Mazda 6 GT SP Wagon, NOT an SUV Review

I went up the short ramp into the garage, and there it stood before me, the Mazda 6 Wagon.

It looks all long and leggy, and very very classy.

First, a bit of history.

Mazda rejigged their nomenclatures in the early 2000’s, when the 626 became the Mazda 6. Since 2002 there have been 3 generations of the Japanese mid-size sedan/wagon. In 2007 the second generation landed, followed by the 3rd iteration in 2012. That means 9 years for the current model, which is rather elderly for a car design. It had a nip and tuck during that time, so still looks as fresh as a spring morning.

Above: This Week 2021 Mazda 6 GT SP Wagon REVIEWS

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ABOVE: 2021 Mazda 6 GT SP Wagon

Outside:

Mazda 6 has an elegant, graceful look about it.  It’s a car with a slender back end, as opposed to a hulking brutality of an SUV. It is a great shame that this is an ever-diminishing example of a once dominant segment. As buyers move inextricably towards SUVs, sedans and wagons are now as rare as an honest MP. That is perhaps why this model has hung around for so long.

There is a large rear hatch like and SUV, without that “great-wall-of-China” type look. The dog friendly cargo hold has enough space for 474 bottles of coke, if you don’t mind getting them a bit squished. That increases to 1648 bottles of coke with the seats down.

The wagon is 4,800mm long and 1,480mm high. That makes it shopping-centre-friendly in even the meanest of parking spaces. SUV drivers will know what I mean. The width of 1,840mm excludes the mirrors, and there is quite a bit of ground clearance, at 165mm. the wheelbase might sound modest at 2,740, because the wheels have been pulled in towards each other. The front overhang in a massive 950mm and 1,100 at the back.

Mazda 6 sits nice and low, but there is a faint hint of sporty-weekend, wet-suited, “hairy chestedness” about it. When you think of it that way, it comes over all sexy, with come-hither looks.

Speaking of looks, the bigger the wheel, the hotter the look, and the 19 inchers are shod with 225/45 R19 tyres. Normally this utterly ruins the ride, but more about that later. There are roof racks for all manner of things, though I can’t help but feel a bike on a roof is courting disaster.

The lighting arrays are strewn with LEDS, and the headlights have a cool adaptive function with automated High Beam control. Set and forget, and you’ll never blind another truckie. We’ve all seen THAT movie, right?

Inside:

The cabin does Mazda proud. Despite her advancing years, Mazda 6 has a cabin that hasn’t aged a day, and still runs rings around the opposition. Good design doesn’t age. Instead, it matures, like an old port.

Surfaces are soft and luxurious with padding hither and yon. The red leather has an air of country-pile-library about it. Seats are heated, front and back, and the front pews are powered.

Even better, it is supremely comfortable, regardless of how many hours you spend in the saddle. The infotainment sounds like you’ve taken the Queen’s box at the Opera house, with controls that fettled via the centre console command centre. The screen has touch input, but safety obsessed Mazda locks it out once the wheels are turning. Annoying as it is, it stops you from fiddling with the virtual controls, which is considered as dangerous as using a mobile phone.

It would be churlish of me not to mention the sound, which is sublime. Naturally, Apple CarPlay/Android auto will stream tunes and phone traffic.

I’d be lying if I failed to mention my slight disappointment at the driver dials. 3 ring contain the usual data, with the right hand one being an LCD screen. I’d like the whole shebang to be the full Monty LCD tv screen experience, but all is not lost though. There is an HUD projecting data on the windscreen, fighter-jet-style. OK, I take it all back, I rarely look at the stupid dials with the HUD front and centre. Mazda, you’re forgiven.

The drive:

Mazda 6 is a peach, there is no other word for it.

Somehow or other, “Bogan at the Bottlo,” is not the image of Mazda 6, oh no. Mazda has gone all upmarket over the years, and Mazda 6 feels properly posh. Ride is sublime as we saw when we drove the Mazda 6 GT sedan back in 2019.

Back then, we thought the 7-year-old model would be pensioned off quicker than you say “Senior’s Card,” but here we are, with facelifts galore. The new Mazda 6 should be along some time in 2022, but, is the current model still up to snuff?

In a word, yes.

Some brands have models that were more like an archaeological dig than a cutting edge vehicle. Some were so bad, we refused to review them.

The 2.5L 4 cylinder has a silky 170kw of turbo loveliness. Power is smooth, with no hint of the slap upside the head most turbos give you. Instead, the speed builds in a regal, wafting kind of way.

The back seat is the perfect place to wave from. You sit a little above the front seats, but the front headrests make back seats somewhat remote. It is only a window shade away from being a corner chair in The Melbourne Club.

On the open road, Mazda6 hums along at over 2,000rpm. The 6 speed automatic desperately needs anther couple of cogs to keep up with the Jones’. Let’s hope that’s sorted out in the next model.

The cabin feels homey and cosy on a long journey. This feeling is backed by brilliant sound insulation that keeps the ambience soothing, and very Zen.

Under Covid restrictions, we couldn’t do any of our usual drives. Instead, we got familiar with a few twisty bits close to home. Smooth ride comes with very soft cornering, yet twists are dispatched with the dexterity of a kitten on carpet.

It cannot be stressed too much, that Mazda6 feels incredibly light. The wispy steering is delightful at all speeds, and parking is easy, with a reversing camera and sensors.

Driver aids aren’t too intrusive, but they feel a little behind newer models like Mazda3. There is lane warning and blind spot monitor, and an HUD. But if that all gets too confusing, have your hubby drive you while you take a quick 40 in the back. He can wear a cap if it makes him feel better.

Conclusion:

In short, despite her advancing years, Mazda6 feels as good as new. It rides beautifully, handles like a sprite, and is backed by the reliability of a Swiss watch.

The Key

A plucky viewer emailed us with a query about the emergency. Would you believe it, he was locked out of his car at a roadside rest stop. One wonders how long he was there for. He couldn’t get his key open.

Here’s how it is done:

1 hold the key in one hand, and slide the tiny black button on the chrome trim

2 while holding the black button, slide the back cover sideways.

3 lift cover off to reveal key.

NOTE: to change the battery, after following steps 1-3, pull the bottom chrome trim off, and lever off the front cover (with the M symbol on it) to reveal the battery cover.

The key is a terrible design. The Emergency key should flip out, and the cover should slide off in one piece for the battery

Price: $47,990

Engine: 2.5L Cylinder Turbo Petrol

Econ: 7.6L

Trans: 6-speed Automatic

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