The ultimate roadtrip vehicle

Our annual friend’s trip to Bend is always an adventure – whether we’re hitting the slopes, snowshoeing, or in the case of this year (errr, spring like conditions), plenty of trail running and hiking – and of course with all of the outdoor adventuring, it’s important that we have a reliable car.

We usually take my truck for any and all mountain adventures (it’s a 2003 Nissan Frontier) because it has all-wheel drive, and is generally reliable in the snow. But it has been acting up a bit lately and it’s not super roomy when you’re going to be driving with four adults and a dog. In fact, it’s downright uncomfortable with that many bodies in the cab.

For this year’s trip, we had four adults (which included one super pregnant lady, aka me), and a dog, and I couldn’t figure out how we were going to make the 3+ hour roadtrip from Portland to Bend (not to mention all the adventuring once we got there) comfortable for everyone. Luckily, I received another awesome opportunity through DriveShop to try out the Mazda CX-9 on this road trip and OMG, it was amazing! It felt like luxury road tripping. Leg room and space for days AND tons of trunk space for all of our gear.

We were like, is there enough snow to justify bringing the snowshoes? Eh, who cares? We have space. Bring ’em! Actually, it felt more like, does anyone else want to ride with us in this amazing car?? We’ve got all the room! Bring it on. More adults, more dogs. Let’s do this! 

On Friday morning, we took our amazingly spacious car out to Forest Park so that we could stretch our legs, and get in a little run before hitting the road.

And immediately I loved having satellite radio, seat warmers, and again, ALL THE SPACE.

After our run, we loaded all of the humans, gear and one sassy pup into the red Mazda and hit the road for Bend, with an estimated arrival time of 7:30 pm. And while we hit a little Friday afternoon traffic, the drive was pleasant. We had good tunes, good snacks, good company and tons of space. Plus, the Mazda has the BEST cruise control – I was able to set both the speed and the distance – and it would AUTOMATICALLY slow me down or speed me up to keep me at a safe distance from other vehicles. OMG, smartest car ever!!!  Seriously. How is this even possible?

I’ve decided that if there is a perfect roadtrip vehicle, it must be the Mazda CX-9 – it’s luxury meets utility in the future.

Thank you so much to Mazda and DriveShop for making our roadtrip so amazing, I can’t imagine a better ride! And while I received the car to review, all opinions, words expressed, and experiences are my very own. My husband and I wished we could just keep it….ahhh, dreams.

To learn more about Mazda Cx-9 follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Stay sweaty friends!

XO

Jamie