First glance: The mid-size with a sleek compact look
With globalization taking hold in the car business, design is one of the few ways that a car company can retain any brand identity. Mazda has done a great job at forging a look. The Mazda6 Wagon carries it off in style.The Mazda look is slightly anthropomorphic to my eye - I can't help but see a cheery face in the 6's front facade. The corporate snout is a slightly bulbous one, with a big wide grin and impish high-intensity-discharge (HID) headlamps with multiple projectors. Along the body, a rising belt line makes for an assertive, forward leaning shape, with smaller rear windows than front. 18" alloy wheels sparkle in the big wheel wells. Like the Subaru wagons, the Mazda's tailgate slopes toward the front of the car, giving the impression of aerodynamic sleekness and leaving a rounded, teardrop profile. Large wrap-around taillights provide good visibility from the rear, and a jaunty little visor crowns the rear gate. Though it is a midsize wagon, the 6 retains a compact look as it glides by.
I'm not a big fan of body side molding - parking lot protectors - stuck to the doors of cars, but I understand their function. The 6 has moldings on each side, and they are unsightly on an otherwise clean design.
Continued below...
In the Driver's Seat: Plenty of room for "Big J"
As a midsize wagon, the 6 doesn't have a lot of room in the back seat. Three adults will fit, but not for long. There's no "way back" seat, as we used to call the third row in my day. But there is a very useful cargo compartment, behind the back seat, and it's a breeze to fold down the 60/40 split second row to create a cavernous space, at least by mid-size wagon standards. With the second row up, cargo volume is 33.7 cubic feet; with the second row folded, cargo volume is 60.5 cubic feet. That's a lot of groceries. Forget about getting a 4'x8' sheet of plywood in the 6, but you can squeeze a pair of bicycles in if you have to.
The dash is modern and straightforward, with a circle motif dominating. Big round gauges sit above the steering wheel, round air vents and rotary climate controls balance out the center stack. It's functional and attractive.
On the Road: A wagon with sporting aspirations
The last station wagon my parents owned was a 1976 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser. It was gigantic, with a 127" wheelbase, room for a gaggle of kids in three rows of seating, and a 455 cubic inch V8 under the hood. Woohoo! The Custom Cruiser was a hoot to drive, and so is the Mazda6 -- in a completely different way. The 6 has sporting ambition. It handles very well, between its four-wheel independent suspension, front and rear stabilizer bars, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes and traction control system. Under the hood, the 3.0 liter 24-valve V6 cranks out 215 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque, modest output in today's horsepower war, but enough for some fun. The 6's five-speed manual transmission is slick and direct, connected to a light, easy to manage clutch. Weighing in at 3404 lbs, the 6 is a little on the heavy side, but carries its weight nicely, as they used to say about Jackie Gleason.The level of standard equipment on the 6 S Grand Sport package approaches luxury levels. Leather seating, power moonroof, 6 CD Bose stereo with optional ($430) Sirius Satellite capability, power windows and door locks, front side air bags and side curtain airbags. A navigation system is a $2,000 option -- I wouldn't buy a new car without one.
Journey's End:
If you're looking for a mid-size wagon, there are several other choices out there to consider. The Dodge Magnum deserves some attention as the most "hot rod" option. It attacks the wagon equation from another direction, with rear-wheel drive and the option of big power with a Hemi V8. Chevy's Malibu Maxx has a lot of fans -- it doesn't float my boat, but I'm not into ugly. Subaru's Legacy GT Wagon is a hot buy, and Subaru's all-wheel-drive system is an added bonus. For a few thousand dollars more, you might want to consider the BMW 3-series Wagon or the Volkswagen Passat Wagon, both of which up the ante in terms of horsepower and sporting performance over the Mazda6.
If you choose a Mazda6 S Grand Sport Wagon, you'll get a lot for your money. Hopefully, you'll be able to afford a few trips with your kids so that they'll have some great memories of family togetherness. Ah, to hear my dad yell "I'll pull this car over if you kids don't pipe down" again...
