Grip is very, very good, tenacious you might say, right up to the point where the front end pushes, telling you to lighten up. And this doesn't occur until you've reached competition-level speeds. Other mid-size sedans lose grip far sooner than the Mazda6. The amount of power-steering assist backs off the faster you go, to give good road feel, although it's still on the light side at high speeds.
Though more fun to drive, it doesn't feel quite as refined as the Accord. Ride quality is generally good, bit it can get a little jouncy on certain types of pavement and some road vibration comes through. Road noise is relatively pronounced on broken pavement, especially with the Sport trim. Wind noise comes through as well; we noticed this was particularly true with Sport trim and suspect the aerodynamic enhancements may be the cause.
Zoom-zoom is in plentiful supply regardless of which model you choose. Even the four-cylinder 6i is a hoot to drive. Order it with the five-speed manual and the fun zone starts at about 4000 rpm, where the engine is very responsive. The 2.3-liter, double-overhead-cam engine loves to rev and acceleration is on par with that of other four-cylinder mid-size sedans. The Honda may be a little quicker, but the Mazda feels younger and sportier. Below 3000 rpm, however, the four-cylinder lacks strong throttle response. It works best with the manual gearbox. The manual felt mushy at first, but that impression quickly faded into the background and we found it fun to shift.
The 3.0-liter V6 in the 6s greatly increases the fun. Like the four-cylinder, it has continuously variable valve timing (VVT) for its intake camshaft; but on the V6, this feature seems to be used more effectively, providing better low-down torque along with a willingness to rev, with good gas mileage and a nice set of sounds from the air intake and the dual exhausts. The Mazda V6 doesn't feel like it has as much low-rpm torque as the Toyota and Honda V6 engines, but it loves to rev and it's a lot of fun to drive.
Both engines are made of aluminum to keep the Mazda6 from getting too heavy, which it isn't, at 3347 pounds for the V6 automatic sedan. Four-cylinder models with automatic transmission are classified as Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles (PZEV), while 6i models with manual transmissions are recognized as Low Emissions Vehicles (LEV).
The six-speed automatic is really smooth yet shifting is crisp. The six-speed automatic provides improved gear spacing for the V6, keeping it in its power band under all circumstances. Having six forward gears allowed Mazda engineers to select low ratios for first and second gears to maximize off-the-line acceleration, tall top gears for effortless cruising, and mid-range gears optimized for snappy acceleration from highway speeds. Both Mazda6 automatic transmissions offer a manual mode called Sport Shift: Pull back on the stick to upshift, push forward to downshift.
Braking is better than in other cars in this class; the Mazda6 stops in shorter distances. All models come with ABS and EBD. The anti-lock brakes (ABS) demonstrated a marked propensity to arrest forward motion, with solid, progressive pedal feel, and good resistance to fade from prolonged heat buildup when driving hard for extended periods of time. Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) adjusts braking to each wheel depending on the load on that wheel. For example, the rear brakes work harder when there are passengers in the back seat or bowling balls in the trunk. EBD provides predictable braking behavior and minimizes stopping distances regardless of the weight you've brought on board.
The traction control system (TCS) helps maintain directional stability regardless of road conditions. If the TCS controller senses that the front and rear wheel speeds are out of sync on a slick surface due to loss of grip, the engine computer reduces engine power automatically. This reaction is both instantaneous and seamless to the driver. Next Page