2015 Mazda 6 Atenza Review
In the past, I had a 2012 CX9 which I loved a lot. But I was losing a fuel card and the 2012 CX9 was thirsty, so for my new car, economy, comfort, space, style and technology were key factors . Economy in the Mazda 6 is outstanding, with the car able to travel from Adelaide to Melbourne comfortably on a tank running 91RON. Due to this fuel economy, I'm only filling up every couple of weeks now and it is costing around $60-$70 for a tank. In comparison, the CX9 could cost over $120 to fill and I was filling up 3 times every 2 weeks. The fuel economy is a no-brainer from my experience and my Mazda 6 isn't even the oil burner, which makes it even better.
- Style, Technology, Space, Economy, Comfort
- No Power tail gate
From a comfort angle, the Mazda 6 is brilliant, featuring body-hugging front seats, split zone air con and vents in the rear (which was a surprising omission in the CX5 - another car I was considering). After the CX9, I figured I still needed space, so the wagon was the obvious choice. The Mazda 6 was not nearly as cavernous as the CX9 but it was still ample for our needs. I run a Waeco car fridge in the back and still have plenty of room for work equipment or weekend camping gear.
The 6 is the bomb when it comes to style. I was stopped at an RBT and the officer had his head in the window, absolutely gob-smacked at the interior. He was incredulous that this was a Mazda and not an Audi or BMW. I went for the soul red with the white leather interior. With a 6 year old, my wife thought I was a fool, but the white still looks schmick 12 months on.
The Atenza is the most tech filled car around for the coin. Included are auto braking, radar cruise, lane drift alert if you drift across lines (vibrates the steering wheel and slightly corrects), driver alert if you start showing signs of inattentiveness, and LED headlights that automatically change pattern to maximise light and avoid blinding other drivers. The heads-up display is simple but effective, and the centre screen is intuitive with lots of features, like voice activation. Heated seats are now mandatory for me (well, for my wife) and the gun metal grey 19-inch rims look very nice against the soul red.
Servicing is not cheap but neither is it outrageous.
I've heard people comment that the performance is sluggish but that is so wrong it is laughable. Drop it in power mode and the Mazda 6 will pull away from a 6-cylinder Commodore with ease (or so I was told by a friend...). It is quick.
There are a couple of things that I had in the CX9 which I thought might have been included in the $50K top of the range 6, such as auto dipping mirrors when reversing and power operated tailgate (the latter only because I want to look cool at school drop off). But, apart from those two things, this is a beast of a car. I'll be back for another without any doubt... unless Porsche bring out a 911 for the same coin... that could sway me.