FAMILY ASSORTMENT: MEDIUM WAGON
Also see: Overview - Main Story; Small hatch - Toyota Corolla Conquest; SUV - Ford Territory Ghia AWD
Mazda Mazda6 Touring (auto)
Specifications for Mazda 6 Touring here
The current, second generation Mazda6 was launched in Australia in 2008, with a facelifted and significantly upgraded model arriving in March this year.
Although the locally produced Toyota Camry streets the field in terms of sales in the medium car segment that is largely based on fleet volume. The Mazda is King of the imports and top choice for private buyers. It currently outsells a host of well credentialled and comparably priced rivals, including Ford's Mondeo, Honda's Accord Euro, and Subaru's Liberty.
The mid-size Mazda is offered in sedan, hatch and wagon versions. And in this family-friendly test we opted for the wagon.
The Mazda6 Classic wagon weighs in at around $35,000, and standard features include, dual-zone climate-control air-conditioning, electric windows, six-speaker MP3 compatible stereo (with six-disc, in-dash CD changer), remote central-locking, cruise control, 17-inch alloy wheels, leather trimmed steering wheel and five-function trip-computer.
Our test car was the up-spec Touring version, however. Introduced with this year's improved range, at around $42,500 it shares mechanicals as the Classic but adds leather trim, power adjustable front seats (with three position memory for the driver) and front and rear parking sensors to the standard equipment list.
Under the bonnet a 125kW/226Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine powers most models, with a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine available in hatch and wagon variants. A six-speed manual is offered on selected models, and a five-speed Activematic transmission is available on all petrol variants, featuring a sequential manual shift mode and a slope-control function designed to read the pitch, curve and rise of the road to maintain the optimum gear.
It's the auto that we opted for... Claimed fuel economy is 8.9L/100km.
It turns out Toyota hasn't cornered the market on safety acronyms. The Mazda6 is loaded with active and passive safety technology, including AFS (Adaptive Front lighting System) which provides improved night vision by swiveling the headlights based on steering angle and vehicle speed; turning the light on the same side as the direction of turn by up to 15° to better illuminate the part of the road the car will reach three seconds later.
And the acronym Oscar goes to MAIDAS (Mazda Advanced Impact Distribution and Absorption System), designed to protect occupants in a crash through careful structural design and use of various grades of steel in the body to manage impact energy.
ON THE ROAD
The overwhelming feedback on the Mazda was that it felt like a luxurious, 'grown-up' car; no doubt a product of its size, recent upgrades, and the relatively generous standard equipment list of the Touring wagon tested.
Here the Coffeys didn't hesitate in acknowledging the 6's "Wow factor", the Cleary's calling out its "good looking" design, and Team Thomas describing it as "sleek". In fact, at the tender age of seven, Will Thomas thought the Mazda was "sexy"... Ahh, they grow up so fast these days!
Inside, Ed and Will Thomas liked the sound and feel of the "squishy" leather seats, and along with Madi Coffey were fans of the rear centre armrest with double cup holders.
Anne Cleary appreciated the "crystal clear instruments", and while Di Thomas also liked the "nice dashboard" she found the audio display "confusing", especially as it's housed in a dash-top screen with numerous other read-outs for air-conditioning as well as time and outside temperature.
All agreed there's plenty of room front and rear, although several testers commented the car didn't feel any bigger inside than the Corolla. Although the big load space was certainly commented upon.
On the road, an immediate and universal negative was poor rear visibility. And there's no doubt the Touring's neatly tapered profile squeezes down the rear glass area; with the over-shoulder view further compromised by the height of the rear seat backrest.
Indeed, each family had a problem with it, and in noting she "felt swallowed up because the window sill is so high", Anne Cleary said the rear vision issue was, "enough for me not to buy [the Mazda]".
In a similar vein, Andrew Coffey said he "couldn't see the perimeter of the car", which at times made it difficult to confidently position it when parking or merging in traffic.
On the positive, the Mazda scored highly for its quietness, comfortable seats, smooth ride, and accurate steering. Kim Coffey believed its handling was, "a stand-out", with Anne Cleary summing it up nicely, "The Mazda feels safe. You've got control".
Feedback on going and stopping however was something of a mixed bag. The Coffeys and Clearys thought performance was "great, even with five up" and the transmission "smooth", while Team Thomas saw acceleration as, "adequate... nothing special".
Gotta say I was shaking my head on that one, because I believe the Mazda performs with impressive enthusiasm, especially when using the auto transmission's sequential manual shift.
Andrew and Kim Coffey liked the "nice" brakes, which they said felt "secure", while Ian and Di Thomas marked them down as "soft" and said they'd "prefer [them to be] sharper". Well, to split the deadlock, my significant other and I agreed they were "good".
Random notes:
Di Thomas thought the eight-way power adjustment on the driver's seat (four-way for the front passenger) was "quite fun"
Tom Cleary said the engine was "a bit fast"
Andrew Coffey thought the design of the "tall rather than wide" exterior rearview mirrors was "odd"
Ian Thomas noted that the rear wagon door closed "nicely"
Anne Cleary liked the "simple and easy" cruise control switchgear on the steering wheel
I noticed the rear seat offered only two child restraint anchor points (parents of triplets please note)
Summary:
A slick, composed and high-quality midsize offering, which surprisingly doesn't feel much roomier than the (externally) smaller Corolla. Where this size of car scores for families (especially with a wagon as tested) is load space and performance. This makes the 6 a more realistic option for those who need to fill all the seats, pack in prams or other pieces of large family cargo, and occasionally hit the highway on longer trips.
Read more about our families' car of choice here
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