Mazda6 Touring 2014 Review

Mazda6 Touring

With no-cost-option off-white leather seats, the interior certainly has an airy, open feel and comfort levels in general are well above average in this class.

We were also impressed with the ergonomics. You rarely have to stretch or guess where controls are and everything from the steering wheel buttons to climate control switches are intuitive, often one-touch operations.

Although one of our three judges disliked the seating position, it was generally hard to fault especially when considering we have previously driven this car 4500km in five days across Australia and praised its excellent long-term comfort levels.

Visibility out was commendable except when head checking, as the C-pillar created a thick blind spot (which is where the blind spot sensors come in, assuming one adds the $1500 Safety Pack).

Interior space was generally good across all seats. With the longest wheelbase (2830mm) of the lot, rear seat legroom was good but rear head room not so good for six-foot plus passengers thanks to a sloping roof and tight entry and egress.

Incidental storage was above average, with plenty of cup holders and a good-sized central bin and glovebox.

The Mazda 6 had the smallest boot capacity at 438 litres although it should be noted it had the widest aperture. Like its rivals, it had 60/40 split folding rear seats for loading of longer objects.

Noise levels were pretty much on a par with its rivals; the Mazda at cruising speeds (80km/h) managing 69dBA on our regular-chip asphalt test road.

However, the Mazda’s bonnet was heavy to open and required a stalk to remain in place (the Altima had much easier gas struts). The engine itself was well presented, but appeared not as well sealed around the bonnet as the Altima and had more exposed plumbing and wiring than the others.

Like the Octavia, the doors had a solid feel including a nice ‘thunk’ upon closing. However, carpet quality was down on the Skoda’s, as was the look of the instrument panel, centre stack, infotainment head unit and plasticky centre console.

Up back, it had better boot carpet than the Altima though the boot light was pretty dim. And we appreciated the handy interior grab handle for the boot lid; something missing from the Altima.

The Mazda’s ‘off-white leather’ upholstery was beautifully finished and appeared tauter than the Octavia’s (which was already beginning to show signs of ribboning on the driver’s cushion) and better quality than the Altima’s. A shame then the door cards, console, parcel shelf and dash pad on the Mazda were all almost exclusively hard black plastic.

Mazda’s 138kW/250Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine was the best of the lot on paper, and at 4.0 seconds to 60km/h proved the fastest vehicle. It even spun the tyres from a standing start. However, the turbocharged Octavia otherwise had the jump, and was faster across every other test (see performance figures, below).

Smooth-revving, quiet and fuss-free, the Mazda’s SKYACTIV engine worked well with the six-speed automatic. Whether in auto or shifted manually via steering wheel-mounted paddles, it changed gears promptly with no cause for concern.

In regards to fuel use, the Mazda strayed 1.4L/100km from its ADR Combined cycle figure of 6.6, with an average 8.0L/100km (tied with the Octavia). Like the Altima, the Mazda runs happily on regular 91 RON unleaded petrol whereas the Octavia requires premium 95 RON or higher.

The smooth-as-silk Mazda did get the jump on both rivals in the NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) field. There was no shudder at idle, even when the stop-start system was drawn into play.

Marking it down was the Mazda’s steering weight, which was the heaviest on test, though conversely there was excellent feedback through the wheel. It also had the largest turning circle at 11.2m, against 11.0m (Altima) and 10.4m (Octavia).

When options like the Safety Pack ($1490) and Soul Red metallic paint ($200) are added the price rises to almost $40K.

Fortunately, the Safety Pack adds useful features like blind spot sensors and a low-speed auto-braking crash avoidance system. That's on top of satellite navigation, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity and a bassy 11-speaker stereo.

Like the others the Mazda 6 featured partial-leather upholstery on the seats, rear seat ventilation outlets, voice recognition and automatic headlights.

The value quotient of the Mazda 6 is reduced by the current lack of a capped-price servicing scheme (Mazda says it will be offered from July 2014), and optional roadside assistance at an annual cost of $68.10.

The Mazda 6 shares an identical three-year/unlimited kilometre (whichever comes first) warranty period to the Skoda Octavia.

In terms of resale value, the Mazda claws back some ground, with redbook.com.au suggesting the car will be worth $22,150 after three years, retaining 59 per cent of its value.

While its technology hub is certainly sophisticated, its 5.8-inch touchscreen drew criticism from all judges particularly when compared to the Skoda’s bigger screen. When accessing big-ticket tech features like satnav, audio streaming and Bluetooth telephony, the Mazda’s was more fiddly and slower to respond.

As an alternative to the touchscreen, the Mazda’s control hub dial positioned in the centre console was a nice, more tactile alternative to navigate technology and in-car settings.

Otherwise, the Mazda 6’s standard tech list was impressive, including keyless push-button engine start, cruise control, LED tail-lights, eight-way power adjust driver and four-way front passenger seat with two-position memory for driver, rain sensing wipers, BOSE premium 11-speaker sound system and steering-wheel-mounted controls for ease of control.

Mazda 6 Touring pricing and specifications
Price: $39,190 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol