Yahoo Finance Performance and Driving Impressions
Performance and Driving Impressions Rating:
Just as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, so shouldn’t you judge the Mazda 6 by its middling performance numbers. Okay, so it’s not a book. But it offers unrivaled driving satisfaction for a family sedan, with a fluidity to its controls and handling that is uncommon at any price point. This is our favorite mid-size sedan to drive. And Mazda manages to provide the thrills without sacrificing refinement or ride quality.
What’s New for 2018?
Mazda tweaked last year’s standard 2.5-liter inline-four to add a whopping 3 horsepower and 1 (1!) lb-ft of torque for 2018. It also added cylinder deactivation and eliminated the six-speed manual transmission option from the Touring trim; the manual is now only available on the base model. Still, the company did answer our pleas for a turbocharged engine option. It can only be had on the top two models-Signature or Grand Touring Reserve-and paired only with a six-speed automatic. Mazda also went to work on the 6’s chassis, revising a suspension setup that was already quite good.
While these changes were extensive from an engineering standpoint, the updates are less obvious in the real world. In fact, the 2018 Mazda 6 Signature we tested had less absolute grip and longer braking distances than the previous model. Chalk this up at least partly to the new tires it wore, which the company fitted to help reduce tire noise. Still, these discrepancies don’t diminish how well the Mazda 6 drives and rides, especially considering how quiet the cabin has become. Make no mistake, it’s still the most dynamic sedan in this segment.
Test Results: Acceleration
Test Results: Maximum Cornering Capability
Test Results: Maximum Braking Capability
2017 Mazda 6
Acceleration
The 6’s zero-to-60-mph time is the quickest in this matchup, and its behavior in reaching those speeds is enthusiastic. Drivers can look forward to a sense of zeal from the Mazda’s four-cylinder engine. Not as smooth as a Honda four-cylinder, the Mazda engine is still more refined than most, and it’s an eager player whether on a twisting back road or dicing through traffic-although it can run out of breath at higher speeds.
Manual-transmission cars encourage gratuitous downshifting, both to keep the 2.5-liter engine in the meat of its powerband and just for the hell of it. The clutch and shifter are that good. Cars with the automatic transmission, when set to their manual-shifting mode, don’t automatically upshift when the engine hits redline, and from our standpoint, that’s a good thing. The shift lever’s manual gate operates the way we like and the way all shifters should act: Press forward for downshifts, and pull back for upshifts. Or simply use the steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles. Either way, manually demanded shifts are executed quickly and, on downshifts, with a fun blip of the throttle. The automatic also offers a Sport mode for a zestier shift logic.
Test Results: Acceleration
Ride, Handling, and Steering
Mazda’s tagline isn’t “Zoom-Zoom” for nothing. Well, these days, its advertising focuses on the tagline “Driving Matters.” Both topics matter to the company’s engineers, because the 6 handles superbly for a front-wheel-drive sedan.
The chassis responds sharply and predictably to steering-wheel inputs and aggressive lifts of the throttle, allowing drivers to tailor their line midcorner. Body control is excellent, with very little roll in turns and zero wallow or judders over rippled pavement. Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control, new for 2017, imperceptibly and ultra-briefly cuts engine torque as the steering wheel is moved off center to shift load to the front tires, enhancing their turn-in response. This registers to the driver as satisfyingly quick steering, although the 6 was already good in this area.
There aren’t multiple settings for the steering or suspension, and cars equipped with the automatic transmission only have a Sport powertrain setting, which holds lower gears longer and downshifts more aggressively. That means all of the 6’s well-sorted moves are delightfully analog; even the steering, which is electrically assisted, provides the driver with satisfying feedback from the front tires. It’s all very confidence-inspiring. And when you’re not in the mood to rip through traffic, the 6 is happy to oblige with a good ride that’s firm yet still quite comfortable. Mazda’s efforts to quiet the 6’s cabin this year have paid off, as there is less tire and wind noise inside.
Test Results: Maximum Cornering Capability
Braking
As with the 6’s other main controls, the brake pedal operates with a pleasant consistency. The pedal is firm, but not too firm, and it engages the brakes promptly without grabbiness or other annoying traits. Also like the 6’s other dynamic measures, however pleasant the brakes are to use, the actual stopping distances they provide are merely midpack.
Test Results: Maximum Braking Capability
You Might Also Like
