2009 Mazda6

by Rebecca Antioco - 03/2009

The family sedan with “zoom-zoom”

When it was introduced for the 2003 model year, the Mazda6 had a noble mission: to infuse a traditionally staid family sedan with a little sports car spirit. Its problem was that it wasn’t enough of either one. Not enough space for a five-passenger family hauler and not enough power to be considered a sports car.

For 2009, Mazda completely redesigned its sports sedan, addressing both of those issues and creating a powerful, roomy vehicle that zooms past competitors in this segment. With the North American audience clearly in mind, Mazda6 is the first Mazda vehicle to be completely designed, engineered and manufactured on U.S. soil.

It is available in a total of seven trims: four “i” models with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 170 horsepower, and three “s” models with an all-new 3.7-liter, 272 horsepower V-6, a class leader. 

Mazda6 i sedans come in SV, Sport, Touring and Grand Touring trims, while the s can be had in all but the SV level. A six-speed sport automatic transmission is standard on all s models; i trims come equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, with a five-speed sport automatic available as an option ($900) on all but the SV.

All models come well equipped with standard air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, traction control, dynamic stability control (new for 2009), power windows and locks, tilt and telescoping steering wheel and six-speaker audio system. Sport models add cruise control, auxiliary audio input jack and remote keyless entry. Move up to the Touring edition and you’ll get an eight-way power adjustable drivers’ seat, keyless push-button ignition, leather steering wheel and shift knob, sliding center console armrest, fog lights, trip computer and 17-inch alloy wheels (18-inch on s models). Top of the line Grand Touring models add heated leather seats, memory driver’s seat, power passenger seat, rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone climate control, auto on/off Xenon headlights, heated auto-dimming mirrors, blind-spot monitoring system and Bluetooth compatibility.

Notable options include a new Convenience Package for Touring models ($1610) that includes many of the upgrades found on the Grand Touring, such as automatic headlights, Bluetooth, rain-sensing wipers and blind-spot monitoring.

The new Mazda6 rides on a 4.5-inch longer wheelbase and has a wider front and rear track. The result is passenger and cargo room aplenty. Front seats are ample-sized and firm, with lots of adjustment options to help you find just the right seating position. On the downside, there is no power lumbar support, and being unwilling to wrestle with the manual knob, I did experience some lower back fatigue after a long road trip. Seat adjustments are manual for the driver on all but the Touring and Grand Touring models, and for the passenger on all but the Grand Touring.

On the cargo front, the Mazda6 features a whopping 16.6 cubic feet of trunk space. So not only will the car comfortably seat your foursome on the way to the golf course, it will also let them bring their clubs along, with room to spare. If you need even more room for gear, the rear seats split and fold 60/40.

We drove the Mazda6 i Grand Touring model with the manual transmission, with a base price of $24,910. Navigation system ($2000) and the new, optional Moonroof and Bose package ($1700; also available on Touring models) that, in addition to its namesake features, includes Sirius satellite radio, brought the price just south of $30,000.

From the outside, it is a generally attractive sporty, looking vehicle that stands out over more generic competitors like the Altima or Fusion. Inside, aside from the sheer volume of space, you’ll notice the pleasing ambient light on the controls, red digits backlit by a blue hue that is very reminiscent of Volkswagen, which isn’t a bad thing. The interior lighting and the navigation system color settings, were set to “auto” in my tester, which proved to be a little unreliable. In the early morning when I needed to use the nav system, it didn’t adequately detect which setting to use, rendering the map unreadable. But, switching to “day” mode was a quick and intuitive process, as was operating most of the major knobs and controls.

Interior materials generally seemed to be high quality, with nary a hard plastic surface to be found on the dash, and the leather-wrapped steering and shift knob nice touches. There is some odd, two-toned plastic trim that I could live without, but overall, I give Mazda high marks here for both looks and functionality.

On the road, the Mazda6 does not disappoint. Acceleration from the four-cylinder was adequate for everyday driving, especially when paired with the six-speed manual shifter, but for a more engaging experience I’d recommend upgrading to the V-6. However, if you do, you will suffer some loss in the fuel economy department. With the base engine, I averaged about 23 miles per gallon in a mix of city and highway driving. That number will drop to about 20 with the engine upgrade. The 6 is responsive and nimble, there is very little body roll, especially for this class. There is some intrusive road noise at higher speeds, but road bumps and imperfections go virtually unnoticed.

In crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety administration, the Mazda6 earned the highest rating of five stars in all areas. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the 6 its highest rating, “Good.”

Overall, class-leading space and power, fresh styling, a smooth ride and precise handling move the new Mazda6 to the top of the class in this most competitive of segments.