Sexy Car, Great Handling -- Needs a Turbo
WK, 09/27/2016
updated 03/29/2018
2016 Mazda 6 i Touring 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
17 of 20 people found this review helpful
The steering and suspension tuning are fantastic. This car handles like nothing else in the segment and is as good as some European sedans costing a lot more. It is light and athletic. Some consider it too stiff, but I think that's because most cars are too soft. There is elevated road noise, but anyone buying a Mazda shouldn't be surprised by that. In terms of styling, it's easily the best-looking car in the class. The interior is nice, although it's idiotic that heated seats aren't available in the Touring trim with the manual transmission. I didn't buy the car with the stick to save money; I opted for the manual because I love driving and wanted the extra level of engagement. I also live in Colorado and prefer manuals in snow. My mother's rinky-dink Ford Focus has heated seats. You can't get a sunroof with the Touring manual, either. I do like the rotary knob and button cluster (media controls) on the center console. I have never and will never touch the screen. The controls are intuitive and the separate volume knob is a nice touch. I don't have a phone and do not care about Apple CarPlay or Android whatever. The main gripe with the Mazda6 is the lack of power. Plant your foot in second gear and it can't get out of its own way. It's a total dog. The engine is naturally aspirated, but you get the sensation of turbo lag until about 3000 rpm. Mazda has decided to drop turbo 4-cylinder from the CX-9 in this car for 2018; I don't know what took them so long. It's also worth mentioning that this car is dreadful in snow. I maintain a ridiculous following distance in snow and try to time lights, because I run the risk of getting stuck at traffic signals in anything more than 2 inches. I don't know how much of this is attributable to the stock Dunlops (allegedly "all-season". . . sure they are) or the car's low curb weight (3,179 lbs.), but traction is pitiful. I originally wanted a Subaru WRX, but decided not to test drive one because I didn't want to know what I was missing. I settled for the 6 and kind of regret it. It's a very nice car, but I just hate the lack of power, which is exacerbated by elevation (my house is at ~5900 ft. above sea level). Overall, it's comfortable and delivers acceptable fuel economy (~26 mpg in city driving). Oh, and be mindful of the front fascia; it's very low. I have to back out of my driveway at a 45-degree angle to avoid scraping it on the curb.
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Updated Review #3
ZoomnRamnWranglin, 09/13/2015
updated 03/20/2018
2016 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
My update to this review is: I sold the car. All of the things I reviewed before (below) are true; however, I could never get past the fact that the car was just not fun to drive. The power/ Gas mileage trade off sucks the fun to drive element from the car and the handling is average, at best. Update after a year and a half of not having the car, I don't miss it at all. I am a big Mazda fan but unfortunately the new Toyota Camry is more fun to drive than the Mazda 6. (I drove a 2018 Camry rental car all last week. The 2016 Mazda 6 GT is a great car with a few features short of being equal to any Audi, BMW or Mercedes. The great: 1) This car is one of the most beautiful cars on the planet. 2) The interior of this car (2016+) equals or exceeds any luxury brand. 3) Gas Mileage is phenomenal. 4) The build quality of this car is awesome - the best of any car I have ever owned. 5) The adaptive LED headlights are AWESOME! I can't imagine ever owning another car without them.
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Best Car I've ever had!
DeeLew, 08/10/2015
2016 Mazda 6 i Sport 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
Just bought the sport version. Absolutely love it. I got a little bored of Camrys and Accords...Long term...I don't know what to expect, but short of the lack of AWD, I think anyone would have difficulty finding a sexier looking car with its handling, performance, gas mileage...etc....for the price. Amazing car.
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Only 2 things keep this car from being epic.
Amchev, 09/02/2016
2016 Mazda 6 i Touring 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
1. The 6 desperately needs another engine option. - Performance is merely adequate. It pulls well from 3000 rpm to redline but below 3000 it just doesn't move well at all. Unfortunately the automatic transmission does it's best to keep it below that rpm when in standard mode. 2. Infotainment system needs Carplay/Android. - The built in navigation works ok but entering addresses is tedious. Integration with smart phones is expected in this era. Aside from those two things I can't say a thing bad about this car. I had a Mazdaspeed 3 for 9 years before this one (maybe why I'm so sensitive to the engine performance). I was looking for an auto transmission in my next car. The 6 transmission was the easiest for me to live with. Sport mode makes a big difference. Shifting is smooth and predictable and it seems to be in the right gear for the situation much better than any of the others I tried. The interior feels much more upscale than most of it's competitors. Mazda has managed to refrain from over use of exaggerated angles and weird lines. The layout and function of all of the controls is logical and works well. Road noise and ride comfort are much improved from my old car. Other cars in this segment might have a softer and quieter ride but they are boring and make an already tedious commute even less enjoyable. I am averaging 35mpg and have seen 40 (reported on the computer) when driving mostly highway. I would buy this car again... but I'd get the manual so I can keep it in the sweet rpm spot.
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One of the better cars out there
Greg davenport, 05/09/2016
2016 Mazda 6 i Sport 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I only have a couple of issues with this great car.........a little under powered, but if you use the manual override on the automatic transmission you can get great performance. Yes there is more road noise and you feel the road more, than the altima i had before, but it is a sports car and handles extremly well. Last the seats are tight against the center console so when drop stuff i cant get to it......nobody has payed me off for this evaluation
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