FAST FACTS
* Model: Mazda6 Grand Touring* Exterior color: Soul Red* Interior color: Parchment* Engine: 2.5-liter, four-cylinder* Horsepower: 184* Transmission: six-speed automatic* Fuel economy: 38 mpg highway, 26 mpg city* Dealer: Adventure Mazda, Chattanooga* Price (as tested): $32,315
The Mazda6 has quietly become a mouth-watering mid-size sedan.
What's the secret recipe?
Start with a dollop of Jaguar-esque styling; add a buttery, Acura-like power-train; and, finally, fold in a few drops of Audi-extract to spice up the interior. Mix, bake and you've got one delectable ride.
When we first sampled the completely redesigned 2014 Mazda6 two years ago, we thought it was a smartly-designed, driver's car that needed a bit more attention to interior fit and finish. Even at that, it was well on its way to becoming a standout in a formidable segment that also includes the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion.
Well, for 2016, the Mazda has raised the bar with a classy new interior that, in our view, fixes the model's only flaw and makes it now the most desirable mainstream, mid-size sedan on the market. Customers apparently agree, as the Mazda6 was recently voted No. 1 in overall owner appeal by the J.D. Power market research company, edging out the Kia Optima and the Hyundai Sonata. It's also on Car & Driver's Top 10 Cars list.
Our tester this week, a top-of-the-line Mazda6 Grand Touring in brilliant Soul Red, comes courtesy of Adventure Mazda in downtown Chattanooga, where sales consultant Joshua Smartt briefed us on the 2016's updates and upgrades.
Incidentally, this car really, really wants to be red. Mazda has developed a three-coat paint process for its Soul Red color that includes a double application of high-brightness aluminum flakes. (Our next favorite color is a dark-blue hue called Deep Crystal Blue Mica.)
The Mazda6 comes in three trim levels: Sport ($23,815), Touring ($24,765) and Grand Touring ($31,015). All these prices included automatic transmissions, although a manual transmission is also available in Sport and Touring models.
STYLING AND COMFORT
The Mazda6 has been lauded for cutting-edge styling that turns what's essentially a family appliance into an object of art. Only halfway through its current product cycle, the car-maker has wisely decided not to futz around with the sheet-metal. Improvements to the exterior include new LED headlamp and taillight treatments on Mazda6 models in Grand Touring trim, and a line of light that forms the bottom lip of the grille and makes the car look like it's smiling.
But most of the visual drama for 2016 is reserved for the interior. Before, the Mazda6 looked like the design team had run out of money when it came time to redraw the car's interior. It wasn't that the furnishings were bad, it's just they didn't quite match the sophisticated elegance of the exterior.
Smartly, the Mazda team seems to have looked to the German brands for inspiration. First, they relocated the seven-inch LCD infotainment touchscreen so it floats on top of the dash -- a move perfected by Mercedes-Benz. Then they flattened out the dash and simplified the center stack to create an understated design that appears to have bench-marked Audi's tasteful interiors.
One little move -- replacing the manual parking-brake lever with a electronic, button-controlled brake -- cleaned up the clutter between the front seats. Our tester had a heads-up display that flashes speed and navigation information at eye level, a feature also available on the compact Mazda3 but most often seen on luxury cars.
Our tester came in a handsome two-town interior. Parchment leather seats (with dual stitching), door inserts and dash accents are set against back plastic dash and door panels. Materials have been upgraded to reflect a luxury vibe.
When you step up from the base Sport model, the Touring trim offers a lot for the money. Mazda6s in Touring trim include such amenities as 19-inch alloys, Mazda Connect infotainment system, review camera, leatherette seats, blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert. Grand Touring models add rain-sensing wipers, LED foglights, paddle shifters, navigation, heated front seats, leather, Bose surrond-sound audio, adaptive cruise control and brake assist.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
We hopped into our tester last week and headed straight for the twisties. One of the Mazda6's many strengths is handling, which plays out on our mountain roads. Steering is precise and the suspension is tuned for maximum agility.
All trim levels come with Mazda's light-weight, four-cylinder Sky-active engine which makes 184 horsepower and vaults the five-passenger sedan from zero to 60 miles per hour in about 7.6 seconds according to Car & Driver. Although there are no turbo-charged or six-cylinder engine options, we find the 2.5-liter four-cylinder to be more than adequate for all but lead-footed drivers. It certainly sprinted up mountain roads during our test drive.
Our top-of-the-line tester also includes paddle shifters so you can simulate manual downshifts without an actual clutch to operate. It's fun to play with, but we wonder how many people use paddles in daily driving. Speaking of daily driving, the Mazda6 is a completely comfortable commuter car with enough pizzazz to spice up you weekends.
BOTTOM LINE
While it's not on everyone's shopping list, the Mazda6 has a growing reputation among automotive journalists as being the best-kept secret in the mid-size segment. If you're shopping for a family sedan, you owe yourself the chance to drive one.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.