In recent months we have had opportunity to get second look at a few at a number of cars. While we might not be providing reviews on new cars for you to read about, it does give us another chance to learn about the cars even more allowing us to give you further insight from a second reviewer. The writers here at RightFootDown live across the country and use every car we receive for different uses. These second chances insure that just ones persons opinion does not skew our overall opinion on a car. It is something we pride ourselves on and also something you definitely something you will not find with many other sites. This week, our second take falls on the 2019 Mazda Mazda6.
Less than a year into my adventure as an automotive reviewer, I have been lucky to have driven quite a few cars. From Fiat and Toyota to Volkswagen and Kia, I have enjoyed being able to provide my wisdom on what I think about what I am driving. This week we have one of the worst named cars from any manufacturer. The public understands it is a Mazda, so is the second mazda really necessary? The name though is quite unfortunate though, as Mazda has managed to bring one of the most best automobiles in its segment to market.
Exterior
To be honest… I found the Mazda Mazda6 to have one of the more boring exteriors of any car I have ever tested. It hurts me to start my review this way but I feel the need to be honest. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but this segment is very competitive and the Mazda seems to fall to the back. This could be partially blamed on color as the Soul Red from our first shot looks nice, but I can only tell you what I experienced. When exiting the car, I felt like I had to force myself to do the “look back” test. In other cars, including the new Camry, this was never a problem and I even had compliments including “That’s not a Camry!” to back me up.
The front end tries to help the cars case but it is not enough to stop the yawn produced by the remainder of the Mazda Mazda6. The new generation of Mazda grill with its overbite grin bugged me at first, but I have grown into liking its aggressiveness and understanding that it is a defining symbol of the new Mazda. Mazda designers focused so much on the beak that they seem to forget to style the remainder of the car.
Interior
While Mazda may have made swung and missed with some of the exterior, inside they hit a home run. Nearly every interior piece I touched in the Mazda Mazda6 was surprisingly luxurious. Leather stitched the interior and seats were further enhanced by suede and other upgraded materials not expected in a car costing only $35,000. Heated seats and a heated steering wheel further ensured this automobile was there to compete with the big dogs. I especially appreciated this in the cold winter months though I wish they would remember if they were on or not.
As in the every Mazda and Fiat 124, the user interface still leaves much to be desired. During regular operation, you become overly dependent on the knobs as they are very easy to be annoyed by. Apparently in some Mazdas it is actually a touch screen though mazda lacks the trust of you to operator these like every, single other, manufacturer. Further, the lack of touch screen makes Kia’s Apple Carplay awkward and even annoying to hassle with.
Performance
In my week spent with the Mazda Mazda6, I found it to be the single best handling front wheel drive saloon I have tested to date. The car gives the Mazda sensation of being willing to blast around corners as its heritage suggest but it does feel heavy around corners causing some understeer. This understeer was nowhere what I have seen in other front wheel drive cars though and I have no problem suggesting it as a decent alternative. The 2.5L Turbo is a fantastic engine and the added turbo boost is an undeniable fun factor. I did find it to eat into my gas line supply much faster, but I have to admit my heavy foot when exploring a new vehicle is a definite factor.
In daily driving conditions, I enjoyed the available power enhanced by the six speed automatic transmission. A six speed manual is available when combined with the base 187 horsepower non-Turbo “Sport” model. I found the automatic quick to respond and comfortable in traffic though making it a non-issue for my recommendation.
Overall Impression
The Mazda Mazda6 is a car with a dumb name, but one that should be in serious consideration in your next hunt for a fun sedan. The turbo engine can be thirsty when driven hard, but is a ton of fun and makes commutes just that more enjoyable.The user interface is annoying, but is livable and the entirety of the vehicle makes this automobile a strong competitor to the surprisingly good Toyota Camry. Your personal opinion on each is the differentiation between the two and that is certainly an impressive feat by Mazda.
Bonus Pics
