Mazda vehicles have become a strong contender over their entire product line. And one that stands out is their Mazda6 sedan that goes up against the popular offerings from Honda and Toyota.
For 2020, the Mazda6 FWD could be considered the perfect midsize sedan for those in the market for a stylish design, upscale interior, impressive ride, sporty handling plus favorable fuel economy.
Mazda6 is offered in Sport, Touring, Grand Touring, Grand Touring Reserve and Signature that we were privileged to test.
As the top trim level, the Signature includes a host of features, and functions such as soft Nappa leather seating, Japanese Sen wood trim, 8-inch touchscreen, smart city brake support, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, head-up display, 360-degree monitor, dynamic stability control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, Mazda radar cruise control w/stop-go, traffic sign recognition and much more. The only item missing was a wireless phone charger that seemingly lacked a suitable space for its placement. These are all the features – and then some – that todays car buyers want.
Aside from its smooth exterior styling lines, Mazda6’s interior is elegant and exceptionally accommodating. Heated/cooled and perforated leather front seats are nicely supportive and ultra comfy. An 8-inch iPad type display sits atop dash center and is controlled by a rotary dial on the console. Below the LCD are a horizontal array of easy to use HVAC controls. And below it is the 6-speed automatic transmission shifter that is flanked by the central display controller and a mode switch offering normal and sport modes.
At night the three-gauge cluster has a neat glow with the centermost speedometer also hosting a driver information display for alerts and various operating functions.
Mazda6 heated rear seats are comfy with decent leg and head room for two adults. Ingress/egress is easy thanks to wide opening rear doors. There’s also a sizable fold down armrest with console box and twin cup holders for back seat rider convenience.
In the trunk area, space is generous and appears larger than its rated 14.7 cubic feet. Two large rollie bags and a couple duffel bags can be stowed. Need more space? Merely flip the 60/40 rear seatbacks and a pair of golf bags easily fit. There are also a pair of shallow storage bins on either side of the trunk floor, and underneath it, the space saver tire can be used to stow some small items within it.
With Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control, the system makes automatic changes to engine output and braking to keep the Mazda6 on an even keel and planted in sharp turns. And with a turning circle of 39.36 feet, the car parks easily and similar to a compact car.
Ride quality on Falken 19-inch tires is just the opposite. Mazda6 rides smoothly like a full-size sedan and does so ever so quietly.
Mazda6 Premium came with a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline 4-cylinder that generates 227-hp and 310 lb/ft of torque for EPA mileage estimates of 23 city, 31-highway mpg with start/stop engine technology. It couples to a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters that allow downshifting when descending hills – which saves the brakes. This amount of power moves the Mazda6’s 3,582-pound curb weight with ease and with gobs of gusto from a standing stop to highway passing maneuvers.
With a long list of standard features, many listed above, the base price of $35,300 also includes a sunroof, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto connectivity, hill launch assist, LED lighting and more. The only extra cost options were a carpeted cargo mat ($100) and Soul Red Crystal metallic paint ($595) which took the bottom line to $36,915 with delivery ($920).
As an added incentive, Mazda6 received impressive government safety ratings of a full five overall stars; five for driver frontal crash, four for passenger; five each for front/rear seat side crash; and four for rollover.
The only way Mazda6 could be better is if it were offered in AWD for us folks in the Snowbelt.
