Extra Room and More Zoom-Zoom
For the second-generation 6, Mazda has done just about everything right.
WHEN the first-generation Mazda 6 was introduced six years ago, reviewers gushed over its lithe handling: here, at last, was a reasonably priced midsize front-drive sedan (and later, a hatchback and a wagon) that was exhilarating to drive.
But zoom-zoom never made the Mazda 6 a serious challenger in the marketplace to the big-selling Honda Accord, Toyota Camry or Nissan Altima. In comparison with these august competitors, the shoulder and leg room were a bit tight, the ride was a tad harsh, the interiors a smidgen low-rent. Mazda has managed to stay afloat in the midsize market, but only by discounting heavily.
But for the second-generation 6, Mazda has done just about everything right. The redesigned 2009 model stands up to the big dogs in comfort, roominess and finish, yet retains its sporty character and looks great to boot.
What’s more, the company has sweated the details — for example, it trimmed the annoyingly large turning radius down to size. The unanswered question is whether a car company that in recent years has largely marketed to the young at heart will be able to lure more affluent customers away from the tried and true competition.
This time around, Mazda has abandoned the hatchback and wagon models, leaving only a Michigan-built sedan that can be had in four trim levels with either of two power plants.
The 4-cylinder engine displaces 2.5 liters and generates 170 horsepower and a maximum 167 pound-feet of torque (slightly less in cars certified to the strict Partial Zero Emission Vehicle standards). Last year’s 2.3-liter motor produced just 156 horses and 154 pound-feet.
The more powerful engine, a 3.7-liter V-6 shared with Mazda’s big CX-9 crossover utility, pumps out 272 horses and 269 pound-feet of torque. That’s up from 212 horses and 197 pound-feet of the 3-liter V-6 in the first-generation car.
The in-line 4 comes with either a six-speed manual transmission or a five-speed automatic that can be shifted manually. The V-6 gets a six-speed automatic, also with a manual mode.
Standard equipment on the entry-level version, the SV, includes air-conditioning, power locks and windows, a six-speaker stereo, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, 16-inch steel wheels and a full package of safety equipment: antilock brakes, tire-pressure monitors, six air bags and both traction and stability-control systems.
Next in the lineup is the 6 Sport at $20,920 (with the 4) or $24,800 (with the V-6). With this model, you get a cruise control, remote locking and an MP3 input for the stereo. The automatic transmission is $900 extra.
Touring trim ($1,455) adds 17-inch alloy wheels (with the 4) or 18-inch wheels (with the V-6), a power driver’s seat, push-button starter, fog lights, trip computer and an interior upgrade.
The top-of-the line model, Grand Touring, adds another $3,185 and includes heated leather seats, a power passenger seat, rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone automatic air-conditioning, automatic-on Xenon headlamps, memory in the power driver’s seat, rain-sensing wipers, heated auto-dimming exterior mirrors, a blind-spot monitoring system and a Bluetooth phone link.
If you’ve got the money, Mazda’s got even more to satisfy any gadget cravings: a satellite navigation system ($2,000), Sirius Satellite Radio ($430), a moonroof and Bose stereo package ($1,760), rear spoiler ($400) and remote engine starter ($350).
I drove Grand Touring versions with both engines (designated the 6i Grand Touring and 6s Grand Touring) and automatic transmissions. The exteriors were virtually identical, and strikingly handsome by the standards of midprice, midsize sedans. Mazda has stretched the sedan by 6 inches while lengthening the wheelbase by 4.5, creating a much sleeker profile. Indeed, with its bulging front fenders (reminiscent of the RX-8 sports car) and rounded coupelike roofline (vaguely akin to the Mercedes CLS), there’s no mistaking the Mazda sedan 6 for generic Japanese-Korean suburb-mobiles.
Inside, the Mazda has gone upscale, offering better leather, plusher seating, more expensive-looking textured plastics and softer ambient lighting. The dashboard is nicely laid out with big buttons and intuitive controls.
The interior seems roomier, and it is: rear passengers get an extra 1.5 inches of legroom while occupants in both front and rear enjoy added shoulder room. The trunk, at 16.6 cubic feet, is 10 percent bigger than before and the rear seat folds down in a 60-40 split to create flexible space for bulky cargo.
The Mazda 6 can now hold its own (or better) in interior space with its main Japanese competitors. The new car is slightly roomier than the Altima and Camry in most dimensions, while only marginally less capacious than the Accord. The trunk is significantly bigger than its rivals’.
The first-gen Mazda 6 was a stealth vehicle of sorts, with its precise steering and taut suspension belying its understated design. In fact, I’ve had one in my own garage since 2003.
The 2009 Mazda 6 promises more overt pleasures, and it delivers. The car feels more substantial, smoothing out the bumps like a Cadillac or an Infiniti. With the V-6 and automatic transmission, it checks in at a hefty 3,547 pounds — 115 more than its comparably equipped predecessor. But as you push it on curves, the weight seems to melt away — a result, I surmise, of a wide wheel track and an exceptional resistance to chassis flex.
The only midprice sedans that could even pretend to have comparable handling abilities are the Altima and the Volkswagen Passat. The old Mazda 6 had adequate power. But only the turbocharged Mazdaspeed 6 (last produced in 2007) could deliver serious kick-in-the-rear acceleration.
The 4-cylinder version of the new Mazda 6 is not ready for the track. But a bigger engine with higher torque adds enough oomph for comfortable passing and freeway merging, making the 6i Grand Touring a pleasing car to drive.
The moderate road and wind noise and the harsh ride on broken pavement that were part of the first-gen Mazda 6 experience are gone. Moreover, the car has excellent cruising manners, noodling along at 65 m.p.h. or so without the annoying buzz that often emanates from 4-cylinder engines.
All that said, serious fun requires the V-6. With 36 percent more torque in a car that weighs just 3 percent more than the 2008 model, the V-6 Mazda has been transformed from a peppy family sedan into a quasi sport sedan — albeit an exceptionally refined one.
Driving on the twisty mountain roads east of Santa Barbara was a hoot. With the Michelin Pilot all-season tires — standard with the V-6 — the Mazda 6s tracked long sweeping curves magnificently.
The car isn’t quite perfect. For one thing, the five-speed automatic attached to the 4-cylinder engine hiccupped momentarily when asked to downshift by several gears. For another, I never got the voice-enabled Bluetooth that’s integrated into the satellite navigation system to understand me.
And though the E.P.A. mileage numbers (21/30 for the 4; 17/25 for the V-6, both with automatics) seem satisfactory for cars this big and muscular, I averaged just 22 m.p.g. with the 4-cylinder car. The V-6 test car did well by comparison, averaging 19 m.p.g. even though I pushed it harder.
A bigger issue may be the price. Mazda sold a lot of copies of the first-gen 6 by using incentives to keep the sales price a few thousand dollars south of comparable Accords and Camrys. That surely is not the intent with this car, especially with the V-6. Yet to sell loaded models where no Mazda sedan buyer has gone before — the Mazda 6s Grand Touring that I drove topped $32,000 — the company must attract customers with deeper pockets.
The most direct competitor is the Altima, which has defined its niche in the midprice sedan market as the car with superior handling and eye-catching sheet metal. The Mazda 6 may also pose a challenge to the Saturn Aura, another driver’s car lacking the gold-plated provenance of the Accord and Camry.
But if car shoppers can get past the idea that Mazdas are for people willing to sacrifice comfort for handling, the 6 may yet be viewed as a lower-price alternative to the Acura TL or the soon-to-arrive Volkswagen Passat CC.
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