The Mazda6 has had a successful run so far. It has been named ‘Best New Family Car’ twice by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).
I am skipping the base model GS I4 and spending my entire week with the top-model GT-V6. I drove the four-cylinder last year and really enjoyed it! So I am looking forward to the extra ‘zoom-zoom’ in this V6 version.
Not many changes have been made for 2011, but just enough to make this handsome family car a bit more attractive.
I admit that this is one of my favourite-looking cars in this class of mid-size family sedans. I love the flared front fenders over the wheel wells, and If you stand at the right angle and tilt your head just a bit, you could almost swear you were looking at the RX-8.
The new 17-inch alloy wheels for 2011 are a wonderful improvement on the lower trims, but the 18-inchers on my test GT really look great.
Also added for this year’s V6 model are new headlights and fog lights that give the overall design more flow and they make the GT look more aggressive.
Standard safety equipment like dual front and side airbags, dual side-curtain airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, traction control and Dynamic Stability Control come on all trim levels.
Also new for 2011, the Mazda6 is equipped with Mazda’s Brake Override System. This system prioritizes the brake pedal over the accelerator if both are pushed at the same time, allowing the vehicle to come to a safe stop.
I actually had to unexpectedly slam on the brakes when a young kid, dropping his phone, stepped out in front of me. It is always a great test to brake hard when evaluating a new vehicle, but the ‘unexpected’ element gave me a new perspective.
The brakes felt solid, responsive and not too firm. They did their job incredibly well and other than a missed heartbeat, the boy and myself were both fine.
The interior is well done; a very simple, classic, and easy-to-use layout with soft-touch materials all around. At night, the gauges have a red hue and are illuminated with a cool blue halo effect.
I find that the readout for the radio is monochromatic and almost flat. Surrounded by the shiny piano-black finish and splashes of chrome, it looks a bit dated.
I am skipping the base model GS I4 and spending my entire week with the top-model GT-V6. I drove the four-cylinder last year and really enjoyed it! So I am looking forward to the extra ‘zoom-zoom’ in this V6 version.
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| I admit that this is one of my favourite looking cars in this class of mid-size family sedans. (Photo: Lacey Elliott/Auto123.com) |
Not many changes have been made for 2011, but just enough to make this handsome family car a bit more attractive.
I admit that this is one of my favourite-looking cars in this class of mid-size family sedans. I love the flared front fenders over the wheel wells, and If you stand at the right angle and tilt your head just a bit, you could almost swear you were looking at the RX-8.
The new 17-inch alloy wheels for 2011 are a wonderful improvement on the lower trims, but the 18-inchers on my test GT really look great.
Also added for this year’s V6 model are new headlights and fog lights that give the overall design more flow and they make the GT look more aggressive.
Standard safety equipment like dual front and side airbags, dual side-curtain airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, traction control and Dynamic Stability Control come on all trim levels.
Also new for 2011, the Mazda6 is equipped with Mazda’s Brake Override System. This system prioritizes the brake pedal over the accelerator if both are pushed at the same time, allowing the vehicle to come to a safe stop.
I actually had to unexpectedly slam on the brakes when a young kid, dropping his phone, stepped out in front of me. It is always a great test to brake hard when evaluating a new vehicle, but the ‘unexpected’ element gave me a new perspective.
The brakes felt solid, responsive and not too firm. They did their job incredibly well and other than a missed heartbeat, the boy and myself were both fine.
The interior is well done; a very simple, classic, and easy-to-use layout with soft-touch materials all around. At night, the gauges have a red hue and are illuminated with a cool blue halo effect.
I find that the readout for the radio is monochromatic and almost flat. Surrounded by the shiny piano-black finish and splashes of chrome, it looks a bit dated.
 |
| The interior is well done; a very simple, classic, and easy-to-use layout with soft-touch materials all around. (Photo: Mazda) |