Spring-Ford Area High School athletes make their college decisions.
New year brings boost in solid sedan’s appeal
Mazda introduced a well-refreshed version of the Mazda6 mid-sized sedan last year, and it’s a quite nice upgrade.
For that reason, the 2019 version of the Mazda6 probably won’t go on sale until spring 2019.
The first thing you notice is that it drives better than almost all its competitors. But then again, that’s not unusual for Mazdas. I would even agree with Mazda that it now drives as well, if not better, than several of the upper mid-sized segment’s cars.
On the road it is quick and precise. The engine and steering seem equally happy to be pushed. The brakes stop you strongly and with good control, even under maximum braking. On the highway it is perfectly happy to cruise all day without giving any indication to passengers that it might have been ridden very hard shortly before, and even put away wet, to coin a phrase.
Mazda has also upped the aesthetics of this sedan’s design. Its look starts with the front face, where a new grille is more three dimensional and broadens the impression of the car and seems to look more like the very popular Mazda crossovers.
Its lines remain clean along the side of the car, and the roofline flows cleanly to the rear. The rear seems less changed and has more of the “family” look. The standard headlights are LED and they integrate with the fog lamps for a wide and bright lighting path. Depending on the trim level, there are new 17- and 19-in. wheels and appropriate tires.
Only the steering wheel and small trim pieces remain since before the refresh, which was evidently reasonably major. The cabin design highlights the horizontal flowing the dashboard across the car’s width with an instrument panel that helps with this impression while giving the driver all the information desired. There’s even an optional heads-up display which rises majestically when requested. There is a good basic audio system and the premium Bose system is quite good.
The seats have been redesigned seats now using highdensity, vibration-absorbing urethane for both comfort and support. The mechanicals and the strength of the body were the focus of changes, so that there’s, for instance, thicker steel pieces in the floor for sound abatement. The suspension is completely reengineered to take advantage of the reworked chassis. With this it is an even better driver than the previous generation, a compliment indeed.
The interior is close to fullsize, as is the trunk, and yet the car drives quickly and well.
Mazda6 offers two powertrain options in the U.S., starting with the torquey, fuelefficient 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine 187-hp, and 186 lb.-ft. of peak torque. The engine comes with a host of upgrades to reduce internal friction and improve efficiency across all RPM, and it adds a greater level of refinement. Its EPA mileage rating is 24 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. There is actually a manual six-speed transmission on the base model or an optional six-speed automatic.
Mazda6 Grand Touring and higher models come with Mazda’s 2.5-liter turbocharged engine hooked to a six-speed shiftable automatic transmission. It’s the same version of the engine which powers Mazda’s biggest three-row crossover. It produces 310 lb.-ft. of peak torque and 250-hp. on 93-octane fuel (227 horsepower with 87-octane gasoline). The performance advantage of the turbo takes the mileage numbers to 26-mpg city and 35 mpg on the highway.
The model lineup and prices start with the base Sport at $21,950 with the manual transmission or $23,000 for the automatic. Next up the MSRP for the Touring is $25,700 and the Grand Touring is $29,200. The Grand Touring Reserve starts at $31,270 and at the top the Signature enters the showroom at $34,750. This is a lot of car for the money.
For most of the people who count — that would be those who are going to buy an entrylevel luxury sedan — a Mazda isn’t in the running, no matter how nice. But for those looking for capability equal to those “other” cars, there’s no reason not to look at this sedan.