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The Cost of Car Insurance
Liability insurance is like Mafia protection. It's a pain in the neck, it's expensive and you'd... Read More
The Cost of Car Insurance
Liability insurance is like Mafia protection. It's a pain in the neck, it's expensive and you'd... Read More
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By Tim Healey
The previous generation of Mazda's 6 made a name for itself in the mid-size class by being sportier and more fun-to-drive than most of its rivals. When the car was redesigned in 2008 as a 2009 model, many enthusiasts feared that it would lose some of its sporting character as it grew larger and gained some upscale features.
Those fears aren't totally unfounded, but I'll get to that later. First, let's take a look at the Mazda 6 tester that arrived at my doorstep a couple of weeks back.
My test model was an "i" Grand Touring, meaning it had the 170-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that all "i" models get-"s" models get a 272-horsepower 3.7-liter V-6. "i" Grand Touring models are only available with a 5-speed automatic transmission.
Grand Touring models come standard with features such as 17-inch wheels, heated front seats, a power moonroof, dual-zone climate control, remote keyless entry, fog lamps, chrome exhaust tips, carpeted floor mats and trunk mat, ABS, traction control, an antiskid system, and a wireless cell-phone link, among others. Base price: $25,935.
Options were limited to the $2,000 navigation system and the $1,980 Technology Package (advanced keyless entry, memory driver's seat, auto on/off Xenon headlights, satellite radio, push-button engine start, power passenger seat, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, LED rear lights, multi-information display). With destination ($750), the as-tested total came to $30,665. The blind-spot monitoring system can be helpful, but it occasionally gets foiled by false alarms--even a concrete divider in the median set it off. Fortunately, it can be turned off by those drivers who choose to change lanes the old-fashioned way.
From a stop, the 6 pulls away with a bit of gusto, although the four-cylinder is a bit strained under heavy throttle, and the transmission is a bit slow to kick down into lower gears when pressed.
