The 2015 Mazda 6 is a snazzy mid-size sedan with lots of cabin room and good fuel economy, both high on the list for car buyers these days. While it is not a new design, you can count as new Mazda’s addition of up-and-down power windows with just one touch, and, on the Touring trim, the keyless entry and ignition comes as a standard feature, as do a sunroof and better audio goodies.
Competition includes the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and the Kia Optima.
The 2015 Mazda 6 can carry up to five passengers, and you can choose from three trims: the Sport, Touring and Grand Touring.
The base Sport trim comes with a manual transmission and 17-inch alloy wheels, cloth upholstery, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, power accessories, 60/40-split rear seat and a 3.5-inch display with audio standards, like a six-speaker sound system and all the interface needs too.
On the Touring trim, you get 19-inch alloy wheels, keyless ignition and entry, blind-spot monitoring, premium vinyl upholstery, sliding console armrest and a drive seat with six power functions.
For the Touring with the automatic transmission, you can opt for a package that will give you a a sunroof and upgraded sound. Do consider the Touring Technology Package, which adds automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming rearview and driver-side mirrors, heated side mirrors and a navigation system,
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The Grand Touring is top-of-the-line, with special 19-inch wheels, rear spoiler, adaptive bi-xenon headlights, LED running lights, fog lights, real leather upholstery and the eight-way power seat for the driver as well as a four-way power passenger seat.
The add-on packages for the Grand Touring include one standout — the GT Technology Package, which offers cruise control and safety extras like a forward collision warning system, lane-departure warning system and the i-Eloop (“intelligent energy loop”) that assists with better gas mileage since it stores energy from the deceleration process that is then used for powering the air-conditioning and lights as needed.
Under the hood it’s front-wheel with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that offers 184 horsepower with 185 pound-feet of torque. On the Sport and Touring trims, you can opt for either the six-speed manual or six-speed automatic, but on the Grand Touring, it’s automatic only.
For safety, the Touring and Grand Touring will give you a blind-spot and rear cross-traffic monitoring system, but standard on all three trims you get antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, front-seat side and full-length side curtain airbags as well as active front head restraints.
If you go with a manual-transmission on the Sport, you also get the added luxury of a rearview camera, but on all trims and transmissions the rear parking sensors are optional too.
On the Touring trim take note of the Mazda Smart City Brake Support that helps to divert frontal collisions using an infrared laser. The technology package includes a forward collision-warning and lane-departure warning system.
This is one sedan that will make even tall passengers feel comfortable since there is ample legroom in the backseat and headroom is plentiful as well. Luggage space is 14.8 cubic feet.
The 2015 Mazda 6 has a classy design with just the right polish to look both clean and cool. Inside, on the higher end Grand Touring the leather is impressive and the attention to detail adequately provided with the controls easy to use and definitely more intuitive than in some of the competition. The navigation system on the car is a TomTom map for road inquiries.
Behind the wheel of the 2015 Mazda 6, you won’t be disappointed because, while anyone can accelerate quickly, not as many can get the smooth ride and custom steering at the same time with a quiet cabin, which is all standard fare on this new Mazda.
Should You Need to Know: When the 2015 Mazda 6 comes with i-Eloop on the Grand Touring trim you gain a good amount of fuel savings even without the hybrid moniker.
Miles Per Gallon: The 2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring delivered 28 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.
Cost: The 2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring has a price tag of $33,346.
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