The sixth sense

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Handling is a Mazda 6 hallmark

As interesting as these engines are, the powerplants aren’t the big news with these vehicles. What shines with any Mazda 6 is the handling. An affordable and dynamically astute station wagon is not a contradiction in terms – you have one in the Mazda 6. Unlike the lumbering station wagons of yore, the Mazda 6 provides spirited performance with its double wishbone front and multilink rear suspension. The car sticks and tracks in a wonderfully neutral manner, effectively hiding its 60/40 front weight bias. Despite this talent in the twisties, ride quality is not compromised. The Mazda 6 Wagon is fairly soft and supple, nicely absorbing most bumps. Unfortunately, bigger road abrasions tend to be transmitted directly to the driver through the steering wheel.

Speaking of which, the steering is crisp and communicative, although the turning circle of 38.7 feet is somewhat wider than we prefer. Additionally, the Mazda 6 stops with reassuring stability, as the four-wheel-disc antilock brakes provide phenomenal linearity, feel and modulation, and exhibited no fade under severe usage during our testing. The P215/50 R17 Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 tires barely squealed under duress and did an admirable job of sticking to the road during the performance driving of our test loop.

But wait, there’s more. The Mazda 6 hatchback shines even more brightly than the wagon when the going gets twisty. Credit a weight reduction of 223 pounds for the hatchback, mostly due to the smaller standard engine. The steering feels sharper, the front end is less prone to plowing around turns, and the hatchback exhibits slightly less body roll. The Mazda 6 hatchback, more so than the Mazda 6 wagon, reminded us of the excellent Mazda 3, from which we emerged grinning like idiots after an all-out flailing.