I love and hate my Mazda, it’s a weird relationship.

On the daily grind, in traffic and over rough roads, we don’t get along. The harsh ride and noisy interior, coupled with the extremely light steering, make me feel like I’m driving a billy cart.

The brakes are exceptional, however once at a complete stop the most irritating problem of the car presents itself. The auto gearbox slaps you in the face every time you start off. Jerky from 1st to 2nd at slow speeds, smooth launches are only possible by engaging manual and waiting for the revs to reach exactly two thousand, no more, no less.

You might be thinking that I hate this car, with all its issues and quirks. Well you’d be right, I do hate it. It’s a frustrating car.

The interior is plain yet elegant. The seats are fine without being overly comfortable. The rear folding seats offer amazing space, with an annoying bottom boot lip to complicate the removal of items. From the outside and from the inside it's hard to quite feel passionate about this thing....

However if all I ever did was put on a tie and drive to work, I would hate myself and hate this car. But when you have nowhere to be at no particular time, everything changes. The car is amazing.

Twisting roads prove the light handling has a purpose, smooth flowing pieces of tarmac don’t jar the suspension but offer a sense of immediacy in the steering and cohesion in the overall package. The car just seems to work when you want to go for a drive. It’s not a destination car, the Mazda6, it is definitely one for the journey.