It's What's on the Inside that Counts
Beauty doesn't stop at the door. The 2010 Mazda 6 has an all new interior design that's clean and elegantly simple, enhanced by quality materials, although the flimsy inside rearview mirror is out of step on this score. We enjoy the look of the major gauges, with their pulsing blue halos, and we were pleasantly surprised that the bolstering on the front seats was slightly aggressive, differing from the sporty message conveyed by the exterior.
On the other hand, the Mazda has a nifty touch we haven't seen anywhere else in this class: a three-position switch for adjusting headlight level ideal for occasions when you've filled the trunk with heavy stuff such as cement bags or your mother-in-law.
Engine Power
The Mazda's standard transmission is a six-speed manual which is a satisfying piece of equipment with short throws and positive engagements. The Mazda's four-cylinder is up from 2.3 liters and 156 horsepower to 2.5 liters and 170 horses168 in PZEV (Partial Zero-Emission Vehicle) California editions such as our test car. Although the Mazda's power plant comes up seven horses short of the Fusion's, it registered identical times in the benchmark sprints: 0 to 60 in 8.0 seconds, the quarter-mile in 16.1 at 88 mph.
Fuel-economy estimates stand at 20 mpg city/29 highway and 23 combined for four-cylinder models with the manual transmission, while the five-speed auto improves the four's numbers to 21 mpg city/30 highway and 24 combined. These are class-competitive numbers. However, if you opt for the V6, estimates drop to 17 mpg city/25 highway and 20 combined, which is about as bad as it gets in this segment.
Testers found that the all new 6 showed that the handling and aggressiveness hasn't been diminished by the increase in size over the previous model. There are subtle distinctions over its predecessor, and they are all good. Brake pedal feel was impressive in comparison to its competitors. The Mazda turned in readily, with responsive handling.
http://www.ocmazda.com
