Mazda6 2002 Review

Often times even the best intentions and philosophies fall flat in the real world. A car company's carefully though out plans and lofty aims can be ruthlessly shredded by the emotionless, calloused fingers of the corporate beancounter, whose every keystroke cuts dollars off the bottom line with no concept of its effect on the product.

So thank God it's not the case with the new Mazda6. Whether Mazda's product development team kept the number crunchers locked in a dark, dank basement, or held at bay by a slavering horde of starving Rottweilers, or - is it possible? - the accountants saw the sense in a medium sized, mass-appeal car which is both enjoyable to drive and practical to own - it doesn't matter. Because the end result is the 6, a car that totally embodies Mazda's new design philosophy.

The 6 isn't dynamically perfect, no car is. The steering is sometimes light, the gearbox a tad notchy, the brakes initially grabby and touchy, the tyres noisy on rough bitumen and the suspension too firm in initial damping. But when you weigh up the positives of the 6 over these ultimately insignificant negatives, the 6 comes out overwhelmingly in the black.

Mazda has designed and built a totally new medium car platform for the 6, one which will eventually be found under other Ford Motor Company products. The bodies that sit astride - sedan, hatch and wagon - are bigger than the old 626 in almost every dimension. The 6 is 80mm longer, 80mm wider and 5mm taller, all of which translates into a very roomy cabin which feels the equal of its competitors.

The interior is stylish and clean, and imparts an air of solid dependability with a touch of flair. We particularly liked the striking silver centre console which manages to include all the necessary controls in an easy to use and very classy layout. The seat fabric on the base models is light and airy, the dark leather of the top models sporty and sophisticated.

The cabin is 45mm wider inside, and quite roomy, back seat passengers accommodated with generous amounts of legroom for this sized car, and there's plenty of practical cubby holes, including two large cupholders and a double bottomed armrest between the front seats.

Hatch and wagon models feature what Mazda calls 'The Karakuri Fold' - the back seats split fold 60/40 in one clean movement that moves the seat bases forward and down and provides a flat load space without the need to detach headrests.

Mazda is offering a total of 11 models in the 6 range, all with the same aggressive and evocative styling, flavours long missing from the medium car market. All models are powered by Mazda's new 2.3-litre four cylinder engine, which replaces the 626's 2.0-litre four, and has 31 percent more power and 14 percent more torque. Be warned, however, this upper class engine requires a top shelf tipple at top-up time, so you'll be pumping more expensive premium from now on.

Performance is improved, the 6 accelerating from 0-100km/h in 8.9 seconds in 5-speed manual guise. Mazda's four speed automatic - called Activematic - is slightly slower across the ground, but offers tiptronic style gearchanges for those sporty moments. Fuel economy suffers slightly as a result of the bigger engine, particularly around the city.

Attention to detail in designing and building the 6's steel frame are said to result in a very rigid structure that Mazda says enhances suspension control and steering response. It also improves on the crashworthiness of the 626.

All 6s will be equipped with dual front airbags to protect front seat occupants, along with active safety measures like antilock equipped four wheel disc brakes with electronic brake force distribution.

Mazda's 6 is available in three body styles spanning four equipment grades. The range starts at $28,270 (at launch in August, 2002) with the Limited sedan manual (roughly a $2000 increase on the 626) , stretching to $43,250 for the Sports hatch automatic.

Mazda 6 Limited:
Available as a sedan only, both manual and automatic, the Limited - and all models - include air conditioning, power windows and mirrors, remote central locking, driver's seat height adjust, fully adjustable steering column and CD player. 15in wheels and tyres are fitted standard.

Mazda 6 Classic:
Available as a sedan (manual and auto), hatch (manual and auto) and wagon (auto only), the Classic adds climate control aircon, 16in alloy wheels, trip computer, six stack CD player, cruise control and leather-wrapped steering wheel with stereo controls. The wagon also has a retractable cargo net.

Mazda 6 Luxury:
Available in sedan and hatch with automatic transmission only, the Luxury adds 17in alloy wheels, power sunroof, leather seats, Bose sound system, side and curtain airbags and power operated driver's seat.

Mazda 6 Sports:
Hatch only, the Sports is available with either manual or automatic transmission. Sporty front and rear bumpers, boot-mounted spoiler, front fog lights and side skirts enhance this 6's sporty appeal.

So, how does it drive? Does this 'new generation' Mazda 6 live up to the rhetoric? The answer is an emphatic yes. Mazda says it benchmarked the new 6 against similarly sized - but more expensive - offerings from BMW and Audi, a point not only evident in its dynamic abilities, but also in the high level of build quality.

Up front is the most powerful engine Mazda Australia has ever offered in the mid-size segment, producing 122kW, 1kW more than the 626's 2.5-litre V6. Straightline performance is encouraging, especially in the manual which makes the most of its extra gear ratio. A 65mm wider wheelbase and 50mm more between the wheels means the 6's footprint is significantly bigger than the 626, a fact clearly evident when the road twists and turns.

The manual's gear lever is a tad notchy, but not inhibitive, and has a sporty short throw. The Activematic automatic gearbox is not the hindrance usually expected of automatics which sap power and drop a gear ratio.

This one's different - yes it still does those two things, but manages to keep with the sporty nature of the 6, the gearchanges coming quickly and smoothly in tiptronic mode, and holding until you decide to change, not when it does. In fully automatic mode the gearbox reacts smoothly to kickdowns and changeups, but can become flustered, occasionally banging a change.

Over the blacktop the 6's manners are a class above anything else in its league, mixing a level of sportiness unmatched by its competition with a ride that smoothes out most of Australia's rough road surfaces. The only downside to the 6's dynamic abilities is the high levels of tyre noise over coarse chip bitumen, intruding into an otherwise quiet cabin.

The Mazda 6 is a dynamic ray of sunshine in an otherwise bleak mid-size marketplace. Its high levels of driving refinement combined with its practical, livable design put it at the top end of our mid-size shopping list. At around $31-35,000 the 6 Classic, which is available in all body styles, is the pick of the litter.