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.
Idling in the petrol versions of the 6 is an eerie experience. It's so quiet you have to strain your ears to make sure the Mazda hasn't stalled. On the move, the first thing you notice is the absence of road noise - a big improvement over the previous 6. At motorway speeds, only a rustling from the large door mirrors interrupts the peaceful progress.
So far our testing has been confined to smooth French roads, where the 2.5-litre SL felt firmly suspended but with just enough suppleness to ensure big intrusions like motorway expansion joints weren't an assault on the spine. The cheapest TS variants on smaller 16" rims offer a far more comfortable experience.
The 6 has grown in every direction, and the benefits have been passed on in the form of more space for people and luggage, with huge boots in every version. Rear passengers have more leg and shoulder room, but unfortunately the rakish C-pillar means six-footers will struggle for headroom in the saloon and hatch.
All cars come with six airbags, stability control, air conditioning, height-adjustable driver's seat and a jack for MP3 players.
All models from TS trim upwards get CF-Net, Mazda's system of controls on the steering wheel, to command functions such as the sat nav and audio. It's remarkably easy to master and, according to Mazda, safer to use than stabbing switches on the centre console.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mazda Mazda6 Estate
wrote on 15 10 2006
wrote on 20 07 2006