The technology and car industry have never been better, and with new tech, engines, gearboxes, lightweight but rigid constructions and parts you pretty much can go wrong when choosing a new car. At least that is what William Scholes claims, and for the most part, he is probably true. A lot of cars has probably gone through your fingers (if not they will at some point in life), but there is only few that are actually worth spending your money on. One of those models is the Mazda 6, and it is one of those rare cars that feels just right from the moment you sit in it.
How can we back up what is said here? Well, let’s start from basics. From the moment you sit in it, you have a perfect driving position, the gear shifter is as precise and mechanically connected as you will find on the MX-5 sports car, the pedals are correctly and consistently weighted while the steering is sensitive and responsive at the same time, as you could hope for on a large family car. Behind it are very clear instruments which are easy to read with a general lack of buttons and knobs and whatnot around the dashboard making it actually refreshing and appealing.
That is not all as it also has that famous Mazda infotainment control system called MZD-Connect. The rotary dial between the front seats is paired with the touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard, and it is incredibly straight forward and easy to use that you can’t but wonder how some automakers fail to make these work in their vehicles.
The room inside it is sufficient, and you can’t complain. To be honest, you do have a little less legroom in the back when compared to Skoda Superb, and the headroom is not the best in the segment thanks to the coupe-like roofline, but it is still OK. This vehicle made its debut in 2012, and now it has received a facelift for 2017, but the Japanese automaker decided to make tiny changes to the outside (tweaks to the headlamps, grille and wheels) and change a lot inside by upping the interior quality and overall refinement level. Thanks to that decision now we can all enjoy the new door seals, laminated side windows and extra sound proofing that make the 6 more quiet and upscale.
As far as engine bay is considered, this vehicle comes with either 2.0 L petrol engine that offers 143 HP or 163 HP or the diesel 2.2 L unit that produces 148 HP or 173 HP. To be really honest, the diesel units are a lot more sought out for, but that is OK, there’s something for everyone’s taste. But nevertheless, which one you choose they all have very eye-catching fuel economy figures. You will never (at least not without your own lab and rolling road) achieve the official figure of 68.9 MPG but do not despair, even though it is a large family car it still is very economical. The six-speed manual transmission is more than excellent. To pick the six-speed automatic transmission alternative, would mean you are the type of person that really hates to shift gears.
As far as upgrades are considered, Mazda added a clever device to reduce vibration in the diesel engine and something called G-Vectoring Control which reduces the amount of torque delivered to the front wheels for a split second (or long enough to transfer a fraction more weight on to the front axle) when you enter a corner overenthusiastic. There is also one more thing called Transient Control, and it reduces the turbo lag, boosts torque and gives a lot more responsive throttle to engines of this company.
The Mazda’s new 6 is a vehicle that has all the important areas covered like space, quality, reliability, driving dynamics, efficiency, and that alone should be enough to make you want to buy one. The panache and verve that it now has should be an added bonus and the tie breaker that some may need. We can’t say it is the cheapest in its class, no it definitely isn’t, but it offers great value for money you pay. The least expensive version of the 6 is somewhere around $26,000 while the 148 HP diesel SE-L Nav one is just around $32,500. The range topper – and the one everyone wants – Sport Nav with the 173 HP engine comes at slightly above $36,000.
