Mazda6 Review

Mazda6

How It Drove - Performance

I have never been a fan of diesel engines other than in commercial vehicles or four wheel drives but the Mazda6's combination of outstanding performance and fuel economy has changed my mind. The 2.0 MZR-CD common-rail diesel engine delivers injection pressure that's around 30% higher than conventional systems and combined with the EVVC system gives improved responsiveness and impressive performance. As with all diesel engines the noise at idle and lower speeds is noticeable but at no time was it intrusive and once on the move was barely noticeable.

Around town the Mazda6 drove well with more than adequate power and it pulled well in all gears which compensated for the occasional lazy gear change. On A and B roads the pace was swift and acceleration was more than adequate. On the Motorway the Mazda6 was clearly at home and cruised comfortably at legal speeds. Although, I did find myself slipping into 4th gear to keep a constant speed up steeper hills when a petrol version would have happily accelerated in 5th.

How It Drove - Ride and Handling

The Mazda6 has been put through a rigorous quality assurance programme and the result is chassis and braking technology that rides well over all road surfaces and cushions the impact of the poorer ones whilst cosseting the occupants.

The long wheelbase and low centre of gravity enables the Mazda6 to corner well whilst retaining its composure and without compromising ride comfort. Although the downside is that I found the steering to be a little bit too light and lacking the degree of feedback that I would have liked to enjoy the Mazda6 to its fullest.