I can’t remember if it was the first or second time the price of gasoline rose above $1.20 a litre, but it was around that time that I stopped really caring whether mid-sized family sedans came with six-cylinder engines or not. Oh, I might miss the silky smoothness of a half-dozen under-stressed pistons moving up and down, delivering a surplus of horses to effortlessly waft the car along at highway speeds, but the more fuel-efficient four-cylinder versions had vastly improved and were no longer the coarse gutless wonders they once were. Plus, any engine that lengthened the time between costly fill-ups at the pumps was OK by me.
Some automakers have become so confident in their four-bangers that they have dropped V6s from their sedans’ powertrain repertoires — think Hyundai and its Sonata or, a little more upscale, Audi and the A4. Recently, Mazda officials have said that the next-generation Mazda6, due out next year as a 2014 model, will not be offered with a V6, instead relying on some version of the automaker’s newly developed SkyActiv four-cylinder.
That’s a year away, though, which means Mazda has to soldier on selling the existing 6 with consumers (at least, the more aware ones) knowing a brand new model is in the pipeline — not an ideal situation.
Although the Mazda6 was considered bold in 2009, in terms of its design, sporty handling and increased cabin size, since then, Toyota’s Camry, the Kia Optima/Hyundai Sonata near-twins, Subaru’s Legacy and the Volkswagen Passat, among others, have all been totally redesigned — the first three sedans with highly styled exteriors that render the Mazda6’s look a bit less forward by comparison. Plus, there will be new versions of the Nissan Altima and Honda Accord this year.
Still, it’s not as though the 6 is without merit. It continues to be offered in two trims — the base GS and the topline GT — either available with a 170-horsepower 2.5-litre four-cylinder (which is the more popular choice in Canada) or a 272-hp 3.7L. Four-cylinder models come standard with a six-speed manual transmission — a rarity in the family sedan segment — or an optional five-speed manumatic (standard with the V6).
Other than the previously mentioned inherent smoothness of the six-cylinder engine, the GT-I4 tester lacks for little, its near-$30,000 price tag ensuring a satisfactory number of modern conveniences and safety features. And the four-cylinder, while not the latest word in technical sophistication (lacking, for now, Mazda’s SkyActiv fuel-saving trickery), goes about its business with a minimum of fuss and bother. Yes, it is a tad growly under acceleration, but it smoothes out rather nicely when cruising along. There is enough oomph from the 2.5L four to get the sedan to speed in reasonable time and the five-speed makes the most out of the engine’s available torque. The self-shifting aspect is a nice touch, with generally crisp upshifts but little in the way of added sportiness. Critics will note that most of the 6’s newer competitors offer more power from their four-bangers, which tend to be paired with six-speed autoboxes.
However, the one primary benefit of the four-cylinder — enhanced fuel efficiency — is somehow lacking in the 6. It’s reputation for middling fuel economy was borne out with a test average of 10.1 litres per 100 kilometres in a mix of city and highway use.
Speaking of reputations, Mazdas have always been about sportier handling, no matter what the vehicle or its drivetrain — and the GT-I4 follows this formula. The sedan trades a measure of coddling for road feel — an acceptable compromise in my books. It’s a nimble car to drive with well-weighted steering and a suspension setup that is more European in feel than its Asian peers. The large-ish P235/45R18 rubber assists in the road-holding duties — to a point. Get too frisky with the 6 and its nose heaviness (weight distribution is 60/40 front to rear) will make itself known in the form of progressive understeer. Traction and stability control systems act as safety backups.
I’ve been somewhat baffled by Mazda’s use of GT to connote its cars’ top trim level. To my mind, GT should represent something with a decidedly sportier bent than other models, rather than luxury and mod-cons. No matter, the GT-I4 tester is very well fitted, with all the usual power items plus an AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with six speakers, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, leather interior, heated front seats, auto dimming rear-view mirror with HomeLink and speed-sensing door locks. Content doesn’t necessarily equate to luxury, however, and the cabin is where the Mazda6 is most dated. There is too much hard black plastic in use and the instruments and controls with their orange jet-fighter-like illumination are positively retro. Credit, though, must be given for enough room for six-foot adults, the high-mounted bucket seats and the car’s generally good sightlines.
This version of the Mazda6 is no longer at the forefront of the family sedan segment. But that doesn’t mean it’s out to pasture. If you can live with merely average fuel economy (for a four-cylinder sedan) and styling that’s no longer overt, you will be rewarded with a car that thinks it’s a sport sedan. If style and fuel economy are your thing, just wait a year. The 2014 Mazda6 will knock your socks off.
THE SPECS
Power 170 hp @ 6,000 rpm; 167 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
Transmission Five-speed manumatic (optional)
Brakes Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires P235/45R18
Price: base/as tested $29,395/$30,595
Destination charge $1,695
Transport Canada fuel economy L/100 km 9.4 city, 6.5 hwy.
Standard features Power windows, door locks and heated mirrors, cruise control, automatic dual-zone climate control, AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with six speakers and auxiliary audio input, keyless entry, external temperature
display, power driver’s seat, heated front seats, leather interior, anti-theft alarm system, trip computer, auto-dimming rear-view mirror with HomeLink, centre console with slide armrest and storage box, xenon automatic headlights with manual levelling, speed-sensing door locks, 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, LED tail lights
Options Automatic transmission ($1,200)
