The
Mazda 6 was introduced in 2003 to replace its 626 model. The Mazda Mazda6 is the
sports sedan of front-drive midsize cars. It is designed for the driving
enthusiast and was built intending to rival European
cars in ride and handling. The Mazda6 was built on an all-new platform.
The Mazda6 comes in sporty 5-Door hatchback and Sport Wagon styles, in addition
to the four-door Sports Sedan. Overall, the well-built Mazda6 is quite refined
and exhibits excellent panel fit. Front and rear headroom is adequate, but space
is just passable in the center rear position. Legroom is very good all around.
Built on a 105.3-inch wheelbase, the Mazda6 sedan is 186.8 inches long overall.
Base sedans get standard 16-inch tires, but all other editions ride on
17-inchers. Four-cylinder models with automatic transmission are classified as
Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles, or PZEVs. For 2007, the Mazda
Mazda6 changed small trim details. A used 2007 Mazda 6 retails for around
$13,300 - $16,050, and has an EPA fuel economy of 19 - 24 mpg in the city and 27
- 32 mpg on the highway.
Driving a Mazda 6
The Mazda 6 stays true to the automaker's 'zoom
zoom' philosophy; handling is excellent and the Mazda 6 comes
standard with a sports suspension with double wishbones up front, a
lateral-link layout in the rear, and coil springs all around. Both engines
are made of aluminum to keep the Mazda 6 from becoming too heavy,
at 3347 pounds for the V6 automatic sedan. The four-cylinder Mazda 6i is a fun
to drive. The 2.3-liter, double-overhead-cam engine loves to rev and
acceleration is on par with that of other four-cylinder mid-size sedans.
Simply said, the Mazda feels young and sporty. Though it is no powerhouse, a V-6
sedan with the manual transmission exhibits spirited performance. The clutch is
a bit touchy and the gearbox a tad notchy, but it's easy to manipulate.
Inside the 2007 Mazda 6
The Mazda 6 comes as a 5-Door hatchback and a four
door sedan. The hatchback has a rear liftgate that opens to a generous
cargo area. Actually, it gets 22.0 cubic feet of space, nearly 50 percent
more than that of the sedan. Cargo space more than doubles to 58.7 cubic feet
when the rear seats are folded, nearly as much as the wagon. The 60/40 split
seats fold with the touch of a button and there is no need to remove the head rests
revealing a nearly flat cargo floor. Compared with the old 626, the Mazda6's
wider body translates into extra space for up to five occupants. The trunk of
the sedan measures 15.2 cubic feet. The trunk lid is designed with hinges
that do not impinge on the storage space. The Mazda 6 interior is designed to be
comfortable for front and rear passengers. The rear seats are
comfortable, whether in the sedan, hatchback or wagon. The Mazda 6 does hold three in the back, but this is best for
children, or adults only in a pinch. The driver's seat adjusts through a
9.4-inch range, and the 60/40-split rear seatback folds down. A tilt/telescoping
column holds a three-spoke steering wheel. An eight-way power driver's seat goes
into s models.
2007 Mazda 6 Design
Considering that the 2007 Mazda 6 is in an
extremely crowded market, with many less than eye catching designs, it is
certainly on the sporty side and has much more personality than many of its
competitors. The 2007 Mazda 6 gets a typical Mazda front-end treatment. Cat's-eye headlamps and big, multi-element tail lamps, enhance the action at each
corner of the car. The Sport-level trim includes a body-color front grille, gray
headlight bezels, clear-lens halogen fog lamps, dual oval exhaust outlets, front
and rear air dams, and side sill extensions. These bits are also available
on base and Grand Touring models. The wheel arches and belt line are well
defined. For 2007, Violet Gray and Smokestone are new colors, with the latter
available only on the sedan and wagon. The Mazda 6 benefits from a truly
sensible design and it all looks good. The relationship of the lower
body to the upper body looks perfect, yet the roof shape is designed for people,
not for style.
Power for the Mazda 6
For 2007 there is a choice of two engines: a 2.3-liter four-cylinder that
produces 156 horsepower or a 212-hp, 3.0-liter V-6. Along with these engines,
each is available with five-speed manual gearboxes or five speed automatics.
Mazda 6i models come with a 160-horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine; 6s
models are powered by a 215-horsepower 3.0-liter V6. Each of the Mazdaspeed6 trim is a turbocharged, all-wheel-drive sedan carefully
tuned by Mazda's performance division. It uses the 2.3-liter four-cylinder
engine and produces 274 hp with the turbocharger. A six-speed automatic
with a manual-shift provision is available in V-6-equipped models. The Mazda 6s
models are identically equipped to their 6i counterparts, except they come with
the V6 engine. Grand Touring comes standard with the five-speed automatic
transmission (a manual transmission is not available).
Lineup 2007
There are a few trims for the 2007 Mazda 6. The 6i sedan comes standard with air conditioning, cruise control, six-speaker
AM/FM/CD audio, tilt and telescope leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather
wrapped shift knob, power windows, mirrors and door locks with remote keyless
entry, and 16-inch steel wheels.
Moving up to the 6i Sport adds the front
side-impact and side-curtain airbags, the eight-way power driver's seat, fog
lights, bright-tip exhaust outlets, side-sill extensions and a wing-type rear
spoiler. Wheels and tires upgrade to P215/50VR17 on 17-inch aluminum rims. The
hatchback comes with a rear wiper and washer
The 6i Grand Touring sedan comes with leather
upholstery, heated power driver's seat, the Bose stereo, heated mirrors, power
glass sunroof, and red-illuminated electroluminescent gauges. The Sport bits are
dropped, but are available as options.
Summary
The Mazda 6 got an exterior redesign and an
interior update for 2006; 2007 comes with minor changes. The optional
Sport AT automatic transmission on four-cylinder models was upgraded to a
five-speed unit. Mazda's V-6 engine produces 212 hp at 6,000 rpm and 199
pounds-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. Mazda juggled its trim levels for 2007. Downsides to the 2007 Mazda 6 include short seat bottoms, low headroom in center
rear position. Its benefits include plenty of safety equipment coming standard,
excellent V-6 performance; the Mazda 6's steering and handling abilities and
ease of instrument layout and readability.