Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £15,685 to £22,460
Sharp looks, fine handling, refined and well built.
Expensive, 2.5's lack of go.
Talented and refined 6 could vie for class best, depending on the diesel.
The previous 6 was an exceedingly capable car, blessed with a balanced and enjoyable drive, and the new 6 is based on the old iteration's underpinnings. On the road it's similarly impressive, but it has changed and now feels more grown up.
So far we've tested the three petrols but not the engine that's likely to be the most popular, the 138bhp 2.0-litre diesel.
Most impressive is the 118bhp 1.8. Mated to a five-speed manual gearbox it feels willing and eager, and quicker than the tardy 0-62mph time of 11.3 seconds suggests.
The range-topping 2.5-litre four offers uncanny smoothness. However, its modest 168bhp output gives it an unremarkable 0-62mph time of 8.0 seconds, and it needs to be worked hard, with plenty of gear changing. Luckily the 2.5 has a slick, quick six-speed gearbox that mimics a Honda in its mechanical-feeling action.
The 145bhp 2.0 we've driven was mated to the five-speed automatic gearbox. In manual mode it's happy to hold gears up to the red line rather than change up for you, but the auto offers neither the smoothness nor the involvement of its best competitors.
The 2.5 has firmer suspension, and when it's twinned with 18" wheels it takes grip up to another level - in fact, it's actually too grippy for some tastes. If you like a more immediate and lively feel, go for smaller wheels. A base-specification 1.8 on the tiniest 16" wheels responds more to inputs such as a mid-corner throttle adjustment.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mazda Mazda6 Estate
wrote on 15 10 2006
wrote on 20 07 2006