Driving Impressions

The Mazda6 is pleasant to drive and sportier than some of its rivals. This sedan takes curves confidently with modest body lean and satisfying grip. Moderate steering effort is accompanied by good feel and feedback.

Though it's 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.

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.

    See also:

    Going & Stopping
    The new Mazda6 is available with one of two engines, and both offer capable performance for what they are. The base engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 170 horsepower (a cleaner vers ...

    Starting a Flooded Engine
    If the engine fails to start, it may be flooded (excessive fuel in the engine). Follow this procedure: 1. If the engine does not start within five seconds on the first try, turn the key to the LO ...

    Happy-Face Looks
    The biggest styling difference between the 2010 and 2009 CX-7 is that the 2010 adopts a version of Mazda's grinning grille, which has already shown its face on the redesigned Mazda3 compact car, a ...