Second Time Around With The All New 2009 Mazda6

Wouldn't the world be a better place if people could just admit when they'd done something wrong? Well, to our surprise, Mazda did just that at a recent preview of its new Mazda 6 sedan. Rather than spinning the numbers to make it look like the last Mazda 6 was a sales triumph, Mazda told us the truth. While its key competitors sold more and more units, the Mazda's sales were flat. "One of its weaknesses was its size," said a senior vice president. The chief engineer admitted, "It was clear that we needed to improve wind and road noise." The R&D director acknowledged, "Our engines had worst-in-class displacement, output, and efficiency." All of those shortcomings aside, however, the biggest turnoff to customers was the 6's relative lack of quality.

The engineers working on the second-generation Mazda 6 had a clear goal: keep the sporty handling, but give the new sedan a big dose of power, room, and quality. And, boy, did they ever. The new 6 (which is 6.9 inches longer) looks two or three price classes more expensive than its predecessor. When viewed from behind, its clean design and twin sculpted exhaust diffusers (on V-6 models) are pure Lexus. Its curvaceous body panels look elegant and aren't ruined by any fussy details - a nice departure from many of today's overwrought and clichéd designs.

Our top-of-the-line test car's interior was outfitted with perforated leather seats and high-gloss black plastic interior trim that looked like dark-stained wood. The interior is more elegantly designed and feels of equal or better quality than Mazda's main competitors - and it's also much larger than before. Whereas the last 6 was at the bottom of its class in interior space, the new one is at the top, boasting key measurements on par with all of its supersize rivals.

The front seats are too wide to offer serious lateral support, but the 6 feels a full size smaller than it is once you're moving. The Accord and the Camry feel like Buicks by comparison, because the Mazda's body motions are so tight and well-controlled. The 6's steering, administered through a small-diameter, leather-wrapped wheel, is precise in the way none of its competitors' is. Effort builds naturally and progressively off center, and torque steer is admirably absent.
And don't for a minute think that's because the 6 has a lack of torque. It's obvious that this Mazda was conceived before gasoline hit $4 per gallon, because the optional V-6 has grown in displacement by almost 25 percent. The 3.7-liter engine (first seen in Mazda's CX-9 crossover) produces 272 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque, more than even the drag-strip-scorching Accord. With increases of 60 hp and 72 lb-ft of torque, the new engine more than makes up for the 169 pounds the Mazda 6 has gained, and it's quite easy to light up the front tires at half-throttle off the line. The V-6 is available only with a new Aisin six-speed automatic transmission, which performs perfectly smooth, rev-matched downshifts and quick, well-timed upshifts.

Like before, the 6's base engine is a four-cylinder, and it has also been upgraded. Courtesy of more displacement (2.5 liters, from 2.3 liters), the new engine makes 170 hp and 167 lb-ft of torque (up from 156 hp and 154 lb-ft) and comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission. The engine - and indeed the character of the car itself - is much better suited to the Mazda-sourced six-speed automatic, which isn't quite as silky smooth as the Aisin unit.

Without question, though, the four-cylinder Mazda 6 is the handling champ in this segment. The V-6's optional eighteen-inch wheels generate loads of grip, but the lighter engine gives the four-pot 6 balance unlike any other large front-wheel-drive car. At-the-limit handling is nearly neutral, with all four tires generating their share of grip - quite the opposite of the understeer-only Camry, for example.

Mazda learned the hard way that zoom-zoom handling doesn't necessarily translate to zoom-zoom sales. Combine that back-road prowess, however, with gorgeous styling, high-quality materials, and loads of interior and trunk space, and suddenly you have a zoom-zoom winner.
Now to experience all that this great new vehicle has to offer visit one of your local Mazda dealers such as Trussville Mazda in Birmingham, Alabama.

Your First Love: 2009 Mazda6

True strength comes from knowing your own weaknesses. While that introspective insight can cause short-term pain, it really fine-tunes the focus when you need to fix what's broken. Our first encounter with the all-new 2009 Mazda6 made it clear that plenty of high-level corporate soul searching had been part of its comprehensive development brief. After soldiering on bravely since mid-2002 with a car that, by its own admission, lacked the size, power, and perceived quality of its prime competitors in the midsize arena, Mazda is set to launch a replacement with serious field-leveling potential. If production versions match the promise of the prototypes we drove, this engaging four-door could well move to the head of its class, in spirit if not in absolute sales numbers.

While the rest of the world got its Gen II Mazda6 family for 2008, our unique sedan-only incarnation had to wait a season. Styled, scaled and spec'd to please U.S. loyalists and attract new buyers from all corners of the "C/D-sedan" segment, the North American variant exceeds the world-car platform in every key dimension, shares barely 10 percent of its components, and has no common sheetmetal or glass. Four-cylinder (Mazda6i) and V-6 (Mazda6s) choices carry, but new powerplants add substantial punch. Most important, it embodies a level of overall sophistication its predecessor never managed to approach.

Bold new bodywork sets the stage for this Mazda's grand entrance, melding contour and edge into a far more compelling presence than the outgoing iteration. Its stylized grille is flanked by jewel-like projector-beam headlamps that flow into fenders with prominent RX-8/CX-9-style flares. Faster front/rear glass coupled with a 4.5-inch wheelbase stretch and 6.1 inches more length give it a sleeker profile, while expanded width and track dimensions impart a more aggressive stance. Beyond tighter body panel gaps, numerous aero cleanups have helped trim the 2009's drag coefficient by 10 percent.

Beneath that high-profile sheetmetal is a far stronger unit body that boasts nearly four times as much high-strength steel, adds 17 percent more torsional rigidity, and ups bending stiffness by 39 percent. A redesigned control-arm front/multilink rear suspension package matches new components with revamped geometry and mounts everything to beefier but far better-isolated subframes. The power steering and ABS brake systems also were tweaked to improve feel and response.

Inside, a more upscale look is complemented by a segment-critical six-percent increase in total cabin volume. A "cockpit" motif carries over up front, but there's a more inviting balance of textured plastic to soft-touch surfaces, tastefully accented by bright and matte metallic trim. The dash and center stack show a clear Mazda imprint, with conventional analog gauges replaced by electroluminescent units in the two top trim grades. Well-formed front buckets get softer cushions, but the Mazda6's expanded aft quarters are the real revelation here. Stretching the wheelbase and repositioning the hip point of its 60/40-split folding rear seat yield head and legroom that permits two full-size-adults-or three in a pinch-to travel in real comfort. Cargo capacity also steps up by 10 percent, to a class-leading 16.6 cubic feet.

These great new cars are available today at your local Mazda dealer such as Jeff Sikes Mazda in Huntsville Alabama. Come see how low price and great value can make this your first love all over again.