Mazda MAZDA6

2010 Mazda Mazda6

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Shopping for a 2012 Mazda MAZDA6? MSRP: $20,480 - $29,810

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The Mazda Mazda6 is a mid-size family sedan with a decidedly more sporty bent than many of its rivals. Over its model run it has grown in size but lost weight--a rarity among modern cars--helping to keep it dynamic and fuel efficient. Against the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, two of its main competitors, the Mazda6 delivers a competitive price, starting at about $19,000 and running up to about $29,000 for the top-of-the-range model.

Just two generations of the Mazda6 have been built so far. The first generation car hit the market in 2002 as a 2003 model and ran for five years. It was available as a standard sedan, five-door liftback and five-door station wagon. A choice of 2.3-liter four-cylinder and 3.0-liter V-6 engines were available, and could be paired with a five-speed automatic transmission or six-speed manual. A Mazdaspeed version of the Mazda6 was also available in 2006 and 2007, but was discontinued for 2008. The current car, which hit the streets in 2008 as a 2009 model, saw upgraded engines and a new design specific to the North American market. The four-cylinder grew to 2.5-liters and the V-6 grew to 3.7-liters, increasing output for both. The four-door sedan remained, but the five-door and wagon body styles were dropped for the U.S.

The current generation of the Mazda6 offers just the single sedan body style but a full seven trim levels spanning the range from economical family sedan to luxurious grand tourer. The entry-level Mazda6 i SV offers a strong base feature set including a six-speed manual transmission, the 170-horsepower four-cylinder engine and standard stability control and anti-lock brakes, but does without alloy wheels, keyless entry, or an advanced stereo system. The Mazda6 i Sport adds the option of an five-speed automatic transmission, keyless entry, cruise control, and steering wheel audio controls among other features. The Mazda6 i Touring gets 17-inch alloy wheels, an eight-way power driver's seat, halogen fog lights, and an upgraded six-disc stereo system. Upgrading to the Mazda6 i Touring Plus deletes the option of a manual transmission while adding a power moonroof, electroluminescent gauges, plus blind-spot monitoring and anti-theft systems.

The Mazda6 i Grand Touring is the highest-end model fitted with the four-cylinder engine, sharing most of its features with the V-6-powered Mazda6 s Grand Touring except for the larger engined car's 18-inch alloy wheels and six-speed automatic transmission. The Mazda6 s Touring Plus offers the same features as the Mazda6 i Touring Plus, with the substitution of the V-6 engine and six-speed automatic.

For 2011 the Mazda6 is expected to remain largely the same as this year's car, with only minor technological and appearance updates. It's still one of the lightest cars in its class, and fuel economy of 20/29 mpg (manual) and 21/30 mpg (automatic) for the four-cylinder reflect that. Safety ratings for the Mazda6 are also a strong point, with five-star ratings from the NHTSA in every category, plus a top rating of "good" in front and side impact tests, but just "acceptable" in the new roof strength test.