MAZDA 6
Family needs may compel you to acquire a traditional family sedan. But that doesn’t mean you need to choose the traditional family sedan your neighbours selected. Far be it from GoodCarBadCar.net to pronounce the Toyota Camry as bad. And you’re not about to discover a newfound hatred for the Honda Accord, a former Good 12 winner. Still, does any street in North America need more of the same?
First and foremost among the Mazda 6‘s appealing characteristics is its design. Sleek, modern, even a smidge bold in light of alternatives from… well, everybody else. The front-end would fit in fine on a sporty four-door. The profile view is oh-so-pseudo Aston Martin. More importantly, in a vehicle class where cars are typically designed by thirty employees in four countries, the Mazda is cohesive – front to back, side to side.
Opting for the V6 nets you an absolute beast. Large horsepower numbers have corrupted our IQ accelerometers. 269 lb-ft? That makes for pleasing motive force. Interior space is fit for a family. Unlike gargantuan three-row SUVs, the Mazda 6 accomodates the kids side-by-side in the rear seat. Yes, very traditional. Bickering, brawling, and bawling. There’s no need to be perfunctory. Skip ye the prosaic – you can have what you want in something more pulchritudinous.
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Engines: 170/272 horsepower; 167/269 lb-ft of torque from a 2.5L inline-four and a 3.7L V6
Base USD Price: $19,200
City Mileage: 17-21 mpg
Large Class Sizes: Like many cars currently considered to be participants in the “mid-size” class, the Mazda 6 ain’t the size it used to be. Compared to the final 626, the 2010 6 sits on a wheelbase 4.7 inches longer. Its overall length adds more than half a foot. The newer car is also 3 inches wider. On the plus side, humans enjoy nearly five cubic feet of extra space and can tote along an extra 2.5 cubic-feet worth of junk. To its detriment, the Honda Accord is taller, wider, and longer.
Despite being a sedan, the Mazda6 has nice lines.
Far few buyers than the CamAccord, but the Mazdabuyers are a whole lot cooler.