Midsize sedans are very popular in Canada. With approximately 10,000 units sold per month, cars like the Mazda6 represent the second best-selling segment behind only compacts. No wonder automakers go to great lengths to market these models.
While the Ford Fusion dominates the entire field (at least through the third quarter of 2010), the Mazda6 finds itself in the middle of the pack, trailing the Hyundai Sonata (2nd), Toyota Camry (3rd), Honda Accord (4th) and Chevrolet Malibu (5th) by a long shot. The numbers for the sporty Japanese are nothing to fret about, but they're not inspiring much joy, either.
Is it a matter of styling? Or reliability? Definitely not. The 2010 Mazda6 shines on both fronts. What about the lack of customer awareness? Maybe. After all, while the sales of the compact Mazda3 have snowballed to the point of making it the fourth most popular vehicle in the country last year (behind the Ford F-150, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla), its larger sibling fails to garner as much attention and love from buyers. Many of them even forget about it when writing down their midsize sedan shopping list!
Two and two makes four
With the 2010 Mazda6, selection is obviously not a problem. The company offers two trim levels (GS and GT) along with two very different powerplants (a 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder engine and a 3.7-litre V6).
Take the GT-I4 for example. It's one of the rare midsize sedans available with a 6-speed manual gearbox (standard). Only Nissan and Kia can say the same.
Naturally, most buyers choose the optional automatic transmission, which our tester was equipped with. This 5-speed unit features a Sport (manual) mode and proves to be a decent best-of-both-worlds proposition. Furthermore, its smooth shifts in auto mode are a big part of the pleasant driving experience on the highway.
 |
| In our 2010 Midsize Sedan Comparative Road Test, the Mazda6 disappointed with a lack of structural rigidity. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
While the Ford Fusion dominates the entire field (at least through the third quarter of 2010), the Mazda6 finds itself in the middle of the pack, trailing the Hyundai Sonata (2nd), Toyota Camry (3rd), Honda Accord (4th) and Chevrolet Malibu (5th) by a long shot. The numbers for the sporty Japanese are nothing to fret about, but they're not inspiring much joy, either.
Is it a matter of styling? Or reliability? Definitely not. The 2010 Mazda6 shines on both fronts. What about the lack of customer awareness? Maybe. After all, while the sales of the compact Mazda3 have snowballed to the point of making it the fourth most popular vehicle in the country last year (behind the Ford F-150, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla), its larger sibling fails to garner as much attention and love from buyers. Many of them even forget about it when writing down their midsize sedan shopping list!
Two and two makes four
With the 2010 Mazda6, selection is obviously not a problem. The company offers two trim levels (GS and GT) along with two very different powerplants (a 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder engine and a 3.7-litre V6).
Take the GT-I4 for example. It's one of the rare midsize sedans available with a 6-speed manual gearbox (standard). Only Nissan and Kia can say the same.
Naturally, most buyers choose the optional automatic transmission, which our tester was equipped with. This 5-speed unit features a Sport (manual) mode and proves to be a decent best-of-both-worlds proposition. Furthermore, its smooth shifts in auto mode are a big part of the pleasant driving experience on the highway.
 |
| The 170-horsepower, 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder engine of the Mazda6 is about as potent as the 2.7-litre V6 of the Dodge Charger! (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |