Mazda 6 Touring 2014 review

The Mazda 6 has always been a more stylish option than most mainstream mid-sizers, and the third-generation model well and truly continues that tradition. 

Competing with the likes of the Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat, Ford Mondeo, and both versions of the Honda Accord, the 6 ticks all of the sensibility boxes, but promises a healthy dose of personality. 

Value

We tested the 6 petrol sedan in the $37,500 Touring grade, which is the second rung of four trim levels, and comes pretty well equipped for the price.

Features include soft perforated leather trim with powered front seats and driver’s memory function, dual-zone climate control, a 5.8-inch multimedia screen with satnav, a reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors, 11-speaker Bose audio, keyless ignition, and 17-inch alloys.

Design

The 6 is also available as a station wagon, but the $1300 cheaper sedan trades outright practicality for style, with a shape that shames many prestige models. The sedan has a bit more rear legroom than the wagon, but taller passengers might find headroom a bit tight.

The sedan’s 483-litre boot is smaller than the previous model, but it’s still bigger than a CX-5 with the seats up, and expands with a 60/40 split fold. There’s a spacesaver spare under the boot floor, and it carries a useful 1500kg braked tow rating.

Engine / Transmission

The petrol 6’s 138kW/250Nm 2.5-litre Skyactiv four is the same unit found in the smaller 3 and CX-5 SUV, and is paired exclusively with a six speed torque converter auto.

Like any Skyactiv-equipped Mazda, the petrol 6 returns pretty impressive fuel economy. Petrol sedans are rated at 6.6L/100km combined, thanks to features like stop/start and the i-Eloop charge-saving function, and impressively, it’s happy to run on Regular 91 RON unleaded fuel.

Another benefit of Mazda’s larger-displacement, no-turbo policy is that fuel consumption is less likely to skyrocket when you’re using its performance potential.

The 6 is also available with a more efficient, torquier, but $2850 more expensive 129kW/420Nm 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine, but the petrol engine is more refined, and has more character with a nice growl above 3500rpm.

Safety

Like all new 6’s, the Touring comes with a five star ANCAP safety rating, with dual front, side and full-length curtain airbags, ABS, EBD and stability control.

Driving

The 2.5-litre delivers comfortable performance around town and on the highway, and the efficient six speed auto responds well to a good throttle stab.

It’s quiet and comfortable on the highway, and it sits nice and flat through corners with good steering feel and a meaty grip from the leather wheel.

The Touring’s 17-inch alloys may not have the visual clout of the more expensive versions’ 19s, but the thicker sidewalls make for a much nicer ride over rough roads.