Mazda’s midsize alternative buries the competition
in fun
If any standard issue midsize family sedan
deserves the occasional visit to your local racetrack, it’s the Mazda 6. While
it’s a far cry from the quickest car out there—in Skyactiv 2.5-liter
four-banger guise like our tester, it’s even a bit doggy off the line—it
nonetheless entertains with a lively chassis that performs well above its pay
grade. That it’s easy on the checkbook both off the lot and at the pump is a
bonus much appreciated by every owner from whom we heard.
“After a round-trip to California,” wrote
one owner, “I got a low of 33.6 mpg on one tank, which saw much city traffic
and strong headwinds on the highway, and a high of 42.7 in steady 70- to 75-mph
highway cruising. Most of the time, the car averaged around 36-40 mpg.” Echoed
another: “Mileage has not been under 30 mpg in mixed driving, with a maximum of
34.5 on the highway at speeds up to 80. The content is surprising for a
‘base-level’ car.”
The
Mazda 6i Grand Touring is a rather handsome car
Though straight-line performance is hardly
the four-pot car’s forte, the Mazda manages to produce drama-free and
consistent speed runs, turning a perfect amount of wheelspin before hooking up,
aided with a bit of brake torque to hold the car on the line. We found shifting
the Mazda in manual mode not nearly as enjoyable, or effective, as letting the
computer do all of the work. Our quickest 0-60-mph run resulted in an
8.1-second trip, with our best quarter-mile reaching 87.5 mph in 16.2 seconds.
Stopping power is better than decent,
though a considerable amount of fade started just after a few runs down the
track. Continued testing resulted in a 60-0-mph stopping distance of 127.8
feet.
Interior
is well laid out with a good driving position
Weaving through our tight slalom course,
the car came to life. The Mazda 6 really likes to be pushed, and it rewarded us
with better times on every subsequent run, its best run coming when we simply
left it in second gear and kept the engine running up high in the fat of the
power band. The chassis responded eagerly, the steering was quick and lively,
and all the side-to-side weight transitions were handled beautifully. It’s rare
to find a car in this class that doesn’t just plow its way right through the
cones. Instead, the Mazda had good front-end bite and almost slithered through
the course.
Likewise around the skid- pad; the Mazda 6
exhibited high grip limits on our 200-foot circle. Subtle changes to steering
and throttle inputs kept the nose pointing in the right direction, and the rear
rotated around well. The chassis is definitely tuned for a sporty demeanor—and
owners we heard from love that fact.
Headroom
is tighter than legroom, but both are adequate
“This is the best sporty family car under
$30,000”, said one owner. “It handles the road on rails and is great on the
back roads. A similarly equipped BMW 320i would be well over $40,000, and you’d
be stuck with run-flats.”
“I have read several reviews that say the
Mazda 6 handles like a big Miata, and I concur,” said another.
Gripes were few and scattered. One owner
pointed out the lack of a height adjuster on the front passenger seat left
shorter companions staring at the cowl; another said the lumbar support on the
driver seat was too aggressive. Some would like a slightly bigger nav screen;
others would prefer more power, but not at the expense of that great mileage.
