MAZDA 6 HATCHBACK REVIEW

My car

Bought this car in July 09 as a demonstrator with about 4000 miles on the clock. It followed an A3 TDI Sport and an Octavia VRS diesel. Much as I enjoyed the VRS the Mazda is in my view a more rounded package. Less overtly sporting but more refined and just as quick with less understeer and a better ride than the stiffly sprung Skoda and ridiculously hard riding A3. Engine is smoother with more linear power delivery and the equipment level is much higher. The blind spot monitoring system is brilliant and if the EU want to do something useful for once they shold make it compulsory! Doing 25K plus miles a year, I've gone through a lot of cars over the years and this is the only one that has not had a single fault in 58000 miles. Interior is well put together but not in the Audi league although the quality of the carpet seems a bit poor. Plenty of room for adults in the back and a big boot area.Comfortable long distance cruiser and on board display normally shows over 50mpg. I'm ready for a change but it has been such a good car I'm reluctant to get rid of it!

My car

Have been driving my Mazda 6 2.0d Sport for 2.5 years now as a company car and it's time to change so I've been looking around for alternatives. I've looked at Passat's, Mondeo's, BMW 3 Series, Audi's etc but after much deliberation I've decided to get another Mazda 6. Quite simply I'd have to spend double the money on other cars to get the same level of kit and space, so I'm sticking with the Mazda.

Pro's 1. Fantastic drive, feels like a small hot hatch on a decent B road but settles down well on a long motorway cruise. 2. Great levels of kit as standard, excellent stereo (Bose) 3. Very spacious, enormous boot.

Con's 1. I never get anywhere near the quoted 50 mpg unless on a very long and steady motorway cruise, but that's probably more to do with the manner in which I drive. 2. Some paint peeled from the bonnet unexplicably but this was soon sorted by the dealer under warranty.

I've had a variety of Merc's, BMW's and VW's in the past and this is up there with them. Recommended.

My car

After getting over the faulty O2 sensor that kept it off the road for three of the first six weeks I'd had it, I'm happy to report that this is a brilliant car. It looks good, has masses of kit that cost an absolute fortune on German rivals, has loads of grip and drives really well. There's also loads of room inside, the dash is well laid out and comparatively uncluttered. And the boot is huge. The clever way the rear seats fold flat creates a massive load space for those trips to the tip with all your garden waste. I've driven both the Mondeo and the Insignia and this is better than both in my view.

My car

This is my company car and I've done 80,000 miles in 30 months. Generally nice handling and pleasent to drive but a few things prevent it being great. 1. Roadnoise is bad together with the problematic bluetooth hands free mean the phone system is almost unuseable. 2. Alloys look nice but I've had to have 3 replaced over this mileage all due to buckling, I know there is alot of pot holes about but they seem to distort very easily. 3. The rainsensor auto wipers are hopeless, never seem to select the speed you need and you cannot disable them unlike in our Volvo when you can turn the sensor to auto or manual. 4. The lumber support in the seats does not hold position, over a long jouney I have to readjust it continually it seems, otherwise arrive with a bad back. 5. Mine is black and the paint chips very easily, also the panels seem very thin & flimsy. 5. In top gear when cruising on the motorway, if you release the throttle for a few seconds, then re-apply, the car 'hiccups' a few times before going back to normal. I have mentioned this at every service and it's never been cured. Ok, these are the niggles but generally it's been OK, goes well enough and very good on the twisties. MPG never better than 44.5MPG so not really up to the quoted figures. Cabin could do with more upmarket finish but all functions well (except bluetooth). I will be choosing something different when it's up for renewal.