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Friday, October 30, 2026Oct 30

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Test Drive: 2017 Mazda6 dressed up and buttoned down

The Mazda6 has fluid lines and refined driving manners.
The Mazda6 has fluid lines and refined driving manners. The Mazda6 has fluid lines and refined driving manners.
photo The Mazda6 interior looks a class above its price point.


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Fast facts

* Model: 2017 Mazda6 Grand Touring * Exterior color: Machine Gray Metallic * Interior color: Parchment Nappa Leather * Engine: 2.5-liter, four-cylinder * Horsepower: 184 horsepower * Transmission: six-speed automatic * Fuel economy: 35 mpg highway, 27 mpg city * Local Dealer: Tim Short Mazda, International Drive * Price (as tested): $34,530 * Area dealerships: Tim Short Mazda, Chattanooga; Gray Epperson Mazda, Cleveland.

If the Mazda6 were a garment, it would be a tuxedo.

Its classic design, tasteful use of contrasting colors, high quality materials and durability combine to make it – still – our favorite mass-market, midsize car.

And the buying public seems to be catching on. We see more and more Mazda6s on the road, breaking through the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion iron triangle of midsize-sedan dominance. Those three excellent cars still sell more copies – partly because of their larger dealership networks – but the Mazda gives away nothing in the quality department.

Our tester, part of the Mazda press fleet, is a machine gray metallic 2017 Mazda6 in Grand Touring trim which retails for $34,530 including an $835 delivery fee.