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Mazda

Saturday, 17th of May 2008

I have a 50 mile round trip on a daily basis, this including A and B roads, and also about 15 miles on the M60, so have had the chance to see how the car performs on most of the roads many a driver would be likely to use. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement, whilst ‘town’ driving, the car held its own, but once on the motorway, it showed what it could really do, accelerating easily to 70mph in no time at all, and also giving you the extra kick needed when the turbo kicks in.

For a car of its size, the vehicle handles very well on the minor roads, whilst on the motorway giving all the top end comforts you would expect from a vehicle in its class. Very light steering, feels like you are driving a much smaller car than you actually are, this is the ideal car for town-motorway combo driving.

Excellent in this area, the model I was driving (Ts2) was sleek, reliable and also surprisingly easily to forget you are in a mid range vehicle. All the mod-cons in the car were extremely easy to use, especially the mobile linking unit, a 6 cd changer on stereo itself is another very welcome addition.

As a father of 3 young children, safety is paramount to me, whilst also having something that can move when needed, so am very pleased to report that I had no issues whatsoever with the safety of the car. The ABS and Dynamic Stability control seem to be second to none. A big thumbs up.

Very spacious car, I managed to put a baby chair in the back, along with 2 booster seats and there was still space left over, with bags of leg room. I am 6’1” so have to have the driver’s seat quite far back, and this, unlike other vehicles was not to the detriment of others in back. The front of the car also offers lots of space and comfort for driver and passenger alike. The boot is huge, I managed to fit a pram and all my monthly shopping in the there with tons of space left over.

With a Mazda, you know what you are getting, good build quality, reliability and also value for money. If you are in the market for a similar model, such as the Mondeo, Passat etc, I would definitely recommend trying this vehicle out also.

Being a 140 PS Diesel engine the pull is fantastic throughout the range although the real action comes in 2nd 3rd and 4th gear at around 1,500 rpm when the combination of Torque and turbo make this car probably more entertaining to drive than its petrol relative. You may have expected a large amount of turbo-lag to hinder the car’s performance as it does in so many other turbo diesel vehicles but in the new Mazda 6 the turbo kicks in at the relatively low 1,500 rpm which pretty much negates this as an issue.

Quite a firm ride which is no doubt a consequence of the cars sporty intentions, however it isn’t jarring and everyday bumps and pot-holes are negotiated with a minimum of fuss. The handling of the car is very sharp and at times it is hard to believe you are steering what is actually quite a large vehicle around some of the tighter corners. Our car was the Ts 2 Model with Dynamic stability control which I was assured by Neil Gurney of RRG Mazda would correct the car into a straight line should I become a little too excited by the car’s performance! I didn’t at any time feel like the car was anything but sure-footed on both the motorway and B-roads alike.

Soft touch materials on the interior of the Mazda 6 give a real quality feel to it as does the brushed aluminium inserts on the dashboard. Our car had leather, fully integrated steering wheel which was compatible with just about anything from the stereo to the dual zone climate control. Your mobile phone can also be utilised from here with an impressive auto-dial function and voice command function on the Ts2 model. Finally and most importantly the doors close with a re-assuring clunk!

A very ‘solid’ feel to the car with multiple air-bags to protect the passengers and driver. Driver aids such as traction control, ABS and Dynamic Stability control make it almost impossible to loose control of this car whilst driving at anything other than ridiculous speeds. The car itself is more substantial than the previous model and this gives a real sense of security. Our car had the auto dimming rear view mirror as standard and this makes a real difference to the glare which is sometimes a problem with headlights from 4x4 s and boy racers who have insist on having their fog lights on when there is no fog to be seen!

A sloping dashboard gives the impression of plenty of space for the driver and front passenger whilst the Hatchback which we drove has an enormous boot capacity and plenty of rear leg room. I managed to carry a complete five-a-side football team in comfort, I’m sure there aren’t many sterner tests of a car’s load carrying capacity than this!

The Mazda has stronger residual values than most of its direct competitors. In diesel form especially this will make for strong contract hire and PCP rates and a good ownership prospect for those who choose to buy outright.

The Mazda 6 is a damn fine car to drive and is a lot more powerful than you would expect. My only concern would be the noise of the engine - our review model may have been a diesel but in this day and age does that really constitute an excuse for being this loud on the inside?

The Mazda 6 seemed to hug the ground along the windy, country roads and was always solid, well behaved and inspired a good level of driving confidence.

Once you get inside, that positive first impression becomes a little more open to debate. Although the interior has a fine attention to detail it might come across as a little garish to those of more discerning tastes. The look seems to be aiming for a young and trendy feel but comes across as slightly plastic-y and altogether a bit "80s British Sci-fi". Having said that, the controls (and the cup holders for that matter) were all of a very respectable build quality, did as I asked of them and were laid out exactly where your fingers would expect to find them, with no awkward fumbling or searching for switches.

The Mazda 6 comes equipped with front, side and curtain airbags as standard. The anti-lock brakes, alarm and deadlocks that help resist break-ins make the 6 safe and secure without having to pay for extras.

Spacious for a car of this class and it would comfortably hold a family of four (including lanky teenage types if need be) with a generous amount of legroom in the front and back.

Cheaper than the Ford Mondeo by almost £2,000k and healthy residuals make the Mazda 6 affordable and easily re-sellable.