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 sportier personality 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 $21,000 and running up to about $31,000 for the top-of-the-range model.

Just two generations of the Mazda6 have been built so far, although due to Mazda's change in nomenclature it's partly a continuation of the 626. 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.

Over the past couple of model years, the Mazda6 has changed very little, even though the competitive landscape has changed dramatically with the introduction of an all-new Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima, as well as all-new versions of the Nissan Altima and Ford Fusion on the way for 2013.

Mazda will definitely regain some attention in the realm of mid-size sedans with its upcoming all-new version of this sedan, expected for 2014. The 2014 Mazda6 will include SkyActiv powertrains for much-improved efficiency, while it will follow the radical Takeri Concept introduced at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. Unfortunately, the next-gen Mazda6 won't be built in Michigan like the current version; Mazda has decided to move it back to Japan.