2009 Mazda 6 - Road Test Drive Review

Time to say bye-bye to the original Mazda 6, born as a 2003 model… Mazda aimed higher with the new 6, .. the 2009 model leapfrogs Camry dimensions to land a shade behind the bulked-up Accord,... North America now gets a unique body that is distinctly larger than Europe’s and Japan’s, up 6.9 inches in length, 2.3 in width from before.

Mazda6i (four-cylinder) and Mazda6s (V-6) models will be offered in SV, Sport, Touring and Grand Touring form, each with a complement of upgrades, and will go on sale in late August. Prices will range from about $19,000 to $26,000 for the four-cylinder “i” models, and from about $24,400 to $28,400 for the V-6-powered “s” models. Zoom zoom indeed.

First we drive a Mazda 6 with the four-cylinder engine and an automatic transmission, and the extra weight of the bigger chassis doesn't drag it down. There's plenty of midrange torque and a smooth, refined feel near the 6,200-rpm redline. We drive a four-cylinder car equipped with the six-speed manual and it's just as enjoyable… Then again, with poorer EPA mileage numbers than the automatic, the case for buying the manual transmission is pretty weak.

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