Having the Mazda CX-9 and Buick Enclave as long-term cars at the same time has provided plenty of opportunity for head-to-head comparisons. Both crossovers have proven to be mile-gobbling staff favorites, but for me, I'd buy the Mazda.

I do prefer the Buick in some respects. It has better interior materials and looks nicer than our CX-9 Touring's more somber approach (a Grand Touring may have been a different story). Also, the ride is less firm and a lot friendlier on crappy highway pavement.

However, the CX-9's nimble steering and slightly smaller size (specifically the three-inch difference in width) makes it feel less cumbersome when driving around town. Its transmission is also quicker to downshift and I appreciate the automanual override provided (with preferred - + arrangement). Lastly, the CX-9 fits me like a glove. The telescoping wheel goes way out and the front of the height-adjusted seat pushes up high, providing my long legs with ample support. It's not that I'm not comfortable in the Enclave (or any of the GM triplets), but the CX-9 fits me better than 95 percent of all other cars.

If the CX-9 didn't exist, I'd probably pick the Enclave (or rather the Acadia) as an easy favorite. But the CX-9 does exist.

James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 14,766 miles

I got the keys to our Mazda for the weekend. Yes, a bachelor party weekend in Vegas. I was to rush out there to pick up my buddies at the airport. They were flying in from Seattle, New York and Denver.

Well, one thing leads to another and I wasn't able to get out of LA easily. I got slammed in traffic all the way to the bright lights of the Strip and my friends had to share a van to the hotel.

What happened past my arrival to the bar where they were all waiting for me never happened. Especially if any of our girlfriends, fiancée's or wives ever ask.

But I can tell you there are a few hard and fast rules about Vegas: Everyone is on the take, never ask a cabbie or doorman for advice because the get kickbacks. Know when to hold them. Know when to run. Lastly always, ALWAYS, "forget" to bring a camera to the bachelor party because it never happened. You don't want that kind of evidence to come back and haunt you. It could be sofa city for the next month, buddy.

Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer

Despite the fact that I'm not much for SUVs, I like our long-term Mazda CX-9. Its size is perfect for being utilitarian without being unwieldy. And it drives well. There's more steering feel and better response than I've come to expect in three-row SUVs. Plus, I can haul a kid, a bike and my wife (order not important here) without feeling cramped. And I think Mazda's interiors are usually class leading.

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We've spent some long days at the track this week, and our long-term 2008 Mazda CX-9 has dutifully served as the primary support vehicle. With its third-row seat folded into the floor, it of course offers plenty of room for all manner of testing and camera equipment.

At the Streets of Willow road course in Rosamond, California, where it's definitely not summer yet, the Mazda's emptied cargo bay also provided a suitable refuge from the desert sun and 30-mph winds. Undoubtedly, a couple adults could fit in the back of almost any midsize SUV, but the CX-9's bay seems particularly comfortable. The carpeting is soft with a smidgen of padding underneath and there are no major seams in the floor. The cargo tie-downs are mounted at the bottom of the side panels, so they don't get in the way. Best of all, I could sit back here and still have a good view of everything happening on the track.

Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ about 13,800 miles

No, the above photo does not represent a total systems failure of our 2008 Mazda CX-9. It's merely a snapshot of the 5-second bulb check that happens every time any of us starts our car. Here, near the Mazda CX-9 tach's numeral "2", you'll see a unique warning lamp that isn't common to all cars.

Check engine lights come on for a variety of reasons. But the most common and mundane one is the missing or loose gas cap. Many a person has trudged to the dealer to figure out why the lamp is on, only to find out that their gas cap was loose or had a cut seal. The Mazda CX-9 is one of a few new cars that displays this specific and common trouble code with a dedicated lamp, avoiding unnecessary trips to the dealer.

Speaking of fuel, our 2008 two-wheel drive CX-9 is rated 16 city and 22 highway mpg. On the northern leg to Sacramento, we were in a mild hurry to make a dinner appointment, and we spent a lot of time on the freeway at just above 75 miles per hour. After 369.4 miles, we added 17.0 gallons for a 21.7 mpg average fuel economy.

On the return leg we had more time, so I set the cruise at 70 mph and left it there. After 444.0 miles long miles with a half-dozen potty and food stops, the low fuel warning finally came ablaze. It took 19.3 gallons of unleaded to fill the tank, which works out to an EPA rating-beating run of 23.0 mpg.

Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 11,789 miles

During our Sacramento run, my wife spent some time behind the wheel of our 2008 Mazda CX-9. At 5' 4" tall, her driving position is quite a ways further forward than mine and she cranks the seat height up to see properly.

The first time she got back in to her previously-set driving position, she nearly knocked herself unconcious. The sleekly-styled CX-9 has a much more steeply-raked windshield than its competition, but she has to scoot and lean forward towards it to get past the seat bolsters when she gets in. Cranium, meet a-pillar. A-pillar, this is Cranium.

She'd need to learn to duck to drive this one daily, but that's easier said than done as she simultaneously needs to step up to get into the seat. I suppose she could move the seat down and back each time she gets out, but that's such a pain and power seats are so s-l-o-w.

I don't have this problem because my seat position is already all the way back and down, because I actually sit DOWN onto the seat and because I've hit my head getting in and out of enough caged racecars to have made the "duck" reflex instinctual.

Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 11,345 miles

This weekend my family made a quick blast up to Sacramento, California, in the 2008 Mazda CX-9. For this trip, my youngest daughter brought a friend along, so we got to try it out with five aboard. Since we're kind people, we didn't make anyone sit on "the hump" for the 1,000-mile round trip. The CX-9's split-fold third row got a real-world tryout.

Since this was to be a three-day, two-night trip, we could get by with condensed luggage. With the biggest suitcases alongside (two carry-on roller bags,) my eldest daughter volunteered to take the back seat. Frankly, I think she liked the idea of a private space to herself and easy access to her stuff.

It all fit well, but everything was soft sided and malleable. I don't think we could travel for more than three nights like this--not unless we planned on doing laundry along the way and left everyone's favorite pillows behind. With our usual complement of four family members, we could stay out for weeks.

Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 10,976 miles

Last week I was driving our long-term Buick Enclave when a friend asked if it was the new Mazda SUV he'd been hearing such good things about. He was referring to the CX-9. No big deal, I quickly corrected him and thought little of it.

But then yesterday I was in our long-term Mazda CX-9 and another friend asked me how I like the new Buick Enclave I was driving.

This is of course the first time in history a Buick has been mistaken for a Mazda and vice versa, but you know what, now that they mention it, the they do kind of look alike.

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 10,566 miles

As expected, grocery shopping with our CX-9 is no problem at all. There's plenty of room with the third row folded, and the rear storage compartment serves well as a bag holder. More details and pictures can be found after the jump.

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In the last seven days, I've put about 900 miles onto our long-term Mazda CX-9. A lot of this mileage came from last weekend's trip to visit my in-laws, which is about 300 miles each way of mostly freeway driving.

The CX-9 has been a great vehicle to have. For the trip, the Mazda had plenty of room for my wife, eight-month-old daughter and our associated gear and luggage. The driver seat is comfortable and supportive, and I've been able to dial in a perfect driving position. Visibility is pretty decent for large crossover, and road noise is within acceptable limits. If there's a complaint, it might be the ride is a tad bit too firm for lots of highway driving.

Oh, and fuel economy is what I'd describe as mediocre. I averaged 21 mpg for my driving. At least I was able to push past 350 miles between fill ups.

Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 10,375 miles