2014 Mazda MAZDA6: Dress For The Job You Want, Not The One You Have

The 2014 Mazda MAZDA6 has been the darling of the automotive press ever since it hit the market earlier this year.  Praise for the MAZDA6's sultry styling, comfortable ride, and innovative fuel-saving technologies has been heaped on the mid-size sedan to the point where I simply had to get behind the wheel and find out for myself whether the hype was justified - or whether there was more smoke than substance.

The verdict had me split between all of the things I really liked about Mazda's family car and the expectations that swirled around this most-important of the Japanese company's models.  The MAZDA6 is a stand-out, but is it a game-changer?

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Outstanding Looks

A lot has been made of the MAZDA6's curvy sheet metal, and for good reason: this is one mid-size sedan that refuses to believe that an everyday car should be a dull-looking car.  There have been signs of life in the styling of bread-and-butter four doors - notably the Ford Fusion and the Kia Optima - and the 2014 Mazda MAZDA6 is another firm push towards a world where everyone drives an attractive automobile, whether they want to or not.

The interior of the MAZDA6 is a little more conservative, but it's still a step up from standard family fare.  The door handles, dash, and seats all present very well, as do the gauges directly in front of the driver, but there's still some plastic to deal with, and the vehicle's entertainment / navigation system is a little primitive in comparison to the touchscreens offered by several competitors.  This has long been a Mazda bugaboo, but it's one that has been promised correction in the very near future.  A rotary dial on the center console serves as a backup interface to what's on the screen, but it wasn't all that easy to use, and I had to consciously plot out my moves through the menus when twisting it in my right hand.

Space-wise, the MAZDA6 is a revelation, with ample room up front for driver and passenger and equally generous digs in the back for up to three more passengers.  This adds to the sedan's credibility as a road-tripper, and the car feels much more spacious than one would initially think at first glance.

Under The Hood

As attractive as the 2014 Mazda MAZDA6 is, the real magic occurs underneath the car's metal skin - specially, in the engine bay, where the automaker has installed a 2.5-liter SkyActiv-G four-cylinder engine.  SkyActiv is the catch-all term for the brand's fuel-saving technologies, and it also applies to the MAZDA6's six-speed automatic transmission (a six-speed manual is also available).  184 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque serve to motivate the vehicle in a far more spirited fashion than these numbers suggest, and I experienced no issues guiding the Mazda through high speed traffic, even with the transmission's Sport mode disengaged.

Back to the MAZDA6's efficiency.  The rub with this car is that it aims to be competitive with the more exotic turbocharged fare that is spreading throughout the segment, and according to its on-board calculations it succeeded during our week together.  The Mazda showed 8.0 l/100 km in combined - and spirited - driving, which is in line with factory estimates and better than my real-world experience with Ford's 1.6-liter EcoBoost variant in the Fusion.  It certainly helped that my tester was outfitted with the Technology package, which introduces the i-Eloop system for recuperating brake energy.  As the car slows, the MAZDA6 charges a capacitor by way of the braking system, and then it uses that same energy to power up the vehicle's electrical systems.  This reduces the load on the Mazda's alternator, and somewhat improves fuel consumption.

The Technology package also includes adaptive cruise control, collision warning, and an unusual lane keeping feature that played a loud bass tone if the care stepped out over the line.  I am not sure if this was a side effect of me using Bluetooth audio streaming and somehow interfering with the stock chime, but it was certainly a spooky experience and unlike any other audio warning I have ever heard.

Good, But Great?

The 2014 Mazda MAZDA6 is a smart-looking, and smartly-priced mid-size option.  The fuel efficiency of its 2.5-liter engine is impressive, and it's only going to get better when the car's turbodiesel option is presented in the near future.  Aside from the interior concerns I discussed earlier, my only real let-down with the car was in the handling department.  I'm used to Mazda's cornering well over their pay grade, and the MAZDA6 offered softer suspension tuning that I expected it to.  The car never really engaged me while I was behind the wheel, despite its smooth and comfortable road manners, which was a surprise.

Of course, very few are looking to slalom their sedan to work in the morning, and the MAZDA6 is more than competent in almost every other area that will be important to the majority of drivers.  It's hard not to recommend the Mazda over many of its four-door rivals, and this is one family car that should be near the top of everyone's test drive list when it comes time to replace the current commuter.