2009 Mazda MAZDA6 Review

PROS  Good of passenger and cargo room, Sporty ride, Functional and nicely finished interior

CONS  Too much road noise, Needs more small-item storage, Poor rear visibility

Unlike Europe and Asia, where the small car is king, the midsize car rules the American car market. It's by far the most popular and most populated segment. Every mainline manufacturer from Acura to Volvo poses a contender. Prices and features run the gamut from $15,000 strippers to $45,000 luxury cars. But the essentials hold true for all: four doors, five-passenger seating, and a roomy trunk.

Look-at-me styling and performance are often turn offs and reliability, economy, and attractive pricing are sure-fire assets. Accordingly, it's very difficult to stand out in this crowded segment and very difficult for a fringe automaker like Mazda to compete with class stalwarts like the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, and Toyota Camry.

Back in 2003, Mazda replaced its midsize contender, the 626 with a new model dubbed the 6. Along with the 6 came a new marketing campaign: Zoom, Zoom. It implied that the 6, and other Mazdas to follow, had the heart of a sports car, even if they sported a body style that said otherwise.

The 2003 Mazda 6 was indeed one of the sportiest entries in the midsize car class. It sold well, but fell short of competitors in terms of passenger room and overall refinement. Mazda hopes to rectify that situation with a completely redesigned 6 for 2009. The new model is larger, has more powerful engines, and claims better overall fuel efficiency.

The 2009 Mazda 6 comes only as a four-door sedan, and is four inches longer in wheelbase and seven inches longer overall than the model it replaces. It's similar in size to the Nissan Altima, which is slightly larger than Chevrolet Malibu and Ford Focus and smaller than Honda Accord.

Four trim levels are offered: Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring. Models with "I" designation come with a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which replaces a 156-horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder. Models with the "s" prefix get a 272-horsepower 3.7-liter V6, which replaces a 212-hosrepower 3.0 V6. Four-cylinder models come with either a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. The V6 comes with a six-speed automatic. Both automatics have a separate shift gate for manual operation.

Standard safety features include antilock four-wheel disc brakes, stability control, tire-pressure monitor, and dual-front, front-side, and curtain-side airbags. Blind-spot alert is standard on Grand Touring, optional on Touring. Park assist and a rear-view monitor are not offered.

The SV lists for $18,550 and comes with air conditioning, tilt-telescopic steering wheel with radio controls, center console, split-folding rear seat, power mirrors, power windows, power door locks, AM/FM/CD/MP3 player, illuminated visor mirrors, rear defogger, auto-off headlights, floormats, theft-deterrent system, and 205/65HR16 tires.

Sport model prices range from $20,250 to $24,130 and add to the SV cruise control, keyless entry, digital-media player connection, 215/55VR17 tires (s), and alloy wheels (s).

Touring prices range from $21,705 to $25,075 and add to the Sport leather-wrapped steering wheel, eight-way power driver seat with lumbar adjustment, keyless access and starting, fog lights, 215/55VR17 tires (i) or 235/45WR18 tires (s), and alloy wheels.

The line topping Grand Touring is priced from $24,910 to $28,260. It adds to the Touring dual-zone automatic climate controls, leather upholstery, heated front seats, power passenger seat, Bluetooth cell-phone link, heated power mirrors with automatic day/night, rain-sensing wipers, automatic day/night rearview mirror, universal garage door opener, automatic headlights, and HID headlights.

Key options include power sunroof, navigation system, remote engine start, and satellite radio. All models come with a $670 destination charge and are assembled in Flat Rock, Michigan.

Get Up and Go  With one swipe of the engineer's pen, the Mazda 6 when from being one of the least powerful cars in the class to one of the most powerful. Be it with the four-cylinder or the brawny V6, the new Mazda has the stones to throw down with the big dogs.

In the stoplight grand prix, the V6-powered 6 will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about six-and-a-half seconds. Four-cylinder models take about eight seconds to accomplish the same task. Both numbers are on par with the class-leading Honda Accord.

Both engines feel lively in traffic and provide good passing punch. The V6 is more refined, emitting an expensive-sounding growl in hard acceleration compared to the four-cylinder's coarse groan. Both engines cruise quietly, though the gearing on the four-cylinder model is such that it buzzes a bit at speeds over 70 mph.

The automatic transmissions carry out their job admirably. Both are a trifle slow to downshift in passing situations, but upshift slickly and don't hunt between gears on hilly roads. Even with the standard traction control, wheel spin can be a problem on V6 models, especially when rounding low-speed corners under power.

The V6 runs fine on regular-grade gasoline and is EPA rated at 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. Those numbers fall short of class leaders like the Accord and Camry, which rate 19 mpg city and 28 mpg or more on the highway.

In urban routine driving expect to average about 16-17 mpg. If your commute includes lots of open-road highway driving, you might be able to average as high as 20 mpg. In straight highway driving, the V6 will likely return about 24 mpg.

On the Road  Mazda's 6 has always offered a sport-tuned ride and that doesn't change with the introduction of the '09 model. The wheelbase is longer and the suspension more refined, though, and that leads to a more composed ride overall--model to model.

Most four-cylinder models have 16-inch wheels and a baseline suspension that are tuned more for ride comfort that ultimate cornering grip. The ride have a particularly absorbent ride that's free from rebound bounce and pitching. V6 models get 17- or 18-inch tires and a sport suspension that impart a firmer ride that can grow choppy at times and is somewhat tiresome on longer highway trips. No Mazda 6 has a hard ride, but with so many suspension and tire combinations, it is best to take a long test drive to see which combo suites you best.

All models are fairly agile and impart a level of driver confidence that isn't always found in the class. Body lean is modest and the tires have good dry-road grip. The steering is alive with road feel and delightfully weighted when the road grows twisty. Brakes have plenty of stopping power and an easy-to-modulate pedal. Even the turning circle is refreshingly tight.

Cabin noise levels can be a problem. Wind rush is bothersome at speeds north of 70 mph and tire noise is overly intrusive on models with the 18-inch wheels. Both engines cruise quietly, but the V6 is considerably more refined in hard acceleration.

Behind the Wheel  The 6's interior is all new but it retains its driver-orientated fighter-jet theme. Materials are appropriate for the class and there's a fair amount of bright work to offset the stark black dash top.

Driver's face a quartet of deep-set analog gauges that look like they were lifted right out of a race car. They feature unique blue and orange lighting, but are easy to read day or night. The center console is nicely arranged with audio/navigation controls on top and climate controls below. The standard audio setup is straightforward, but adding the optional navigation system doesn't confuse too much. Ancillary controls are well placed and illuminated at night.

About the only interior foible comes courtesy of the available keyless starting feature. Instead of designing a second steering-column cover, Mazda has chosen to cover up the ignition-key slot with an inexpensive looking blank and then added an additional button on the base of the center console, where it can be easily bumped.

Front seats are comfortable and supportive and head and leg room are ample. The standard tile and telescope steering wheel is a nice touch as well. Forward visibility is good, but the tall rear and thick pillars make parking and backing more difficult that in some competitors. The available blind-spot warning system works as advertised and seems to err on the side of caution, which is as it should be.

The rear seats offer class competitive head and leg room, and that's a big step forward as the previous-generation 6 was the least roomy midsize car. Seats are comfortable, if not a bit flat. There's a large driveline hump that precludes three-across seating except for short trips. Large doors are a nice touch and make getting in and out a breeze.

The large trunk has a wide opening and lid that features non-intruding hinges to free up additional cargo space. The rear seats fold nearly flat to increase cargo room. Small item interior storage is limited, but there a large glovebox and deep center console bin.

Bottom Line  After much hand wringing, hardcore fans of the previous-generation Mazda 6 can let out a huge sigh of relief. Yes, the new model is larger and heavier, but it still retains enough sporting character to rightfully lay claim to sportiest car in the class--when properly equipped.

Prices are on par with competitors and there's nothing holding the 6 back any more. It offers comparable room, performance, and refinement. As always, shoppers will want to choose model and options carefully because prices grow quickly.

The new Mazda 6 proves that Mazda can go mainstream and still retain the Zoom-Zoom personality that helps set the brand apart from the herd. Big-time midsize cars like the Malibu, Accord, Altima, and Camry now have another competitor to worry about and that's a great thing for new-car shoppers.