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Feeling at one with the new Mazda 6 Estate

Thursday, 15 May 2008

A few weeks after sampling the delights of the new Mazda 6, I got an opportunity to test drive the estate version of the car. And like the regular 6, it was very impressive with plenty of boot space.
If you are going to invest in an estate you obviously need plenty of room to carry children, dogs or whatever at weekends. And this motor is ideal as by leaving down the back seat you get massive cargo space and you also have the added attraction that the car looks good.
A national school teacher told me many years ago when discussing my children’s capabilities at school that comparisons are not fair, but of course we all do compare, all the time. And it’s only natural that we should compare the 2.0 Mazda 6 Estate with cars like Ford’s Mondeo, where there is not a huge price difference or the VW Passat.

There is massive boot space, but no spare wheel. That’s a facet of new cars that’s becoming increasingly popular as a space-save and on this occasion I took the time to check out the repair kit or ‘Mobility Kit’ as Mazda calls it. It’s a good idea to read the instructions for these repair kits in advance rather than wait until you get a puncture on a dark, wet night.
Mazda say that the Japanese expression Kizuna or “emotional connection” is the key to describe the philosophy behind the new model. They claim that even the most demanding drivers will feel at one with the style, handling and ride of the 6.
Most manufacturers say that their new models ar: longer, wider, taller than the old model. This is also true of the Mazda 6, but of course these measurements are only in millimetres.
Inside the cabin there is plenty of room for five adults and as with most new cars the predominant colour is black, although there are a few touches of silver. And there is a nice touch of blue on the dash at night. All the controls are well laid out and simple to use. On the dash I really like the way you get a proper button to scroll up and down the radio wavelengths.
I found the estate very solid and I suppose the best compliment I could pay it was that when I was driving I felt very safe. My test model was silver, a colour which I felt accentuated the elongated effect of the estate if that’s possible.
The estate version will obviously be attractive for middle management types and company reps. It should also be attractive to families, who reckon they need that extra cargo space and can afford an estate.
Life is good for Mazda right now. Their Mazda 2 was recently voted World Car of the Year and their Irish distributors want to know how they can further improve; they have just conducted a survey to see how they can make life even easier for people like me who write about cars.
The previous version of the Mazda 6 won an amazing 130 auto awards worldwide, including the Semperit Irish Car of the Year in 2003. So this new model has a lot to live up to.
Prices for the regular Mazda 6 start at e27,495 for the 1.8 four-door petrol, while the 2.0 diesel Executive SE Estate version I drove will cost you e34,595. Come the first of July the car should drop in price as its C02 emissions are low.

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