The current Mazda6 is revered for its gasoline engines and SKYACTIV agile naturally aspirated lightweight handling meadows. Replacing one of the last great engines N / A in his class with a turbo-diesel sounds a bit like heresy. Opt for an automatic transmission and four-wheel drive is mutiny. But these choices will make a boring car of a great driver? Or will they actually do better?
Being invited to the launch of a group of press facelifted models is not much reason to celebrate for most auto journos. But when I had the chance to attend a recent press conference Mazda, I jumped at the chance; not to prove that there is such thing as a free lunch, nor because it was - ideally - about three miles from my house. I was eager to go because, between the end of my concert in the Czech edition of Top Gear and when my own website really took off, I managed to miss a whole generation of Mazdas.
From what I 'D heard and read - both of my colleagues at home and on CAPD - the new crop of Mazdas was really good. So I'm not here for the deer with creamy sauce (although it was delicious). I was because I wanted to drive cars.
First, I drove the Mazda3, which was not even new. It was great, but you already know that. Derek loved one so he bought it.
Then it was time for the facelifted Mazda6. I went for the best: petrol sedan with manual transmission; the lightest of the bunch with an engine that is legendary (easy to do, being a big naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four in a world of plants downsized turbo) and a nice manual transmission.
He was as good as I expected. To a large sedan - in Europe, non-premium sedans do not get much better than this - it shows a large dose of sportiness and provides an unusual amount of pleasure. You, especially with facelifted version, all the bells and whistles that you're used to. At the same time, there is a smell of Jinba Ittai (a horse and rider as one) of the Miata. It is easy to find a proper driving position; flying close to your chest, low seat and almost vertical to record feels comfortable. The shift is gloriously accurate with deliciously close range. The suspension works exactly as you want; comply when presented with ruts and potholes and yet remarkably stable and resists roll well.
The engine will not spoil the fun, either. He is greedy scheme. With its pleasant shift mentioned above as well as well-placed pedals and far between, the Mazda6, especially with the European-spec engine 2.0, begs to be revved. Rev-matching downshifts are a breeze. For many buyers, the engine will be the main reason for buying the family car of the Mazda - more than the suspension, and perhaps even more than all those new, shiny and smart things they told us at the press event (and I was not able or willing to try on my short drive). Most competitors use touch screens, which can be annoying and even dangerous, but the Mazda6 uses an iDrive-esque command that is more to my liking
Then - .. Something strange happened
Without high expectations, I jumped behind the wheel of a CX-5 crossover with a diesel engine. I'm not really surprised that throwing around my favorite backroad (conveniently located about two miles from the location of the event) was much more fun than any crossing of the family has a right to be. Yet what really interested me was its engine.
I'm afraid I'll be condemned by JDM fans, purists and petrolheads everywhere, but I enjoyed the diesel version even better than the last Mohican of N / A petrol engines. This could be caused by my affinity for large engines with their deep exhaust note, aversion plans, and lots of grunt down low, but I find the diesel engine rumble nicer than the cry of his counterpart gasoline. Seal up the N / A four was fun, the turbodiesel was very happy in the upper part of the lap counter as well - for relaxed driving, without having to change all the time
Thinking about it on the way . return, I got a feeling. If the CX-5 is always fun and if the diesel engine may look nicer (to my ears) than petrol diesel Mazda6 ... could actually be the best option? Perhaps the newly introduced AWD could, in fact, improve the driving experience.
With this in mind when returning the CX-5, I asked a diesel wagon with AWD with automatic. All previous cars were manual (yes, in our part of the world, the standard transmission is still that - standard). If diesel is so good in CUV, it should be even better in a car, right? And AWD should help, too. Modern systems of part-time AWD are good enough to be useful, even on dry pavement. - A comparison of a few years back a standard Passat equipped with 4Motion proved that
After checking in, I went with great anticipation. This should, in theory, be the best car in the lot. But it did not start well. While the FWD, petrol sedan was admirably consistent and comfortable, diesel AWD wagon was not. For some reason, the trip was much agitated and even small road imperfections were transmitted into the cabin. I suspect the wheels, but both cars were equipped with 19s.
There must be something else. There are two main suspects. The AWD system may have something to do with it, but I lean towards the blame on weight. The truck itself is a little heavier than its counterpart in shared resources, and the diesel engine is probably much heavier than gasoline, a. I saw several cars destroyed by a heavy engine and stiffer spring / damper to match.
On my way back favorite, however, the news was much more positive. As in the CX-5, the diesel engine is surprisingly pleasant - in sound, hunger diet or many couples everywhere. I would not say that it really is better from the point of view of a driver, but it is not worse either. I can see drivers who prefer each.
Big difference is AWD. It was helpful from the beginning, helping me to start from the minor road without scraping front tires for traction. And he made himself the trouble on the road as well. You probably will not notice in the sweeping curves, but in tighter, more rotation of the inner wheel; just a lot of good, clean traction. It even helps reduce understeer a bit.
So, is this the best Mazda6? Of course not. It is not a diesel Manuel wagon. While this may sound like a cliché (at least in North America - in Europe, it is a fairly standard mode of transportation and boring), the manual transmission would really enhance the driving experience. While the automatic is not really bad, it is much too slow for someone spoiled with DSG automatics and modern, like the ubiquitous ZF 8-speed. A click of the right pallet before the corner, when you just want a lower pressure in train with a beautiful blip gas, usually produced nothing more than information on the displey in the dashboard. Something like "we're working on."
Expecting an automatic in a diesel family car to be "sporty" is a bit unrealistic, particularly a small-ish car like Mazda. But if someone one buys the driving experience, they would probably find the manual and you can be sure that even choosing the boring combo diesel wagon with AWD, it did not sacrifice much of the wonderful manipulation to which this car stands.
is @VojtaDobes Motoring journalist of Czech Republic, who has worked for local editions Coach and TopGear magazine. Today, he runs his own website, www.Autickar .cz and writes for various other Czech outlets. After a failed adventure with the importation of classic American cars in Europe, it is quite broken, he drives a ratty Chrysler LHS. His previous cars included a Caprice New York Taxi livery in 1988, hot rodded Opel diplomat, two Dodge Coronets, a Simca, a Fiat 0 and Austin Maestro. He never owned a diesel, manual trolley
Photo courtesy of Mazda
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