-7. As practice shows, the happy owners of the Mazda CX-7 do not attach much importance to maintenance, do not change the oil on time and do not pay attention to oil leaks from the gearbox, which leads to a breakdown of this unit. As a rule, few people are engaged in the restoration of the angular gearbox, and the replacement is carried out entirely.
Cooling and ventilation system
Air conditioning compressors have shown themselves to be very capricious and sensitive to overheating. Due to insufficient cooling of the compressor, it fails.
Poor cooling can be due to clogged radiators, but not from the inside, but from the outside. Everyone knows that the radiator is installed in the nose of the car, between the engine and the bumper. When moving, the radiator is also cooled due to the incoming air flow, and along with this flow, small particles of dust, dirt, fluff and other small insects fly through the radiator. All this mass settles in the radiator cells, thereby obstructing the incoming air, weakening the cooling efficiency. Periodic flushing of the radiator to prevent overheating or insufficient cooling of the engine and auxiliary components. Effective flushing of the radiator is achieved by completely dismantling it from the car.
In addition to the above "sores" of the Mazda CX-7, there are also problems of an electrical nature. For example, the failure of their first oxygen sensor or, as it is also called, a lambda probe. It is difficult to name the cause of the failure of this sensor and it is impossible to predict and establish its service life. Most likely this is due to the quality of fuel in Russia. If this sensor fails, CHEK ENGINE lights up on the panel, the car loses momentum, power drops, fuel consumption increases. Often, after replacing the oxygen sensor, a satisfied customer, leaving the service station, returns again with the following problem: when driving between 2000 and 3000 engine rpm, the car starts to “twitch”, but after passing this threshold it drives as usual. It's all about the malfunction of the wiring harness, its repair or replacement successfully solves the problem of malfunction.
We have described to you quite frequent and characteristic malfunctions of the Mazda CX-7. In general, a good car, but requires special attention and timely maintenance. If you follow the entire maintenance schedule and monitor the behavior of the machine and the operation of all systems, as well as take preventive measures in time, then you will be able to avoid serious breakdowns, which entails enormous expenses.
