Performance & drive
What it’s like to drive, and how quiet it is
The Mazda 6 Tourer's engine options are a 2.0-litre petrol with either 143 or 162bhp and a 2.5-litre with 192bhp. All are four-cylinder, and the 2.5-litre gets an automatic gearbox as standard.
Even the biggest engine isn’t as fast as you might think, though. Mazda has bucked the trend for turbocharging, sticking with naturally aspirated motors instead, so they have to be worked hard if you want to make the most of the rather mediocre acceleration on offer.
The 2.5-litre is noisier, too – if you rev it hard, it gets boomy very quickly. We’ll point the finger at that automatic gearbox again here, since it sometimes lets the engine rev noisily even with quite ordinary acceleration. The manual 2.0-litre is quieter, more fun and better value.
Otherwise, the 6 Tourer is fine to drive in a relaxed fashion, and it steers well so it’s easy to control fluidly whether you’re in town or tackling a fun road. It feels a little more playful than the Superb Estate, but if you prefer something more enthusiastic, the BMW 3 Series Touring is a better choice.
The 6 Tourer is comfortable, too. The ride settles down very nicely on the motorway, and while it can feel a touch lumpy over scrappy town roads, it always feels controlled. The Superb is a touch comfier in the right spec, but nobody is likely to take issue with the 6 Tourer’s composure, even over poor road surfaces.
