Go ahead and say it: The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 i Grand Touring is a good-looking vehicle. At first glance, this four-door sedan looks a lot more like European makes than the Camrys and Accords in its $21,000 MSRP range — which is good news for cost-conscious drivers everywhere. The news only gets better from there.
2016 Mazda Mazda6 i Grand Touring
Inside, there’s plenty of room for passengers and cargo, though taller riders might not want to sit in back, and the trim has been updated to include better-quality materials and a more visible display. During your drive, you can enjoy air conditioning, power windows and locks, remote keyless entry, cruise control, push-button start, and a USB audio input as standard features, and with upgrades, you can graduate to a power driver’s seat, blind-spot monitoring, leather upholstery, and more. Even better, you can rest assured you’ll be moving along in a safe environment, complete with airbags and disc brakes. All in all, the 2016 Mazda Mazda6 is much more than a pretty face.
2016 Mazda Mazda6 i Grand Touring
Mazda has always been known for not following the script set by its contemporaries, and the Mazda 6 continues this tradition. The Mazda 6 is downright sexy, and you may even feel a little odd taking the kids to soccer practice in such a sleek car. But don’t worry — Mazda has you covered here too.
For one, the Mazda 6 offers great fuel economy: 25 mpg city/37 mpg highway. For another, the Mazda 6 has great safety features, including top ratings from the IIHS. Most significant is its sticker price, starting at $21,000. This gorgeous vehicle also happens to be safe, efficient, and economical. What more could you want?
Then again, it’s hard to evaluate any car without knowing what’s inside, and the Grand Touring edition happens to be top of the line for the Mazda 6. At this level, the Mazda 6 is packed with navigation, leather upholstery, a memory driver’s seat and power passenger seat, fog lamps, and steering-wheel shift paddles. This is on top of the features from base and intermediate models, including air conditioning, power windows and locks, cruise control, push-button start, a USB audio input, dual-zone climate control, a power driver’s seat, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear vents, and more. All models come with a 7-inch heads-up display with controls for radio, navigation, climate, and more. If that’s not enough, you can upgrade to a Bose audio system and Pandora Internet Radio.
Though the Mazda 6 might look sportier than its contemporaries, it remains a family sedan, and it performs like one. On the plus side, the car feels smooth and responsive, and you’ll feel like you’re driving it (not vice versa). However, you’ll have to give it an extra pump if you want to pass other cars on the freeway, and the engine can be noisy. Mazda says the steering ratio on the Mazda 6 nearly matches that of the Miata, so you’ll be able to enjoy similar quickness and response, only with room for at least two more people.
Speaking of people, the Mazda 6 can sit three in the back when the center armrest is folded up, and the rear seats fold back when you need more trunk space. Passengers in front enjoy sports seats for a deep, easy ride. The trunk itself is generous and easy to fill up, ready for grocery runs, intramural sports, and general domestic hauling duties.
It’s easy to look at the Mazda 6 and forget it was meant for all the daily duties that fill your schedule: commuting, shopping, visiting, and so on. But there’s a lot more to this car than meets the eye. It’s a capable hauler, with room for five and cargo. Best of all, starting at $21,000, the price is hard to beat.
As a four-door sedan, the Mazda 6 faces tough competition from perennial best-sellers the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, but it can stand up to the best of them with excellent mileage, plentiful features, and oh yeah, stunning good looks. The Mazda 6 is a head-turner, for sure, but its best qualities are subtler, including its rock-bottom MSRP. Let them stare — you don’t have to tell them the Mazda 6 only looks expensive.
