Mazda6 Wagon

But is the load-lugging version worth the extra $500-1500 over the equivalent sedan and hatch? After a week of domestic duties, some freeway time and the obligatory golf excursion, we reckon it is. While arguably not as stylish as the others, the wagon still looks the goods on the road, the fastback styling and sloping rear glass making it a standout amongst the traditional station wagon brigade.

Unlike its sedan and hatch siblings, the wagon is available in just one specification and with five-speed auto only. But it's still well-equipped for the price, with climate control, six airbags, cruise control, six-stack CD player, trip computer, leather steering wheel and roof racks amongst the long list of standard kit. The only disappointments were the lack of electrically-adjustable seats, and smallish 16-inch, albeit alloy, wheels.

The driving experience is similar to the sedan, which means it's sharp, responsive and well-composed in the twisties, with plenty of oomph from the 122kW/207Nm 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine. You'll need to rev it hard to achieve its best, but it won't hesitate to rev to its 7100rpm redline in self-shift 'manual' mode. Fuel economy was respectable, achieving 9.5-litre/100km on average, albeit on a strict premium unleaded diet. Despite the suspension improvements, the Mazda6 still rides firmly but soaks up most road nasties with confidence. Unfortunately, tyre and engine noise still intrude into the cabin particularly on the freeway, despite Mazda's attention to NVH levels.

The wagon's load-lugging abilities are the icing on the cake. There's 503 litres of space in the flat cargo area with the rear seats upright; less than a big Falcon or Commodore wagon but sufficient for the average family's requirements. There's also good head and legroom in the second row, but the child restraints are awkwardly located on the back of the seats; a real pain if you're frequently re-arranging booster seats.

But it's difficult to find fault in a well-priced vehicle that shines as much as a load lugger as a week-end fun machine. And if you spend most of your time on the bitumen, it's definitely a more entertaining, family-friendly alternative to a compact soft-roader.