Sick of SUVs? Here's something better

Thursday, 30 August 2018

Still handsome but ever so slightly different; the Mazda6 has a new (ish) face for 2018.

**Mazda6 Limited wagon

Base price:** $54,495

The Mazda's diesel engine is silky-smooth and nicely powerful. Not available in the sedan though.

Powertrain and performance: 2.2-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder, 140kW/450Nm, 6-speed automatic, FWD, Combined economy 5.3 litres per 100km.

Vital statistics: 4800mm long, 1480mm high, 2750mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 506 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels with 2525/45 tyres.

We like: Brilliant diesel engine. Delightfully agile. Still looks good. Not an SUV…

We don't like: A bit familiar now. Infotainment system is clunky. Steering lacks feel. No Takami version.

With the rise in popularity of SUVs, medium/large wagons have fallen out of favour with the majority of the buying public. And that is a shame. But while Mazda has an extensive range of SUVs (a full 50 per cent of its passenger car line up, in fact), it is sticking with the venerable wagon in the form of the Mazda6. Yay for Mazda!

So why would you buy a wagon over an SUV?

One reason: you enjoy driving. Not just 'going for a drive', I mean really driving. And you see no reason why that enjoyment should be compromised just because you need more cargo space. Plus, wagons are cool and SUVs aren't. Everybody knows that.

It might look all a bit black, but the 6's interior is fantastically comfortable and of a high quality.

* Mazda takes the high road with the new 6

* More than 5, less than 9, but close to 6 - the new Mazda CX-8**

The Mazda6 Limited is the fully-loaded top-spec model of Mazda's wagon range and, along with the lower spec GSX wagon, is the only way you can now get a diesel Mazda6 in New Zealand, as the company has dropped the excellent oil-burner from the sedan line up.

And what an oil-burner it is too: superbly smooth and impressively flexible, the 2.2-litre engine's power flows on delightfully, particularly in the mid range, making for effortless and impressively refined progress.

Plenty of room, looks good and is fun to drive. Who wants an SUV again?

And 'flowing' is the perfect term to describe the 6's handling too - it flows through a series of corners and flows serenely over imperfect roads, with delightfully nimble handling that belies its wagon-y shape and size. And that not even the best SUVs can touch.

The 6 also boasts a fantastically supple ride that is almost perfectly suited to New Zealands coarse, constantly shifting B-roads, beautifully complimenting the chassis' fluidity and making quick, comfortable and enjoyable trips an everyday thing.

The steering is nicely accurate, but could do with a bit more feel, however this is really the only small chink in the 6's ride/handling combo.

$55K is a decent chunk of money - I take it that means it is well-equipped then?

It is. But more importantly, it is a massively high-quality thing inside.

Mazda have given the 6 a few relatively minor tweaks to keep things fresh both inside and out, but the underlying quality remains the most noticeable thing about it. Nice quality plastics are used throughout, with liberal use of soft-touch materials on surfaces you come into contact with the most.

A brilliant Bose audio system is a highlight, while the new seats are simply superbly comfortable and supportive.

It's not all sweetness and light, however, as the infotainment system is a bit clunky and old-tech when compared to competitor's latest systems and the addition of screen mirroring via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can't come soon enough. Fortunately it will be able to be retro-fitted (retro-installed?) into existing cars, so you won't be missing out if you buy one now.

And while the 6 remains a good-looking thing (particularly in wagon form) and hasn't really dated, it is quite familiar now and while the latest tweaks do differentiate it from an older model, it is getting to the stage where a major refresh would be more beneficial.

Okay, what I am really saying there is that your neighbours won't really know you have the new model…

Any other cars I should consider?

The obvious one is the Ford Mondeo wagon, which at $47,590 for the Ambiente diesel wagon is cheaper than the 6 and is just as good to drive, but is lower spec and hasn't aged anywhere near as well as the Mazda.

There is also the Hyundai i40 wagon that straddles the Mazda in Elite ($53,990) and Elite Limited ($59,990) diesel forms and is almost as good to drive, but is slightly smaller.

Other than that, there are the many, many medium diesel SUVs on the market, including Mazda's own very impressive CX-5, but you really shouldn't do that.