We’ve long been advocates of the Mazda brand here in The Garage, from the Protege5 that does the daily grind here in Ontario, to Team CBR who have had tons of success racing the RX-7 out on the west coast. Long time readers may recall that I fell in love with the previous generation Mazda6 wagon a couple of years ago. It made sense then, that with all of the sedans we’ve driven lately that we should sample the newly redesigned 2009 Mazda6.
The first time I saw one on the road, I was surprised at how the corporate DNA has been infused into the new 6. The front end has been heavily influenced by the RX-8, while the interior just feels indescribably like a Mazda.
Unfortunately, an incredibly busy week leading up to the Tall Pines Rally meant that I didn’t have time to do my usual prep for photos with the 6. Instead I managed to get a few grimy road trip shots following a snowy drive up to Bancroft. As you can tell, our tester was a bright white and it looked great. The only problem is that the incredible curves designers have given the new sedan just don’t show up all that well in photos when the model is posed in front of newly fallen snow wearing a coat of white. Trust me, the new Mazda 6 is truly sexy, without any of the risky weirdness that Nissan applied to the new Maxima.
While Mazda has taken some chances with the curves on the outside, they’ve played it safe on the inside. Sort of like that cute hockey mom you might see at the rink: She spent some time on the hair and makeup before going to the rink, but her maternal side is in overdrive as her little ones strive to be the next Gretzkey. The interior is by no means dull, it is just a nice comfortable place to be with no shocking surprises. Fit and finish is excellent for an entry level sedan and all the surfaces have a nice quality feel to them. The cloth seats are attractive and comfy if not supportive enough for a track day. Rear seat legroom is excellent for a mid-sized sedan, with enough space for actual adults.
As always, the 3 hockey bag test is our standard of trunk measurement here in The Garage and the 6 passes with flying colours. 3 full hockey bags, a water bottle carrier and a huge first aid kit all fit with ease. If there was any complaint with the trunk space, it was the lack of a load through opening in the back seat. To accommodate a Dad sized hockey stick, one must fold down one of the rear seats. Ok, so its a bit of a quibble, but it does affect the kid and hockey bag carrying quotient.
All of the other sedans we’ve tested lately have been fully jammed, big horsepower machines that are lots of fun on the road. While the ponies are hoot, the reality is that if we were in the market for a new sedan here in The Garage we’d more likely be looking for a something a bit more economical yet fun. Our tester was a GS model powered by Mazda’s twin-cam 2.5 liter 4 cylinder which puts 170 horsepower through the front wheels via a smooth shifting 5 speed automatic. The combination does it’s job nicely, though it would be a heck of a lot more entertaining with the standard equipment 6 speed manual.
The 2009 Mazda 6 offers enough Zoom Zoom that the members of AJAC voted it the best new family car offered from $22,000 to $30,000. The really well equipped GS with comfort package and the 6 speed manual tranny retails for just $24,190 here in Canada. It really is a lot of car for the money, one that would be a great fit for the family that is fed up with the minivan lifestyle.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
The 6 has always had my respect. Way spicier than a Camry or Accord. Mazda did break my heart when they said the V-6 would not be paired with a manual, and that the sporty five-door hatch or wagon would not be sent our way. I thought the last gen 6 wagon was one the best looking wagons money could buy. Glad to hear the new car has TG thumbs up.
I’ve just handed back the new Mazda 6 and I have mixed feelings about it. I really liked the old shape as it had plenty of zoom-zoom looks. The new one appears a little too much like me nowadays…a little on the bulbous side:-) One of my favorite cars ever was the old Mazda Speed 6 and I wonder how Mazda is going to turn the new model into a sporty vehicle like that. I wonder the same about the new Mazda 3 and the Speed 3 version also. It seems to me as if Mazda is going after the Camry buyers now rather than sticking to its tried and tested zoom-zoom appeal. Maybe there is more money in that area, but there is also more competition. Mazda always had the edge on the others in the sports department, and I think that many buyers purchased Mazdas because of that.
Now don’t get me wrong, I think that the new 6 is a wonderful vehicle to drive, I just would have liked a little more edginess from the exterior styling. Hopefully Mazda will bring back the Speed 6 and prove me wrong on this. I hope so because Camrys and cars like that bore me to tears. Just because you need a reliable family car, it doesn’t mean that you have to give in completely. Long live Mazda, and long live zoom-zoom is all I’m saying!