Generally speaking, the automotive press roundly lambastes the top-selling sedan in the U.S., the Toyota Camry, for its pronounced lack of road feel and responsiveness. While we feel this is a slap in the face to the millions of motorists who own a car for the proverbial “getting from Point A to Point B” reasoning, there indeed remains a market out there for otherwise practical autos that can boast “fun to drive” as a meaningful attribute. BMW and Audi sales can attest to this, though their sporty sedans tend to be priced out of the financial range of the typical family-car buyer.
Enter the Mazda6, which is a refreshingly stylish and capable alternative to more-sedate midsize sedans like the aforementioned Camry, the Honda Accord and the Chevrolet Malibu. Sticker prices range from $18,550 to $28,465, depending on the trim level, which is far less expensive than any of the bona fide European sports/luxury sedans. Best of all, while it’s more enjoyable to drive than the typical rental-fleet ride, it won’t beat up its occupants with unduly harsh road manners as a trade-off for the added handling capabilities.
While we tend to like the current Camry’s oddly bulbous design about as much as we dislike the Accord’s too-safe exterior approach, the Mazda6 is more muscular looking than either of them, particularly from a frontal ¾ view in which the car’s burly fender flares give it a more-aggressive look than virtually all cars in its class. Inside, the Mazda6 is all business, with most controls intuitive to operate and an instrument panel layout hampered only by smallish graphics that could be easier to recognize at a glance. Interior materials generally have a rich feel, and the dashboard is nicely lit in red and purple at night.
The Mazda6 coddles both front and rear-seat riders with plenty of interior space and comfort, and even those sitting behind six-footers will enjoy ample leg room. Trunk space is likewise generous.
Our tester came powered by a lively 272-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 engine that was more than up to the task of getting up to highway speeds briskly. A 170-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder powerplant is standard and should be sufficient for most drivers, particularly those who are on a budget and want to maximize the car’s fuel economy (21-city/30-highway, versus 17/25 with the V6).
A six-speed manual is the standard transmission for purists, with a smooth-shifting five-speed automatic transmission optional elsewhere in the line for those who favor convenience. Meanwhile, the “S” model includes a new six-speed automatic that features an Active Adaptive Shift function that can sense when the car is driven on a winding road or is merging/passing on the highway and optimize the gear ratio and acceleration accordingly.
Handling is the Mazda6’s claim to fame, and it does not disappoint in that regard. Even the base model feels tighter through the turns than the typical family car and is able to maintain a reasonably smooth ride in the process. The “Touring” version adds a sport suspension and 17-inch wheels and tires to ratchet up the car’s cornering prowess, albeit at the expense of a slightly rougher (but still quite acceptable) ride.
The options list is long and includes an array of high-tech items like the blind-spot monitoring system with which ours was equipped. Giving visual and audible alerts to warn a driver when another car is sitting in his or her blind spot, this is a practical feature that should be offered on all cars. Be warned that loading up the Mazda6 can be an expensive proposition. Our Grand Touring model stickered out at over $30,000 and that was without a navigation system and other top-shelf-type features. That said, it’s about as easy to find Camrys and Accords sitting on dealers’ lots for that price and much higher.
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