Ford Mondeo Trend EcoBoost v Mazda6 Touring v Toyota Camry Atara SX 2015 Comparison

Come one, come all
Even before its recent facelift the Mazda 6 medium sedan (along with its wagon stable mate) was motoring.com.au's number-one segment pick, praised for its multi-faceted performance.

With an update focused on addressing key areas of concern – namely in reducing NVH and adding infotainment – the 2015-specification Mazda 6 saw off fresh rivals from Hyundai (with its new Sonata) and Subaru (with its sixth-generation Liberty) in our previous medium car comparison.

Now, two further refreshed rivals have entered the ring. Ford's new MD-series Mondeo (not a sedan, but a five-door hatch aimed squarely at the same market) and Toyota's upgraded Camry – the last-ever to be built in Australia –  both offer new takes on established nameplates.

Has either upped their game enough to wrestle the crown from Mazda's grasp?

In short, it's clear where Ford has focused its cross-hairs on the segment sales leader. The Camry generates 135kW/235Nm in response, from a naturally-aspirated 'four' in tested Atara SX specification; a slight increase on the 133kW Altise thanks to a dual exhaust system. Unlike the direct system installed in the others, the Toyota retains multi-point fuel injection.

What Ford is less keen to spruik is its claimed fuel consumption figures. At 8.2L/100km for the combined cycle, the Mondeo trails the Camry's 7.8. Pricing, too; at $37,280 (plus on-road costs), the Mondeo Trend EcoBoost is $5300 more expensive than the mid-spec $31,990 (plus on-roads) Camry Atara SX equivalent. Toyota also offers a 'drive-away' carrot, enabling you to put any new Camry on the road for an additional $2500.

The $37,280 (plus on-roads) Mazda 6 Touring shares the Toyota's 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol layout, though its key figures indicate a more modern approach to power produced efficiently. The outputs read 138kW/250Nm, while returning a claimed 6.6L/100km.

All three on-test utilise a six-speed automatic transmission and offer paddle shift capability.

Just as important in a modern context are the aftersales strategies deployed for each car.

All carry a three-year warranty, but while the Ford and Toyota products will lapse if 100,000km is breached beforehand, the Mazda's warranty comes with an unlimited kilometre kicker.

In fact, with Mazda upping its servicing game in recent times, about the only area it truly drags behind is in service interval. While the Ford tops the lot with a yearly (or 15,000km, whichever comes first) service visit, the Mazda requires attention every six months or 10,000km. Toyota has placed the Camry somewhere in-between with a nine month/15,000km interval.

Ford has long been considered a leader in capped-price service offerings, and the Mondeo is covered by a whopping 408 month (that's 34 years!) or 510,000km program. Pricing for its first service is expensive, however, at $355, though this is somewhat offset thanks to the larger intervals).

Mazda offers a 96-month or 160,000km program, with the first price capped at $299. Toyota has set the Camry's capped-price program at 48 months or 75,000km, though its initial service price is a far more reasonable $140.

Roadside assist may seem like a small outlay, but when you realise Ford offers 84 months complimentary assist, against Mazda's $68.10pa and Toyota's $78.00pa, the cost saving and added convenience becomes more significant.

To give a gauge on resale, we've also looked at redbook.com.au retained values for 2012 model year equivalents, with an average 60,000km on the clock.

A Ford Mondeo Zetec EcoBoost retailed at $37,740 new, and now carries a median private sale price of $15,800, a retained value of only 42 per cent.

Mazda's 6 Touring Sedan sold for $33,450 new and today would bring a median of $19,850, retaining 59 per cent of its new value.

Finally, the Toyota Camry Atara SL was $39,990 new; incredible when you consider today's equivalent. A used example today carries a median private sale price of $20,050, a 50.1 per cent retained value.

Climb aboard
The new Mondeo's re-profiled exterior lends it a sense of prestige, and that is a feeling that continues as you enter the cabin. The 10-way adjustable, heated, memory seats for both driver and front passenger look and feel fantastic to the touch with their combined leather/cloth trim, though the curvature of the seat's side bolsters can prove a little tight when compared to the others on test.

Ford has also done an admirable job of cleaning up the Mondeo's centre console, though there is now added complexity to the headlight controls at the right of the steering wheel. Auto high-beam, rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone climate control, an eight-speaker audio with DAB radio capability, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with SYNC2 hands-free voice technology, sat-nav and rear-view camera are welcome standard features.

But it's the suite of safety tech that really impresses. Active city stop, pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping aid and departure warning and a driver impairment monitor all add appeal.

Priced only $10 less the Mazda 6 Touring the Mazda nevertheless does without much of the Mondeo's safety kit. Some of it is gained via the $1260 optional Safety Pack, which includes blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a rear-view mirror with auto-dim function and smart city brake support for both forward and backward motions.

The Mazda's centre touchscreen is an inch down in size and the leather seats lack heating (though have memory function and are eight-way adjustable for driver and four-way for passenger), though sat-nav and reversing camera come standard, along with rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming and 11-speaker audio.

Like the Ford, there's a level of quality, fit and finish here that means both punch above their price bracket.

With some 800 new parts, including every exterior panel bar the roof, the latest Camry is significantly altered. Inside there's a 6.1-inch touchscreen that doubles as a reversing camera, though in-built satellite navigation is not fitted. Six-speaker audio is featured with voice recognition and Toyota Link that provides access to Pandora internet radio and on-phone maps.

Dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and go, Bluetooth capability, leather-accented powered sports seats and two rear parking sensors are also included on the standard equipment list, though the tastier stuff found in the Mondeo (for example, lane-departure, auto high-beam, pre-collision braking) can only be accessed if you order the top-shelf Atara SL.

The Camry does win the back-seat passenger race, however, with ample leg, head and shoulder room. Sitting in the Mazda's back row reveals decent leg room, though the slope of the roofline leaves headroom lacking in comparison. The Mondeo reverses that, feeling a little tighter for legs but with better head space than the Mazda.

On the road, again
In 2015, you would be hard-judged to find a passenger vehicle that hasn't moved the dynamic game on from its predecessor. As an overall experience, however, the Ford Mondeo feels less complete than before.

Criticism centres largely around its steering. In an area where previous Mondeos have been praised, the new car's artificial electrically-assisted response saps confidence, whether cornering or changing lanes, where the jumpy initial response demands high precision – especially with the dark tint on the side rear windows restricting visibility.

Turning to the ride/handling equation, one particularly bumpy stretch has the Mondeo bouncing off the bump stops. Take bumps away and the Mondeo feels firm in bump and solid but unspectacular through corners… once you have accounted for the lack of steering accuracy. In contrast, the brakes proved strongest on test, with the additional benefit of good pedal feel.

No complaints could be made on the upgraded 177kW EcoBoost engine's performance, however. Strong and clean in its delivery, it is also smooth and quiet, and assists in the Mondeo's 73dB(A) sound recording at 80km/h, comfortably best on-test. Exercise the accelerator, and you pay for the added grunt; with a 11.0L/100km reading at test-end, it's easy to conclude where a modern turbo-motor's strengths and weaknesses lie in the real world.

We've made much of the completeness the latest Mazda 6 offers, and this feeling extends to dynamics. The keen-sounding, revvy engine may lack the torque offered by turbocharged opposition, but its eager flexibility and relative efficiency largely overcome this deficiency. Fuel consumption was 8.2L/100km on-test, comfortably better than the opposition, and the gearbox is well-matched to the engine.

One traditional key negative with the Mazda 6 has centred around cabin noise, and though the Series 2 has been improved, the 76dB(A) reading at 80km/h – up 3db(A) on our previous test, thanks to a coarser-chip surface – trails the Mondeo significantly, and is noticed inside.

Dynamically the Mazda melds a responsive yet not comfortable ride with decent turn-in, roll control and steering response. It's ominously well-rounded.

Where the Mondeo may have lost a step, the locally-honed Camry appears to have found two in the turns.

Much has been made of its 'pre-load' differential, which aids traction and straight-line stability. Although not a limited-slip mechanical differential, Toyota tells us that it works via a conical spring which 'provides torque to limit the speed difference between the driven wheels during light loads'.

The net effect is a Camry that feels surer on its feet than ever before. This, coupled with the localised suspension tuning for the 18-inch wheel package, delivers the dynamic surprise of the test. There's sharper steering and firmer damping, and it all contributes to make for a Camry that dismisses the 'brimmed hat on the parcel shelf' image.

Although the Toyota contains slightly more grunt than standard thanks to the upgraded exhaust, the reality is this old-tech engine feels its age in this context. It lacks the eagerness and efficiency of the same-capacity Mazda (at 10.3L/100km on test, it trails the 6 by 2.1L/100km).

Though it's subjectively quieter than the Mazda under load, once at an 80km/h cruise it matches the 76db(A) noise reading. Continuing that aged feel is an odd sensation when the six-speed auto's 'Sport' mode, which apparently allows you to select the highest gear the Camry will engage, but still shifts automatically up and down to that ratio; it makes the paddle shifters feel largely redundant.

The complete package
Another medium 'sedan' comparison, packed with worthy combatants… and another Mazda victory.

We can point out the advanced safety and aftersales packages offered by the Mondeo, or the purchase price value and interior space advantages of the Camry, but each also offer negatives to cancel-out these highlights.

All three reviewers on test praised the Mondeo's safety and technology standards, but felt that the added tech came at the expense of other areas, especially in its dynamics.

Also surprising was the Camry's large step forward. For years, it has been the sales benchmark, but it's now added a pulse and represents impressive value at current prices. But overall, its lower specification – from driveline to safety to equipment levels to quality finishes – meant the Toyota also gave best to the benchmark.

Where the others offer highs and lows, he Mazda 6 Touring is remarkably balanced throughout. It offers a superb blend of equipment, quality, performance, dynamics, economy and modern design.

Its biggest drawback – cabin noise – may trail the best opposition, but it's improved to the point that it doesn't really affect the overall ownership proposition. In short, it's (still) the complete package.