I spent yesterday putting Mazda's new 6 through its paces up and down the winding mountain roads of southern California. With this completely redesigned version of their underperforming sport sedan, Mazda is hoping to take their "Zoom-Zoom" and beat Camry, Accord and Altima about the head and neck with it. Should those perennial top-sellers be worried? Um, yeah.
I am leaving for the airport in a few minutes for the day-long trip back across the country, so I only have time for a quick preview.
The new 6 is completely redesigned from the ground up with the intention to deliver more of what we're looking for in a sport sedan: more power, more responsive handling, more toys, and more eyeball. With a wider, more stable stance, a front fascia that hints at the asphalt-eating RX-8, a dash-full of toys inside, and a class-leading 272hp 3.7L V6 powerplant - at a price tag under $30k - the new 6 should have Toyota, Honda and Nissan concerned.
Full review - and more pics - to follow soon.