Cars suffer from the same problems as people do. Take middle-age spread, for example. With each passing generation, cars gain bulk and weight in the quest for more luxury, more performance, and more buyers. One notable exception is the Mazda6. It’s just as modern as its competitors, but it hasn’t gained any flab in the process. It’s a trim athlete among a bunch of overweight businessmen in drab suits.
The 6’s sharply-cut metal proves that midsize Japanese sedans can be sexy. It doesn’t make an attempt at a coupe-like roofline, concave shapes or any of the current trendy design cues. Instead, it takes the classic three-box shape and stretches it tautly over a wide chassis with relatively short overhangs. The rear windshield is heavily raked, so that the 6 looks like a hatch with a vestigial trunk.
The details are alluring as the profile. The interface between front wheel arches and bumper, the sharply-cut hood, the door handles, the reflectors mounted low in the rear bumper, the multi-element tail- and headlamps: everything looks well-proportioned and a interesting departure from blandsville. Those slim front clusters catch your eye, and manage to incorporate even the foglamps. There’s a large rear wing, for once actually enhancing the look of the car it’s attached to. The design cues are from RX-8, and they make their transition to a sedan format pleasingly well.
Somehow the car manages to look compact without shortchanging on the interior room. Carrying five people in comfort is not a problem. The rear seat cushion is a bit short, but legroom is abundant. Headroom is also generous, even with the standard moonroof. Front and rear ingress and egress are good, even for older folk. The driver’s seat looks thin but support, particularly side bolstering, is excellent. Even the rake of the A-pillars is such that the view out the front is unimpeded.
The interior looks rather more conventional that the exterior would have you expect. The cloth is on the dowdy side, and the gauges are as boring as you can get. Adding a bit of spice is the center console, with its large circular buttons and the Halloween lighting. Radio and aircon settings are neatly displayed near the top of the dash.
If you mix black and silver plastic in different textures, along with bits of chrome and strips of carbon fiber, it normally wouldn’t match up, so it’s surprising that the 6’s dash looks quite tidy. The silver on the console trim looks cheap and doesn’t wear well; it’s an Aiwa to the Volvo S40’s Bang & Olufsen.
Short the trunklid may be, but trunk capacity is enormous, thanks to the space-saver spare, which lowers the load floor. You can also stuff the entire volume full of your shopping, including your fine crystal, because there are no trunk arms to crush them when you close the lid. Rather, it swings open on articulated hinges and gas struts. Some European cars follow this practice, but closing those is a two-step affair. The 6’s trunk swings shut precisely with one movement of your arm, every time. A good sign, really: if Mazda bothered to balance even the trunklid, that bodes for the rest of car.
The 6 delivers on that promise of balance, from the first time you twist the steering wheel to take a corner. The car feels light on its wheels, responding instantly to your command. You find yourself changing lanes just because it feels so good. The double wishbone front and multilink rear suspension keep the car flat even when cornering fast. They also provide a ride that’s firm but not jolting. The steering is properly weighted at all speeds, with a quick ratio and excellent feedback from the road.
Sadly, the engine doesn’t quite do justice to the chassis. It’s certainly not inadequate, and on a flat piece of road the car will accelerate quickly to 140 km/h, but it begins puffing on steep inclines. The reality of Manila traffic dictates an automatic transmission as the only choice. It makes the most of the available power, shifting down quickly with a slight tug. On command, it spins the engine past 6000 rpm, to the accompaniment of a growling exhaust note.
There is a traction control system, intriguingly provided with an off switch. We pushed the button, but there is so much grip and not a large surplus of torque, that we couldn’t provoke the front wheels into behaving irresponsibly.
Bigger-engined vehicles will overtake you on long straights, but you’ll quickly catch up to them in corners. The 6 feels much more comfortable on twisting roads, and you’ll pass them right back. Choose a lane on a flyover, inner or outer, and the 6 will grip and stick your chosen line. You’ll smile even wider when you discover just how fantastic the brakes are. The pedal feels solid and is easily modulated, so you can indulge in all the late braking that you want.
In the city crawl, a powerful engine can’t really get you to your destination that much faster. But drive a car with responsive handling and you’ll have fun, even if you’re just driving to the supermarket. At a price significantly lower than its nearest rival, no other midsize provides more enjoyment than the 6.
The symbol of Mazda’s resurgence is the RX-8, but it really should be the 6. If you can make a midsize sedan such an invigorating drive, then building a proper sports car should be a cinch. All the mechanical bits in the 6 speak of quality and attention to detail. All the slack has been wrung of its system, and what we’re left with is a brilliant driver’s sedan. When we returned the 6 to its rightful owner, we did something we hadn’t done in quite a while: took a long look back and wondered when we would meet again.
By Jason Ang | Photos By Ulysses Ang
As published in “Overdrive”, the monthly motoring supplement of The Manila Bulletin
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