I'm driving our long-term Mazda 6 up the coast to the MotoGP race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend with the wife. Should be a perfectly peaceful few days interrupted only occassionally by the 17,000-rpm shriek of grand prix motorcycles.
Our Mazda 6 may not have the V6, but it is all ate up with tech options, including Bluetooth audio streaming. This lets you play music on your Bluetooth-streaming compatible phone/device through the Mazda 6's audio system. This may appear novel now, but by the time we've all got our lives on an iThing, we'll scratch our heads at cars lacking this feature. It's just audio for now, but video streaming to your nav systems display is the next stop down the planned-obsolescence highway.
We've also got the Sirius (now Sirius/XM) satellite radio option on the 6, which not only lets you rewind live content, but allows you to set up alerts across the Sirius channel lineup in case a song you really like is playing on another channel. When the song begins to play on another channel, an alert pops up on the screen, and you can push the icon to go right to it, then listen to and rewind and re-listen to that song as much as you like.
I only discovered this feature on the way home last night when an alert popped up. What song had inspired someone to track it down across the wide span of digital airwaves that is satellite radio? What tune could not be missed? The Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow.
Below are the fuel economy numbers for June 2009. We've listed the best, worst and overall average tanks.
As always, we were missing a few cars that were out of town or unavailable at the time of this writing. I'll continue to add them as they come in and let you know in the comments.
Car
Best
Worst
Average
2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.8
17.5
21.9
2009 Audi S5
22.3
11.3
18.0
2008 BMW 135i
27.7
13.9
19.8
2009 BMW 750i
21.8
12.4
17.9
2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.5
2009 BMW M3
20.5
12.7
16.1
2009 Ford Flex Limited
26.7
13.7
19.2
2008 Ford Focus SES
40.6
16.6
26.7
2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
12.7
31.6
2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
24.9
31.0
2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.4
14.3
20.4
2009 Infiniti FX50
21.8
10.7
16.9
2009 Mazda 6
29.3
19.4
23.5
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X GSR
22.6
11.0
17.0
2009 Nissan 370Z
24.4
13.7
17.9
2009 Nissan GT-R
21.8
11.5
16.4
2008 Smart Fortwo Passion
43.4
23.5
33.6
2009 Suzuki SX4
28.3
18.6
22.5
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.0
34.6
After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.
My sister-in-law came over last week to borrow some long stuff. The pile included a rake, an area rug, 4 five-foot-long two-by-fours and an oversized patio umbrella. She popped the trunk of her 328i and realized her rear seat does not fold down.
I logged 150 freeway miles this weekend in our 2009 Mazda 6, most of it in slooooooww moving freeway traffic, and noticed that the center console lid felt strange under my bored right elbow.
Lifting the loose lid, I realized the latch was broken off, preventing it from clicking shut.
I don't believe that mini nuisance has yet been added to the Mazda 6's growing list of repairs.
They say familiarity breeds contempt, but I think the opposite may be true for cars. Spend enough time with any machine and you can't help but sense some beauty in its lines. Not that the complex curves of the Mazda 6 are heinous to begin with, but the subtlety of its shape is definitely starting to impress.
It's in some good company as well, as I thought I'd spotted a nearly identically prepped Sangria Red 6 getting a scrub in a neighbor's driveway, and it wasn't until I was close enough to wave that I realized it was a Jaguar XF in a remarkably similar shade. That lucky owner also did a double take as I rolled by, probably drawn in by both cars' high bustle.
Perhaps you remember this little problem with our 6's navigation screen? Or, maybe, you remember the missing underbody cladding courtesy Boss Man Oldham? Certainly you remember that way back in early April we took the 6 to the dealer to have these issues addressed and get the oil changed? Naturally, the parts had to be ordered.
Service writer Mary Kant at Ford of Orange in Orange, California (that would be the OC) told us we'd get a call when the parts arrived. That was in April. It's June. Still no call. We rang Mary this morning and were told the underbody cladding is in but the nav screen has been on backorder. It's supposed to ship on June 9. We don't know from where.
Mary said she'd call when it arrives. We aren't holding our breath.
Our Sangria Red Mazda 6 came with a beige leather interior. The beige leather interior came with this odd, wavy-lined/matte metallic faux bamboo ("shamboo"?) trim material on the center console. Whenever I get into the Mazda 6, I think, "This is a nice-looking interior" -- and then I happen to look down at the cupholder cover and go, "Ugh, except for that." I can appreciate that designers like to throw in something a little different, a little something to catch your eye, but this pattern is going to look really dated really quickly.
Bryn MacKinnon, Senior Editor, Edmunds.com @ 11,923 miles
Here are the fuel economy numbers for 2009. We've listed the best, worst and overall average tanks.
As always, we were missing a few cars that were out of town or unavailable at the time of this writing. I'll add them as they come in and I'll let you know in the comments.
Car
Best
Worst
Average
2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.8
17.5
22.0
2009 Audi S5
22.3
11.8
18.0
2009 BMW 750i
21.8
12.4
18.2
2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.5
2009 BMW M3
18.8
9.6
15.4
2008 Cadillac CTS
32.5
9.9
19.3
2009 Dodge Challenger R/T
22.3
10.3
16.0
2009 Ford Flex Limited
26.7
13.7
19.4
2008 Ford Focus SES
40.6
16.6
26.7
2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
12.7
31.7
2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
26.0
31.5
2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.8
15.5
20.7
2009 Infiniti FX50
21.8
10.7
17.0
2009 Mazda 6
29.1
19.4
23.3
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X MR
27.2
11.7
17.3
2009 Nissan 370Z
24.4
13.7
18.2
2009 Nissan GT-R
21.8
11.5
16.5
2008 Pontiac G8 GT
24.0
12.0
17.5
2008 Smart Fortwo Passion
43.4
23.5
33.4
2009 Suzuki SX4
28.3
18.6
22.6
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.7
35.0
After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.
Every time I see our long-term 2009 Mazda 6 I'm struck by its lovely red paint. I'm not typically a huge fan of red cars, but there's something about this shade that really appeals to me.
This morning I pulled the monroney from the 6's file to check the name of the paint color.
Would I buy one? It's a question I ask myself whenever I slide behind the wheel of a car. Would I drop my hard earned money on one of these? Would I want to own it? Drive it for years? Look at it in my driveway? Tell people it's mine?
It's also the question you the reader ask me the most. So I've decided to go through all the cars we now have in our fleet and decide whether or not I would buy one. I also included a few recently departed vehicles. Seems appropriate since they just left us.
Last night on Inside Line we published a comparison test between our long-term Mazda 6 Grand Touring and a Volkswagen CC 2.0T. It's a test I've been wanting to do for quite sometime. Two stylish four-cylinder four-doors that both cost right around $30,000 and prove that mainstream family sedans don't have to be boring.
I'm not going to tell you which car won it, but I will tell you that my personal hard earned money would be payed monthly for the better looking and more powerful VW. As much as I like the Mazda 6, I really like driving the CC. Plus, I'm a sucker for its Ferrari Daytona inspired leather upholstery.
Which would you rather have parked in your garage?
There's nothing really wrong with our Mazda 6i Grand Touring. Still, I'm amazed how many people get upset by statements like "It's just OK" or when we imply that the new Mazda 6 is a little more like a Camry than the previous version. Owners of the new Mazda 6 no doubt feel they have something special. I think I know why they feel this way.
I consider the Mazda 6's lack of an iPod specific connection to be a huge mistake. It's just the kind of thing a typical Mazda customer would want in a big way. An aux in jack is not the same - it won't charge and you can't navigate your device without looking down. That being said, it does work in the most basic sense. However, the one thing I just can't take is the fact that whenever I turn the car off then on again, the stereo never stays on the AUX setting. Almost every time I fire the car up, the radio is on some other setting usually CD. I leave my iPod hooked up and it remains running on shuffle. If I can't have total control then at least give me the ability to jump right back into 16 gigs of randomness. Truly maddening!
Here's a picture of the most beautiful thing in the entire automotive world. See how that kid's feet are not touching the seat in front of him? Pure joy! No amount of horsepower, handling prowess or blue and white logos can make up for this one simple pleasure.
Not noticing certain things is one of the highest compliments you can pay. For example - "Did you notice the sound system at that Broadway play?" "Not really." "Wasn't the editing in that film incredible?" "Didn't really notice." The truth is, if most things like this are noticed it's because they're terrible.
I've been driving the Mazda 6 for a few days and I simply have not noticed the seats. I say that means they are excellent. What do you think, are great seats virtually invisible or are they the kind that instantly WOW you with firm bolstering or a super soft cushion?
It looks like the Mazda 6 is smiling even with the hood open - maybe it's happy about the adequate inline four it's got. I find the four cylinder engine to be perfectly fine - if this is the new face of making due with less then I can live with it.
There are now just two midsize sedans with a four cylinder engine I actually like. The Mazda 6 and Honda Accord. Is the Mazda's powerful? Not really. Does it drone at times? Yep. Still it's OK. The Mazda 6 is now the kind of car you drive to work and forget for eight hours, then you go home (nice enough inside) and forget about it till morning. The Mazda 6 has lost something compared to the previous version - the new car is fine but not special. Welcome to the Camry side of life Mazda.
So my friend Mitch comes across the street to see the new car the way he always does. He owns and runs Park Plaza Shell, where he already sees more cars than anyone in town. Here's what he said. (You probably can guess what I said.)
"So that's a Mazda?
"I can't recall seeing one before. It really looks great. Don't all cars looks great now?
"It's so big. What kind of Mazda?
"I remember the Mazda 6. This doesn't look anything like that.
"Better than an Accord?
"How much power? From the V6, I mean.
"The four-cylinder is better?
"Fuel economy is that good?
"Think they'll turbocharge it?
"That much power in racing?
"I don't think I've see one before. Better than an Accord?
Yes, the Mazda 6 is still a secret. But the secret is slowly getting out.
Early yesterday morning, our long-term 2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring passed the 10,000-mile mark during a commute into Southern California's Inland Empire. At the time, I was cruising at 75 mph and enjoying the big red sedan's nicely damped ride -- it's controlled over the bumps but never too harsh. I was also listening to Morning Edition, so I wasn't fretting over the lack of bass and separation from the optional, and underwhelming, Bose audio system ($1,760 when bundled with the moonroof).
When the Mazda 6 hit 9,998 miles, I searched for an exit so that I could safely document the approaching milestone. We ended up at this lovely funeral home in the Covina hills.
I took a quick trip from Los Angeles to Fresno over the weekend in our long-term 2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring. I've written before that I find our car's 168-hp (not 170, as it's a PZEV), 2.5-liter four-cylinder adequate. But during the drive, I decided I really would not want to own a Mazda 6 with this engine.
Even by four-cylinder standards, this engine is light on low-end torque. Its peak of 166 pound-feet doesn't hit until 4,000 rpm and it feels like a steep climb to get there. Scaling the southbound stretch of the Interstate 5 "Grapevine," the tach was pegged at 4,000 rpm in my quest to keep a 75-to-80-mph pace.
It's not that I mind revving this high, mind you. But whereas the Honda Accord's 2.4-liter engine is comfortable and free-revving at these heights, Mazda's 2.5-liter is noisy and somewhat strained. This is not an athletic-feeling engine and not in keeping with the car's or the brand's sporty image.
Last Friday a couple of your favorite Inside Line editors conducted a 222-mile fuel economy test in the 2009 Mazda 6.
The drive route through Orange, San Diego and Riverside Counties was a roughly even city/highway mix -- and thus fairly true to the 55-percent city + 45-percent highway formula the EPA uses to come up with combined mpg ratings. Start and finish fill-ups were conducted at the same pump by the same editor; the climate control was set at 72 degrees; and wide open throttle use was prohibited. Lunch and a driver change came in Temecula, California.
The result? 27.8 mpg against an EPA rating of 21/30/24 for a 2009 Mazda 6 i with the five-speed automatic transmission.
Naturally, racking up over 100 miles in city traffic is time-intensive to the point that we spent 6 hours behind the wheel. That gave us plenty of time and opportunity to use the Mazda's Bluetooth.
A couple weeks ago James wrote about how the seating position in our long-term 2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring is tall-guy friendly. Now I'm not exceptionally tall, but after spending another evening with our big red sedan, I think this is a very driver-friendly seating position in general. Specifically, sitting down into the car puts you in the mood to drive, not just commute.
The seats themselves are nothing special: The leather upholstery is only average-quality and Mazda hasn't taken any risks with lateral bolstering (the better to accommodate humans of larger frame). But there's a good range of seat-height adjustment, so I can jack up the seat to see well over the sedan's rising beltline and long nose. It's a great view -- as good as anything in the midsize sedan class. Yet, I still feel like I'm nestled in a real cockpit, rather than sitting on a barstool in some crossover SUV.
Then, there's the steering wheel. It's maybe a tenth of a size smaller than the wheels you usually see in this class and it's a typical, Mazda three-spoke design. It feels good to hold, and as I back out of my parking spot, put the transmission in D and turn the corner in the parking garage, I notice something else: genuine steering feel. This will be a good drive.
I get this question almost daily from somebody, and my answer usually blows their mind. I say, "Well, everyday this guy Mike walks up to me with a clipboard that contains a list of 15 to 30 cars ranging from a Smart to a GT-R and he says, 'Scott, what do you want to drive home tonight.'"
Our Mazda6 went to the dealer last week for its first service and to have its various malodies repaired. Some time has elapsed since we've discussed the stripe and the stupidity, but both will be fixed soon enough. Ford of Orange had to order both a new nav system and new undercarriage molding and will be calling us when they come in.
I'm driving home. Traffic isn't as bad as it could be at 4:30 pm in LA, and I find myself going 65 mph for a change.
Then I hear it: a persistent tapping coming from somewhere under the car, as if someone from Western Union were sending out an urgent message on a telegraph in Morse Code.
And it continues as long as my speed stays above 60 mph. Nothing to do but turn up the stereo some more until I can get home and crawl underneath to try my hand at some DIY.
Of all the Japanese manufacturers, Mazda seems to best understand how to make a driving position for tall dudes like myself (6-foot-3). Both our departed long-term CX-9 and our long-term 6i feature power seats that can be adjusted into the full "birthing position," with the cushion front adjusted way far upward providing maximum thigh support. It backs this up with a far-reaching telescoping steering wheel that allows me to comfortably bend my elbows. Even the Mazda 3 when equipped with power seats is a pretty good proposition.
It would be nice if other manufacturers (cough, Toyota, cough) caught onto providing this sort of seat and wheel adjustment. I've never understood why they wouldn't, since they are basically eliminating themselves needlessly from consideration for people of my height. Being comfortable is of utmost importance. I find that in general BMW and Volvo usually fit me the best -- and I'm going to wildly surmise that the latter rubbed off on its corporate cousins Mazda and Ford, because they "fit" remarkably similar.
Here are updated fuel economy figures for the month of March. We've listed the best, worst and average fuel economy numbers over the life of the vehicle. Keep in mind that some of these tanks may be based on a partial fill-up.
This is missing a few that were not available at the time I was compiling this list.
Car
Best
Worst
Average
2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.0
17.5
21.6
2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.6
2009 Dodge Challenger R/T
20.4
12.9
17.3
2008 Ford Focus
40.6
17.1
26.4
2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
21.4
31.6
2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
28.0
32.1
2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.8
15.5
21.1
2009 Infiniti FX50
20.9
10.8
17.4
2009 Mazda 6
29.1
19.5
23.3
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X GSR
22.6
11.0
17.1
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X MR
24.7
15.0
16.8
2009 Nissan 370Z Touring
21.6
14.0
18.4
2008 Smart Fortwo
43.4
25.7
33.8
2009 Suzuki SX4
25.0
18.6
22.1
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.7
35.6
2005 Volkswagen Jetta on Biodiesel
43.9
35.5
39.3
After the jump you can see the list sorted by average MPG.
I've hit my limit on in-dash CD changers mounted behind integrated navigation system screens. I can't stand the setup in our long-term 2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring.
If it was just a single-disc player, I think I'd be fine with it. But this is a six-disc unit, and the loading and unloading process is the one of the fussiest I've ever encountered. OK, it's helpful that you get the yellow "In" labels to let you know which slots are occupied. But when I'm ready to put something in slot 2, I can't just press the slot 2 disc icon -- I have to hit that, plus "Load" or "Eject." That's silly. And with the soft on-screen "buttons" so close together, it's easy to hit the wrong one accidentally.
Some manufacturers (like Nissan/Infiniti) manage to find other real estate in the center stack for a separate CD changer unit when a navigation system is installed. But, frankly, even a glovebox-mounted unit would be preferable to the Mazda 6's setup, which I certainly don't try to load while driving anyway. (Sure, I could listen to my iPod instead, but I didn't want to last night. The sound quality is not the same, plus I spent 15 years building my CD collection -- it takes time to rip it all to my computer.)
A note on the screen discoloration: It's still there, but we will address it when the Mazda 6 goes in for its first service.
I know it's not going to happen anytime soon, but how good would our Mazda 6 feel with a diesel engine like our Jetta TDI? I'd really like to know.
I spent some time in our Jetta TDI recently and I couldn't get over how much I actually liked to drive it. It's torque curve is perfect for squirting around town and merging in and out of traffic. The car has no brakes, but that's another issue.
So last night I get into our Mazda 6, flat foot the gas pedal and all I get is a bunch of noise and a rather modest shove in the back. And this from one of the better four-cylinders in the segment.
Now it's entirely possible that the much bigger Mazda 6 would suck with the Jetta's pint-size turbo diesel, but Mazda has its own 2.0-liter diesel in Europe which makes 265 pound-feet of torque - 20 more than the Volkswagen motor. Seems like enough to me. Then again, with that motor our Mazda 6 would probably cost $35,000 too, so there's that.
Within this well-located, multi-function display, the Mazda 6 provides you (in this instance while listening to the radio) with the following info:
-- Climate control status
-- Time
-- Radio band and which bank of presets selected ("SR2")
-- Which preset button is selected ("ch3")
-- Station selected ("008" -- yes, it's the '80s one)
-- Passenger temperature selection.
Doesn't this strike you as a bit much, visually? Try reading this display at a glance and you'll see what I mean -- there's just too much info crammed in there. If they eliminated the preset status ("ch3") and showed just "SR" to indicate satellite radio, that would allow more space between the info fields and make it easier to quickly get a read on things.
Immediately after getting into the 6, I noticed the steering wheel squeaked as I turned it from side to side. It sounds like leaves brushing against the side of a house in a storm.
I blasted the column with some canned air thinking I might get rid of the dirt and dust. It lessened the noise, but the ghost remains.
It's going in for service very soon so we'll get it looked at and let y'all know.
Threw the Recaro Como kid seat into the back of the Mazda 6 this weekend. Overall the process was fine, though the give in the seat cushion and the texture of the leather made it a little tricky to get a tight cinch the first time. There was a plenty of leg room for my 3-year-old once she was in the seat, even with the front passenger seat adjusted for someone my height (5'7") to be comfortable.
I was particularly grateful that the designers of the 6's two-tone interior wrapped the backs of the front seats in black instead of light leather. When tiny feet do reach the seatbacks and leave their marks, at least it's not a jarring dark smudge on a light background.
And with the child safety seat in an outboard position, I was still able to fit in the center seating position (though I'm dangerously thin) if I put my shoulder behind the wing-like side of the Como. Not great for a road trip, but it would work if you were staying local.
Bryn MacKinnon, Senior Editor, Edmunds.com @ 7,217 miles
After last night's drive in our 2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring, I stopped for fuel. Then, per the car's owners manual, I let the 6 sit for five minutes, during which time I did my taxes and finished Foucault's Pendulum. Then, and only then, did I check the oil
Oil still registered on the dipstick, but it was below the low mark. So this morning I went to the auto parts store to buy the car's preferred drink, 5W20.
The Kragen I go to won't give out paper funnels ("because we want to sell plastic funnels," the staff says), so I was pleased to find this handy cutout in the plastic engine cover. It eliminates the need for a funnel altogether. I took the photo with the bottle's cap on, because I was already done adding oil -- I put in just under half a quart. The level is now fine.
Last night, I put about 100 freeway miles on our 2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring, climbing a few grades and initiating a few decisive passing maneuvers. And now I'm convinced that the car's 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine is an adequate power source for this midsize sedan.
Ours is a PZEV, of course, so it's rated at 168 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 166 pound-feet at 4,000 rpm (versus 170 hp and 167 lb-ft on non-PZEVs). Like most fours in this class, the 2.5-liter makes useful torque at relatively low rpm and it lasts into the mid-range, so getting around town and merging onto the freeway is pain-free.
Climbing grades (in this case, the I-5 Grapevine) forces the engine to reach for high rpm -- well, not too high, as redline comes early at 6,200 rpm. I don't dislike the way the engine sounds at these speeds, but I don't delight in it. Given the choice, I'd rather have the current-generation Accord's 2.4-liter engine as my soundtrack. The engine isn't exactly comfortable at 6,000 rpm, either, but nor does it feel strained.
In general, I was happy with the responsiveness of our Mazda 6 i's five-speed automatic transmission, but on the Grapevine, it took extra prodding to get it to drop to 3rd in "D," so that manual mode would be useful. I do like the 0.692 top overdrive gear, because it has the engine at 2,500 rpm at 70 mph and only 3,000 rpm at 80 mph.
Overall, this is a powertrain I could live with in a personal car, especially considering the impressive cruising range -- this a 400-mile car, easy-peasy. The only time the Mazda 6 i feels kinda slow is under full throttle coming down an entrance ramp. And really, I think it would have no difficulty keeping up with the four-cylinder Accord, Camry and Malibu we tested last year. First choice is still the Passat 2.0T, though.
That 29.1 mpg was achieved by our Engineering Editor Jay Kavanagh during a lazy, late night run from Phoenix to Los Angeles. Jay admits to setting the cruise control on 74 mph and not running the air conditioning. The cars next best tank has been just 26.9 mpg, and I drove the thing from San Francisco to L.A. last week at an aggressive clip and averaged just 23.6 mpg.
One thing's for sure, this Mazda has range. The car has a huge 18.5 gallon gas tank thanks to the V6 model, and it gives this small-engined version the ability to run for more than 400 miles on a tank. And that's good for road trippin'. Plus, it runs on regular.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 6,772 miles
When it comes to handling golf bags, some carmakers get it and some don't. Mazda gets it -- big time, as you can see in this photo of our 2009 Mazda 6. And the opening is nice and wide too so you don't have to angle your clubs in one end at a time.
A lot of cars these days have such narrow trunks that you have to take the driver out of your bag first and lay it in separately. Then, when you're hurrying to the first tee you forget to put it back in and you have to play your whole round with a three wood. Golf's hard enough without that kind of nonsense.
Look how much room is left even after my clubs are in the Mazda's trunk. You could put Shaq's clubs in here with having to take the driver out of the bag first.
Once again we prove that there are times when a truck would be nice but isn't completely necessary. This is what seven bags of mulch look like in the trunk of a Mazda6.
Relax. I only went a few blocks. And the 6 handled it quite nicely thank you very much.
Josh Jacquot, Senior road test editor @ 6,638 miles
This is not the top speed of our long-term 2009 Mazda 6. The car has a soft speed limiter at 122 mph. At either speed the car is sure and steady, with just a hint of front-end float. Still, it does take a while to reach these speeds with our car's four-cylinder. If thrust is a priority, you better buy your Mazda 6 with the optional V6.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 6,006 miles
If you were trying to tap into the midsize sedan market, how would distinguish yourself from the perennial bestsellers, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry?
With style, of course. There is nothing wrong with those other sedans, other than the fact that some people think they are butt ugly.
The Mazda 6 tries to instill some flair into the market. It hasn't done anything radical, just smoothed out some of the rough edges. I think it looks muy caliente in Sangria Red.
I drove our 6 home last night for the first time. I think it's a solid car, but what makes it distinctive from other family sedans is the interior lighting. To me that kind of style is a difference maker when all other things are relatively equal.
A commenter on yesterday's Mazda 6 trunk post mentioned reliability, so it seems prudent today to note that there's a recall notice out for the 2009 Mazda 6. There's nothing more I can tell you beyond what's contained in the above NHTSA screen grab, so I'll leave it at that.
Annoyingly, though, I haven't been able to find out if our car is subject to the recall. Mazda's 800 number is completely unhelpful, and the automated voice prompt system doesn't currently list this recall as one to get more information on. We'll update you once we know more, or if, umm, our car's possibly defective door latches result in "an unbelted occupant being ejected and could result in death or injury."
All day today, I bet you've been dying to know what groceries I bought over the weekend. Well, thanks to this nifty photo, you can! Bananas, strawberries, bread...
More to the point, though, is that our 2009 Mazda 6 has a big trunk. It measures 16.6 cubic feet worth of capacity, which is more than Accord or Camry. It's nicely shaped, too, and has strut-style scissor hinges for the trunk lid.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 5,420 miles
I've found myself using manual shift control on our automatic-equipped 2009 Mazda 6 more than I typically do in other similarly-configured cars. There are three reasons for this: 1) The shift pattern is pull back for upshifts and push forward for downshifts, which is the way it should be -- end of story; 2) The manual gate is towards the driver, so the shift lever feels comfortable and natural to use (too many car companies don't seem to grasp this concept); 3) While acceleration is adequate with the 170-horsepower four-cylinder engine, keeping the transmission in manual mode gives more control over those ponies and grants the bonus of engine braking, as well.
Even though the new 2009 Mazda 6 lost some "sport" in its move to being bigger and better, something like this shows that Mazda didn't sell its soul completely.
Keyless ignition/entry is a great modern convenience, and our long-term 2009 Mazda 6 Grand Touring has it (it's included on the Touring or Grand Touring trim levels). Like some other cars in our fleet (BMW X5, for instance), the 6's lock/unlock operation utilizes a sensor in the door handle. If the 6 is locked and you approach the car with the fob and lightly touch the back side of the exterior handle, the door will unlock. Pushing the black button locks the door.
Our 6's system can be a bit finicky, though, and the interior integration isn't perfect.
As my impatient right foot presses the Mazda 6 into action, the engine groans loudly. The mouthy 2.5-liter inline-4 is a little too talkative for my taste. But once the car gets going, Mazda has done a good job of keeping out wind and road noise.
There is a particularly undulating strip of the 405 freeway that can really stir up a car with a stiff suspension like the GT-R. But the softer Mazda6 absorbs the bumps with ease and keeps out the thump-thump-thump of the concrete seams.
So, while we opted for the Mazda 6 with the smaller engine that sounds like it has to work hard to get going, the suspension and well-designed cabin keep the ride relatively quiet. I get to enjoy my music on the commute home instead of the roar of traffic.
In terms of day-to-day usefulness, the newly re-jiggered Mazda 6 is as innocuously functional as your everyday Camry or Accord. It feels solidly built, has plenty of room, and in Grand Touring guise, has plenty of bells and whistles to make you feel special on your daily commute. The styling has some nice lines helping hide the car's length, and it keeps the 6 from earning an anonobox label. All good. But if you've been drawn to Mazdas and the previous-gen 6 in particular by their Zoom-Zoom tuning (my brother bought one), you'll almost certainly be disappointed the first time you put the cane to the new 6.
I took the Mazda 6 this weekend to Angel Stadium to watch James "Bubba" Stewart yet again annihilate the competition at Supercross Anaheim Round 2. At the race, Dan shot a great video showing 4 consecutive backflips.
I noticed that by the driver's left knee (above), next to the unusual headlamp leveling thumbwheel, is a switch marked "BSM OFF." BSM off, what could that be? Huh.
Let's RTFM (read the friendly manual). But of course -- Blind Spot Monitoring! -- and it works just fine.
BSM works by showing a car sensing icon in either of the outside mirrors if a vehicle appears in your blindspot on the corresponding side (pic below, click on it for a better view). If you operate your turn signal to the side where the blindspot vehicle is situated, you will also hear an auditory beep. The radar sensors are located in both corners of the rear bumper. The book says you must be going 20 mph or more for it to work. I found it to be useful with no false alarms, and it never alerted for parked cars.
The only downside is that if you are cutting in and out of traffic, and not really that close to the vehicles you chop, you will get numerous warnings. Some may find it to be annoying and that all of the alerts will lead the driver to ignore the system. But I don't find it so.
Besides -- if you don't like it, there's that BSM OFF switch.
Albert Austria, Sr Vehicle Evaluation Engineer @ 4275 mi
One of the areas touched by the Mazda 6's 2009 redesign is its cabin. I think it's become a more attractive place to be -- little upgrades like additional metallic trim and sleeker HVAC vents really do make a difference.
It's as if your tweedy, middle-aged uncle landed a younger girlfriend and decided to spruce himself up with a haircut and a couple of new button-downs. This more polished cabin should help Mazda in its effort to vault the 6 from almost-there outlier to genuine mainstream contender.
Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor @ 3,939 miles
In early December I wrote a blog post whining about the Distance To Empty predictor in our EVO GSR. It stops working with 30 miles to go. Many of you thought this was ridiculous and pointed out that "risking it" is stupid anyway. You folks are really going to hate this.
In a few weeks I'll be driving one of our cars from Los Angeles to Detroit and leaving it there with our Detroit Editor Dan Pund for much of the winter.
But which one of our cars should I take? Right now the short list is our 2008 BMW X5, our 2009 Audi A4 Avant, which is on summer tires, and the brand new all-wheel drive 2009 Suzuki SX4 Crossover Sport that will be introduced to this blog in a couple of weeks.
I'm not limited to those three cars, however. I can basically take whatever I want. Maybe our new Mazda 6 is the one to take, or our STI. What do you think? What would you take?
I experienced a moment of clarity when I stomped on our long-term 2009 Mazda 6's throttle for the first time. "Aha!" I exclaimed. "So that's what a combination vacuum cleaner/weedwhacker would sound like!"
I mean, if this were a Camry, then whatever. I expect a Camry to sound like an appliance. But the 6 is made by the "zoom-zoom" company -- so why does its new 2.5-liter four sound so nasty? Our track driver wasn't impressed either. "Too bad the engine is pretty loud and thrashy all the time," reads the performance test sheet.
I've heard rumblings here and there about how the Mazda 6 i with the six-speed manual might be an appealing car for enthusiasts with families. Nope. Not as long as this engine's under the hood.
Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com @ 3,150 miles
On my drive home last night, I kept a careful eye on the Mazda's display. The stripe got worse.
After about 30 minutes of driving, the fluctuating stripe became a solid stripe. When I shut the car off then started it back up, the stripe went away for a moment then returned full force. Perhaps it has something to do with heat in the system. I tend to agree with y'all that it's a bad screen and not something to do with a connection or program.
After wheeling our long-term 2009 Mazda 6 from LA to Phoenix and back last week, I've garnered enough driving impressions to fill three road tests. I'll be brief, though. Suffice it to say that although the 6 has grown up, Mazda has not succumbed to the vapid JD Power-obessed blandification that some of its competition has in their mainstream midsize offerings.
Most notable are the Mazda's precise steering and firm brake pedal. These two driving interfaces alone really separate the 6 from its CamCordBu competition, allowing the Mazda to wink and nod at car enthusiasts. Think of a grown-up Mazda 3 and you're on the right track.
It makes you wonder why don't other manufacturers execute them like Mazda has in the 6. Right, the JD Power thing. To score well there, you must not offend the whiners with "vibrations" such as actual steering feel or "hard" brakes that respond with confidence-inspiring initial bite and linearity. What you get with fixation on JD Power numbers is a Toyota Camry.
Oh, and since I can tell you're champing at the bit for some highway fuel economy numbers, I'll relent. Cruising at 75-82ish mph, air off, the 6 averaged 29.3 mpg.
It's only been a short time we've had the Mazda6, and we did our initial track test yesterday (results soon), but we already have a glitchy nav screen.
Look in the upper-left right corner for the reddish pattern that's displayed on every type of screen (audio, navi, setup, etc.). The width of the pattern never changes, but the top-to-bottom length of it acts as if it's a sound-level meter. Yet the varying length of the stripe doesn't seem to correlate to anything in particular (e.g. volume, static, station).
Over the years, we've had Camrys and Accords in our long-term test garage. As reliable as those midsize sedans have proved, they were still a bit bland. So to add a little flavor to our fleet, we've got our hands on a 2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring.
To maximize fuel economy, we opted for the 170-hp 2.5-liter inline-4 with a five-speed automatic transmission. For extra pizzazz, we chose Sangria Red paint with beige heated leather seats.
Other features include touchscreen navigation, Bose audio package, moonroof and blind-spot monitoring to name a few.
