The current Mazda6 has been with us since 2003. With a new 6 expected for 2009, changes to Mazda's mid-size family car are minimal for 2008: A new tire pressure monitoring system and a few extra bits of standard equipment. Also, the manual transmission is now only available in the basic Sport model; Touring and Grand Touring are automatic-only. Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Chevy have all re-done their mid-sizers in the past year -- so how does the Mazda6 measure up? Read on. Base price $19,725, price as tested $30,215, EPA fuel economy estimates 17-21 city, 25-29 highway.
- Enjoyable to drive
- Comfortable and quiet
- Available as a handy 5-door hatchback
- Small trunk
- No rear seat headrests
- No electronic stability control system
- Mazda's front-wheel-drive mid-size family car, available as a 4-door sedan or 5-door hatchback
- Choice of 4-cylinder or V6 engines, both with manual or automatic transmission
- Current version is in its 6th year of production
Larger photos: Front - rear - interior - dash
I'll be honest -- I didn't expect much from the 2008 Mazda6. The car is pretty much a lame duck, with a new version expected for the 2009 model year. Worse yet, two of my favorite versions, the all-wheel-drive Mazdaspeed 6 and the Mazda6 Sportwagon, have been canned for 2008. To top it all off, the version Mazda sent for testing was my least favorite: The sedan with 3.0 liter V6 engine. (I'd much rather have the 5-door hatchback with the 2.3 liter four-cylinder engine.)
And yet after a week of using the Mazda6 as my primary set of wheels, I found myself muttering those words which have become so familiar to me: "I was wrong about this car."
I liked the Mazda6. I really liked it. It's quick, quiet, and a couple notches higher on the fun-to-drive scale than mainstream mid-sizers like the Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, and Chevrolet Malibu. The Honda Accord has a comparable fun factor, but I prefer the Mazda's interior with its two-tone color scheme (link goes to photo) and simple controls. The Mazda 6's optional navigation system doesn't use a touch screen, but it does have its buttons mounted on a removable remote -- nifty! Too bad the navigation system is only available on the top-of-the-line Grand Touring model.
Only three things would keep me from recommending the 6: The trunk is smaller than its rivals (though it makes up for it with a well-designed folding seatback), it doesn't offer electronic stability control, and the back seats -- hard as this is to believe -- don't have headrests. (Funny, I thought this was 2008, not 1968.) Still, if I didn't know the current Mazda 6 was so far along in its life cycle, I'd never guess. It's handsome, functional, and great to drive. If you're shopping for a mid-size sedan, the Mazda6 is definitely worth a look. -- Aaron Gold
