Vehicle Details: MAZDA6 Advantages

Arriving to early critical acclaim, the 2014 MAZDA6 Sport Sedan, now available here at Antelope Valley Ford Lincoln Mazda in Lancaster, California, is already emerging as the most compelling driver’s car in its class. Engaging performance and arresting KODO “Soul of Motion” design make the MAZDA6 stand out in a crowded field.

Meanwhile, its starting MSRP of $20,880 – among the lowest in the segment – kicks off a long list of benefits. Many know the Mazda brand for its focus on driving enjoyment and its rich sports car history. The 2014 MAZDA6 Sport Sedan brings spirit to a segment in which many competitors lack an engaging driving personality. Mazda has infused the five-passenger MAZDA6 with a solid dose of sportiness while also delivering the qualities midsize customers seek, including roominess, fuel economy and value.

The 2014 MAZDA6 has already won accolades, including a 2013 “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It also won Motor Trend magazine’s comparison test with a Toyota Camry SE and Honda Accord Sport. Motor Trend preferred the overall driving experience in the Mazda, reporting, “Everything about this car is smooth and fluid.”

The MAZDA6 design, first seen on the TAKERI concept car, is striking. With a coefficient of drag as low as 0.26 (Grand Touring), the design is the most aerodynamic in the segment. That pays off in low wind noise and outstanding highway fuel economy.

The 2014 MAZDA6 does not compromise practicality for style. The new sedan offers one of the roomiest cabins in the class, including 37.1 inches of headroom and 38.7 inches of legroom for rear-seat passengers. The latter, at 2.6 inches greater than for a Nissan Altima, is among the segment’s best.

You’ll find a key to the advantages the MAZDA6 offers in one word: SKYACTIV^®. That’s the umbrella Mazda uses to cover a suite of engine, transmission, body and chassis technologies that optimize its latest models for performance, efficiency and safety. The new SKYACTIV-G 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine produces 184 hp and 185 lb/ft of torque, more than what you’ll find in a Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry or Volkswagen Passat. Brisk acceleration makes for a sporty drive, yet, with either the standard SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission or the SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic, the 2014 MAZDA6 returns stellar fuel economy.

The manual returns an EPA-estimated 25 mpg city, 37 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined. The advanced automatic, which is available in the MAZDA6 Sport trim and standard in the Touring and Grand Touring trims, does even better with an EPA-estimated 26 mpg city, 38 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined.

Cabin styling reflects the exterior’s boldness and focuses on passenger comfort and ease of use in the controls. The leather-covered sport-styled steering wheel features tilt-and-telescopic adjustment, along with convenient audio and cruise controls. In competitive models, a leather-covered wheel comes only on the high-end versions.

The contoured dash and wide use of soft-touch surfaces throughout the interior create the ambience of a luxury-brand model costing thousands of dollars more. Mazda value is apparent in the entry MAZDA6Sport, which comes standard with 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels; push-button start; a six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system with auxiliary and USB connections; 60/40-split fold-down rear seats; power exterior mirrors; and automatic-off headlamps. The standard sport-bolstered front bucket seats include six-way adjustment for the driver, including lumbar adjustment, something you won’t find on the entry level Honda Accord, Nissan Altima or Toyota Camry.

As in other Mazda models, the 2014 MAZDA6 offers you choices for customization and personalization. Adding the automatic transmission to the Sport also nets a slew of technology upgrades, including Bluetooth^® phone/audio connectivity, a 5.8-inch color touch-screen display, a rearview camera, audio menu voice command, HD Radio^™, Pandora^® Internet Radio, SMS text message capability and E911 automatic emergency notification.

The mid-level Touring and high-end Grand Touring offer even more, including standard 19-inch wheels, Blind Spot Monitoring system and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. Some of the standard luxuries in the Grand Touring, including an 11-speaker Bose^® Centerpoint^® Surround Sound System and navigation, can be added to the Touring with the Technology Package option.

Also standard in Grand Touring and optional for Touring, the all-new Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) system, technology more often seen in luxury-brand cars, can help prevent low-speed (under 19 mph) collisions. The Grand Touring offers even more driver-assist technologies.

Come in to road-test the 2014 MAZDA6 and discover, as Motor Trend did, how its advantages make it a winner.