Jim Click Mazda East

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Driving Impressions

Driving enjoyment is nothing new to Mazda and they successfully maintained that in the transition to a larger, more refined Mazda6. And while the car has gained weight with the added dimensions and features, it's also gained power, especially on the V6 models.

A small cadre of purists will bemoan the loss of a manual transmission choice with the big engine, or only black interiors on manual cars, but the four-cylinder manual is still quite entertaining and it is available on top-line Grand Touring models so you can have your nav, heated leather, and a stick together.

For 2009, the four-cylinder's been bumped from 2.3 to 2.5 liters, now at 170 hp, right in line with the base engine from Accord, Altima, Camry and Malibu. It gets the job done just fine, with the best coming on as the rev counter swings through the 4500-4800 rpm range and keeps pulling to near redline. It's plenty to get the Mazda6 around town or up a hill and cruises on the highway effortlessly at less than 3000 rpm, regardless of transmission.

Both automatic and manual have well-spaced gears to make the best of the four, and the shift and clutch action on the six-speed showcase Mazda's sports car abilities without any sports car compromises. Back to back drives showed only the Accord LX's (higher-rated) 190-hp four cylinder matched the Mazda's 170-hp engine overall, but the Honda needs higher revs yet for its best work.

Mazda's V6 has made the biggest strides for 2009, jumping from 3 liters to 3.7 liters and from 220 to 272 horsepower, with plenty of mid-range torque to go with it. This bigger engine, similar to that in the Mazda CX-9, is both larger and more powerful than that of any of the competitors and, absent timing equipment, we suspect it might outrun the others in class. The Mazda hasn't the best-in-class fuel economy but the differences are marginal, much smaller than the effect driving style will have.

Each Mazda6 model has its own calibrations for the same suspension system, and they tend to feel more buttoned down as price and engine size increase. But a lot of this can be traced to tires, and a four-cylinder car with the 17-inch wheels is arguably the most fun on a winding road because it's easily a couple of hundred pounds lighter than the V6s. Upgrading tires later would add to both fun and grip.

At the top extreme, a V6 on 18-inch wheels has plenty of grip and surprisingly good sharp-impact rejection (think lane-divider dots) but it is on the firm side, not recommended for lousy infrastructure and some road noise seeps in to the cabin. At the other end of the spectrum, a manual sport on steel wheels doesn't offer quite the same grip, but it does give the same good steering feel and response, directional stability, and solid braking. They all have stability control but even some ham-fisted co-drivers never invoked it, suggesting there's a lot of stability inherent in the design.

The closest competitors in the grip and ride components would be the Malibu V6 for ride, Altima V6 for fun, four-cylinder Accord for fun, and Camry for commuting comfort. The Mazda6 leans toward the fun end of the spectrum yet does so without the busy-ness or bounciness the Accord sometimes brings.

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