A couple weeks ago James wrote about how the seating position in our long-term 2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring is tall-guy friendly. Now I'm not exceptionally tall, but after spending another evening with our big red sedan, I think this is a very driver-friendly seating position in general. Specifically, sitting down into the car puts you in the mood to drive, not just commute.
The seats themselves are nothing special: The leather upholstery is only average-quality and Mazda hasn't taken any risks with lateral bolstering (the better to accommodate humans of larger frame). But there's a good range of seat-height adjustment, so I can jack up the seat to see well over the sedan's rising beltline and long nose. It's a great view -- as good as anything in the midsize sedan class. Yet, I still feel like I'm nestled in a real cockpit, rather than sitting on a barstool in some crossover SUV.
Then, there's the steering wheel. It's maybe a tenth of a size smaller than the wheels you usually see in this class and it's a typical, Mazda three-spoke design. It feels good to hold, and as I back out of my parking spot, put the transmission in D and turn the corner in the parking garage, I notice something else: genuine steering feel. This will be a good drive.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 8,813 miles
By the way, after putting together this entry, I realized we haven't taken many exterior shots of our 6 lately. And we've been talking a lot about its glitchy nav system. The Mazda will be going on a road trip this weekend, so you can look forward to more pics and more driving commentary.
dougtheeng says:
12:50 PM, 04/15/09
I think the new 6 looks very premium, both inside and out. Its a great improvement from the previous version, imo (though I know not everyone agrees with me on that point).
A guy in my office is looking to replace his first-gen 6. He drove the new 6 and said it was too soft and floaty, and he's now looking at an optioned out 3. I thought this was an interesting turn of events.
bc1960 says:
03:23 PM, 04/15/09
It makes a great replacement for the Millenia and 929, no doubt, but not the first-gen Mazda6. They're aiming at a different market they think will yield more sales and profits. Unlike your friend, I think the new Mazda3 is even more dreadful and will be looking outside Mazda the next time I buy, as I did in 1995.
cx7lover says:
06:22 PM, 04/15/09
I still think whoever makes the decisions on which trim levels you guys pick made the wrong decision.
How's the BOSE Audio? What about the steering noise?
Monocrom says:
01:36 AM, 04/16/09
@dougtheeng -
Did your co-worker drive a V6 Mazda 6?
I'll admit that mine has a smooth ride at slower speeds. But it comes alive when you want to open her up! And that's what I did when I was headed into work yesterday at just past 3pm. It seems that every idiot driver was out on the road in front of me. The car's handling and performance was put to the test. It was an absolute thing of beauty as it danced around every moron and road-hog in front of me, on the expressway. Even from a dead stop after getting off the expressway, my '09, V6, Mazda 6 still performed like an Olympic champion. A sweet combination of power & grace.
dougtheeng says:
06:31 AM, 04/16/09
@Monocrom
I'm not sure if he drove the V6....his current Mazda6 is the 4-cyl, and he always regretted not getting the V6 as he found the 4-cyl mileage to be disappointing overall.
@bc1960
I'll agree with you about the new 3. The exterior is sort of growing on me, but overall I don't see much reason for the change to a new model. There isn't really anything exciting about it at all.
JoeM says:
05:53 AM, 04/19/09
The more I read about this car, the more I want one. I'll also state a tolerance for minor inconvenience using a portable GPS rather than a factory installed one. Price and features stand out on the former.
Call it "emotion", but, while I haven't seen a lot of '09 Sixes, I recognize them coming and going. Finally, a car that "stands out". Only the Chevy Malibu looks as distinctive. Honda's Accord, in my opinion, is ugly and the Altima's non-descript.
Will be curious what, if any, changes on tap for 2010. I really want the V-6, but would love a couple of more miles per gallon. We'll see.