This review pertains to the 2003 Mazda 6i Automatic.

I’ve owned all kinds of sporty cars and SUVs, but there is something to be said for a small four door sedan. The driving effort is low, and its small enough to be maneuverable, yet large enough to accommodate your friends and your stuff. In this category there are many good choices, so why did I choose the 4 cylinder Mazda 6i automatic? As you read this, keep in mind I’m talking about the base model, not the V6 or Sport.

Distinctive Exterior Styling

The Mazda6 has an aggressive front-end which I feel is the best part of the cars styling. It flows down the sides of the car along a high “beltline” to a rounded bustle in the back that is in sharp contrast to the angular front-end. Without a spoiler to add some straight lines to the trunk, it’s almost too soft looking. That’s why I back into parking places wherever I can. I selected the “Speed Yellow” paint color, which makes the car look like a rocket ship. Despite all it’s standard equipment, the 6i base model comes with steel wheels and plastic wheel covers for it’s large 16 inch Michelin tires.

Interior Styling and Appointments

A bold “T” shaped dash with large, round gauges illuminated in orange is attractively done. The dash itself is black, contrasting with silver control surfaces. The carpet is the typical gray, but the floor mats are an odd, lighter color. The factory stereo is integrated into the dash with large, round controls and well marked buttons. It also has an orange digital status display which reads out the station, time and outdoor temperature. The factory stereo and speakers sound great (to me). I am feeding an FM signal into it from my XM Satellite Radio, and the sound quality is excellent. Quite notable are the radio controls on the steering wheel – a nice feature on a base model car.

The T console continues back past a gated shifter to a dual, covered cup holder and then into a hinged storage compartment with a shallow top tray and larger bottom area that open separately. The glove box is only of average size. Storage pockets in the doors accommodate not only pens and such, but hold a standard 12 ounce soda can upright and captive. There is one more latching storage bin square in the middle of the dash.

Comfort and Convenience

The front seats are very comfortable and feel like the foam is well sectioned allowing them to contour well to the body. The driver’s seat height is adjustable and lumbar is fixed but adequate. I’m not thrilled with the fabric they chose – it is a corduroy-like material that is rough to the touch and makes me worry about it’s durability. The same material upholsters the arm rests too. Rear seat room and thigh support is adequate for all but the largest adults. A telescoping steering wheel allows almost any driver to find a comfortable seating position.

Heating is powerful with intuitive controls. When all three heat controls are straight up, the result is a comfortable temperature and even heat distribution. Heat can be directed from the defrosters to the floor in several increments. Unlike many cars, air conditioning can be activated in any mode. When in the defrost modes, the re-circulate switch is deactivated. Air conditioning cools the car well even on 100 degree days.

The trunk is very spacious for a compact car with a unique hinged lid that swings up and out of the way. A split rear seat-back (released only from the trunk) makes it even more useful.

Ride and Drive

Ride quality in the 6i is almost perfect – compliant enough to soak up bumps, but stiff enough to transmit road feel and corner fairly flat. I have heard that the 6s is stiffer, perhaps too stiff for the comfort-oriented person. Braking is excellent, with discs on all four wheels. I opted for the ABS/Traction control package, and in a recent snow storm discovered that both worked very well. Steering has excellent response and feedback, with little or no under-steer.

The power-train is not this car’s high point however. The 2.4L engine is rated at 160HP, but is slow to rev and feels smaller than it is. The accelerator is “drive by wire”, which means you are pressing on a spring-loaded sensor which sends signals to an actuator in the engine compartment. I like to modulate the throttle precisely, and you don’t get that feel of being able to “feather” the gas pedal. It does work well enough and just seems to require a little more travel to get the same effect. Road noise is very noticeable at freeway speeds, but not abusive.

The transmission is smooth enough, but not Honda smooth. If you have never had a gated shifter, it may take some getting used to. All Mazda6 automatics come with their “Manumatic” feature, allowing you to shift up and down on command. The transmission will stay in the gear you select until you shift, but does shift down to 1st gear after you come to a complete stop. The transmission shifts crisply, but my main complaint is an unwillingness to go into first gear unless you are at a dead stop. You dare not make a California stop in this car if you need to get away quickly.

Like a computer, this car’s “smarts” can be upgraded at the dealership. Maybe they will come out with an update that will improve the transmissions characteristics.

Fuel Economy

My experience with this car has been 21 city and 25 highway using regular fuel. The gas gauge is very accurate as to the marks for ¾, ½ and ¼ tank. I can tell that if I’m getting close to 25MPG, the gauge hits the marks precisely at 100, 200, and 300 miles driven.

Fit and Finish

Doors close solidly with little or no bounce. Plastics are nicely textured and colored. Paint quality is very good, with no swirls, ripples or “orange peel” defects. Body panels line up nicely. This feels like a car that will last.

Summary

A base model does not often come with niceties like a telescoping wheel with radio controls. With the exception of the plastic wheel covers, you won’t feel like you had to “settle” for a lesser car. In my case, a Mazda owner loyalty bonus and 60 months free financing was hard to pass up. And you can’t argue with a 50,000 mile 4-year bumper-to-bumper warranty. I suspect depreciation will be worse than a Honda, but if you want a driver’s car that is somewhat unique, try a Mazda6i.

Update 4/30/2004

I have 7000 miles on the car now, and I have to admit that the powertrain has loosened up a bit and now feels distinctly snappier. My gas mileage has gone up too, from 21 to 23 in town, and I can get 25 with a little freeway driving thrown in. If you play with the manual shift lever, however, it will hurt your mileage somewhat.

I wish the exhaust sounded sportier, though. It has a good looking dual (outlet) exhaust, but it doesn't let much of any sound come from the engine.

My drivers-side window regulator needs adjustment, but other than that, I have not had any mechanical problems.

I did put a white racing-stipe down the center of the car which everyone agrees really dressed it up. You can see photos on my website: http://www.steveduncan.net

SD

Amount Paid (US$): 16,750
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: Mazda 6i Automatic