2008 Mazda 6

As a vehicle that married sports performance with refinement and practicality, it has proven to be a huge sales success and picked up more than 70 awards for automotive excellence. Its unparalleled performance, reliable handling, sleek look and affordability make the MAZDA6 a leader in the mid-size sedan segment. The 2008 MAZDA6 continues that tradition.

For 2008, the MAZDA6 Sports Sedan gets even better with a new standard Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), BOSE® stereo system (Touring models), 17-inch alloy wheels (i Sport models), security alarm system (Sport VE and Touring) and new exterior colors – Volcanic Red (4-door model) and Silver Metallic.

MAZDA6 is available in two body styles: Sports Sedan and 5-Door. Whether it's the sleek lines of the road hugging MAZDA6sports sedan or the functionality and style of the only mid-size 5-Door available in the U.S., the 2008 MAZDA6 lineup fits every active lifestyle.The MAZDA6 Sport Wagon is discontinued for 2008.

'The MAZDA6 is alone in class with its sports-sedan position, choice of body styles and the availability of four-cylinder and V6 engines, manual or automatic transmissions,' says Manabu Osuga, MAZDA6 vehicle line manager for Mazda North American Operations. 'MAZDA6 delivers one of the sportiest driving experiences in its class – sometimes it's good to be a loner.'

UNEXPECTED PERFORMANCE IN A SEDAN

The range-topping 3.0-liter V6 engine has been noted for its strong performance and refinement, producing 212 horsepower (at 6,000 rpm) and 197 lb-ft torque (at 5,000 rpm). The V6 engine is mated to either a five-speed manual gearbox or six-speed Sport A/T automatic with manual shift. The MAZDA6 is the only vehicle in its class that offers a six-speed automatic transmission. The wide number of ratios improves performance, drivability, smoothness and gas mileage. The tall top gear also improves comfort and quietness on the freeway, while a short first gear gives aggressive off-the-line performance. These are all examples of MAZDA6's sports-first philosophy.

The 2.3-liter four-cylinder (I-4) engine used on the MAZDA6 i models produces 156 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 154 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. This highly sophisticated engine uses an aluminum block and head (like the V6 engine) and double overhead camshafts with 16 valves for excellent engine peathing and smooth revving. Smoothness and refinement are enhanced by the use of a balance shaft, helping make this four-cylinder engine almost as smooth as a reliable six-cylinder unit.

The 2.3-liter engine is specified with Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) equipment in the eight states that require California emissions (CA, MA, ME, NY, VT, CT, RI and PA). This makes the 2.3-liter engine 90-percent cleaner than the average new car. Evaporative emissions are completely eliminated by re-engineering the exhaust plumbing, repositioning the first catalytic converter and eco-friendly Electronic Control Unit (ECU) programming.

All i models are fitted as standard with a five-speed manual gearbox, but available with a five-speed Sport A/T automatic transmission with manual shift mode. The extra gear ratio improves acceleration, cruising refinement and fuel economy.

The MAZDA6 comes standard with many safety features including Anti-lock pake System (ABS), Traction Control and side airbags with side curtains on all models and trims. ABS helps to decrease stopping distances, allowing drivers to steer when paking hard, and to minimize the chance of skids. Electronic pakeforce Distribution (EBD) automatically balances front-to-rear paking forces, irrespective of the vehicle's load. Electronic traction control, which minimizes wheel spin in poor weather or slippery conditions, is standard across the range. For 2008, all models receive a standard Tire Pressure Monitoring System.

Secondary safety features include Triple-H body construction, which gives superb strength to the unitary construction body, front and rear side door beams, three-point seat belts for all five occupants, dual front air bags, and front and rear whiplash-reducing head restraints. Side air bags and side-curtain air bags are standard on all models.

The keyless entry has remote locking/unlocking, automatic opening and closing of the front windows, a trunk release and a panic button.

RELIABLE HANDLING

Double wishbone front suspension and ‘E' type multi-link rear suspension give the 2008 MAZDA6 superb wheel control for excellent handling and ride. The wide track and standard stabilizer bars reduce roll and improve driver response. A long wheelbase and short front and rear overhangs further improve stability.

The power-assisted rack and pinion steering has a very quick ratio – only 2.54 turns lock to lock – to improve handling nimbleness and ensure driver involvement. Yet its variable assistance means it is light and easy to use at parking speed, while firming up at higher speeds to give full feedback from the front wheels to the driver's palms.

MAZDA6 is quite unlike the other midsize sedans against which it competes. While they prioritize a ride that removes occupants from feeling the road, Mazda's engineers knew that their customers would place a higher priority on inclusion than isolation. The MAZDA6 is proof of that commitment to driving fun.

SPORTY STYLING IN ALL CONDITIONS

The exterior of the MAZDA6 is athletic and bold. The sharp styling is accented with a sport grille on some models and angular headlamps across the range. The headlamps on the i Sport Value Edition, Touring and Grand Touring models use dark gray bezels. MAZDA6 Grand Touring models offer High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps for superior illumination and lower maintenance. Fog lamps are incorporated into the front spoiler, while side sills highlight the 'hug-the-road' quality of the MAZDA6's style. A rear spoiler is standard on Grand Touring models and all 5-Doors.

Standard 18-inch alloy wheels on the s Grand Touring model further improves the sporty appearance, while maintaining traction and road holding.

With the 2008 model year also come two new exterior colors – Volcanic Red (4-door model) and Silver Metallic.

INTERIOR INSPIRED BY THE TRACK

The essence of the MAZDA6 is performance, and the design, inside and out, reinforces that impression. The MAZDA6 includes specially-designed front seats on all models for greater comfort and support. The center console's dark gray surface uses a separate piano-black radio/CD face with restyled switches.

The sporty interior uses a three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel, offering tilt and telescopic adjustments along with fingertip cruise and audio controls. Instrumentation includes analog speedometer, tachometer, fuel and engine temperature gauges, as well as a digital readout for the outside air temperature.

While the MAZDA6 is clearly a driver's car, it is spacious enough to seat five adults comfortably. A six-speaker integrated AM/FM/CD sound system is standard on all cars, an in-dash six-disc CD changer is standard on the Sport Value Edition, Touring and Grand Touring. A 200-watt BOSE® sound system comprised of an in-dash six-disc CD changer, four 25-watt speakers, a tweeter mounted in the A-pillar of each front door, a 100-watt subwoofer and an amplifier comes standard on Grand Touring models.

The latest in limited voice-command DVD satellite navigation is available on the Grand Touring models.

BUILT TO CATER TO ALL TASTES

The MAZDA6 Sports Sedan is fully equipped no matter which trim level a buyer may choose. The Entry i Sport model is equipped with automatic headlight shut off, dual power color-keyed mirrors, variable intermittent windshield wipers, rear window defogger, air conditioning, and power windows and door locks, side airbags and air curtains,. On the outside, 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/50R-17 tires are fitted.

Sport VE adds many popular features to the Sport model, including sport grille, side sills, eight-way power driver's seat, in-dash 6-disc CD changer and leather-wrapped steering wheel, shift knob and parking pake handle. For 2008 the Sport VE adds a standard security system.

5-DOOR MODEL ADDS FUNCTIONALITY

From the outside, the MAZDA6 5-Door model differs from the sedan, only from the B-pillar back. The 5-Door is geared toward customers who want a sports sedan with increased cargo space.

All MAZDA6 5-Doors come standard with a Sport Package and all come equipped with a rear wiper/washer. The 5-Door is a far cry from the unattractive design usually associated with hatchbacks. The slope of the 5-Door's roofline to the rear decklid is gradual instead of the typical flat hatch, giving the 5-Door a coupe-like grace.

The rear liftgate opens to reveal a vast covered cargo area with 22.0 cubic feet of space, nearly 50-percent more than the sedan's. Cargo space more than doubles when the rear seats are folded, providing 58.7 cubic feet of space. Rear 60/40 split seats fold with the pull of a lever, and there is no need to remove the head rests for a near-flat cargo floor. The expansive liftgate opening ensures that oddly shaped items, difficult to fit in the trunk of a sedan, can easily be accommodated. Options to stow items in the 5-Door include cargo tie-downs and additional storage available in two hidden compartments located in the side panels.

All 2008 Mazdas come with a roadside assistance program. With a call to a toll-free number, owners can access roadside assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year throughout the United States and Canada. In addition, a comprehensive three-year/36,000-mile warranty covers every part on the vehicle except those subject to normal wear. Also, all 2008 models receive a five-year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty and a five-year/unlimited-mileage corrosion warranty.

by Mazda

The 2003 Mazda 6 four-door sedan was the successor to the Mazda 626 which ran from 1979 until 2002. The 6 was introduced just one month after the 626 ended production in August of 2002 to speedily fill the sales gap. The Mazda 6 was designed to appeal to a slightly sportier, less utilitarian buyer. 'It is the first new product to represent what Mark Fields, president of Mazda Motor Corporation, calls 'Mazda's brand DNA.' This DNA rules that Mazda be a car that is styling, insightful and spirited.

Marketed in Japan as the Atenza, the Mazda6 is a mid-sided sedan and station wagon. Te first-generation models had the ‘feel' of European company vehicles, while the second generation models were made larger for family passenger comfort though still maintaining Mazda's exceptional handling abilities. The 6's platform was also used on Ford Fusion, the Mercury Milan, the Lincoln MKX and Zephyr, as well as Ford's SUV's and minivans. Though there has been some talk of the production of a coupe and cabriolet, as of yet, these haven't materialized. Since its inception in 2002, more than 1 million Mazda6 cars have been sold.

The Mazda 6 continued to be built around a uni-body structure and was also still built at the AutoAlliance plant in Flat Rock, Michigan and continues to be a front-drive car with the engine situated transversely in the nose. The 6 is still a very conventional car, but the suspension is all-new with a sophisticated double-wishbone system up front and a supple multilink system in the rear. The station wagon is 187.8 inches long and weighed 3,404 lbs. The Mazda6 5-door station wagon featured the Mazda logo, the single or double horizontal front grill bars and the aggressive air dam gave both the sedan and the wagons a sporty look. It also featured a room, well-appointed interior.

The engines were both all-aluminum units with the base powerplant being a 2.3-liter, DOHC, 16-valve four that due to the variable valve timing, rated at 150 hp. Optional, the DOHC, 24-valve, V6 displaces 3.0 liters and also using variable timing is rated at 219 hp. The four comes with either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission, while both the V6's manual and automatic gearboxes feature five forward gears.

Though the Accord and Camry were aiming to be sportier, the Mazda 6 featured average handling dynamics, with steering performances from the power-assisted rack and pinion setup exemplary. The Mazda 6 has a turning circle of 38.7 feet, on the wider side for its class. The Mazda6 achieved 0-60mph in just 8.0 seconds.

The main downside seems to be in the rear seat room, though the legroom is generous at 36.5 inches, the shoulder room is only at 54.9 inches, 1.2 inches shorter than the Accord, and 1.8 inches shorter than the Camry. Both the Accord and Camry also feature more headroom, along with a more comfortable rake to the seatback.

By the end of its first year in production, the Mazda6 had ‘firmly established itself as a unique personality in a market segment often accused of being devoid of that trait'. Mazda pushed the envelope for 2004 by introduced two variations not available from the competition; a sport wagon and a five-door hatchback.

Available with both the four and V6 engines, the hatchback is much like the sedan. The sport wagon only comes with the V6, and only in the sportiest 'S' trim level. Both of these body styles increased the utility of the Mazda6, neither of these models lose the sedan's verve or charming character. The hatchback also makes the sedan obsolete, since it gives additional cargo space in a nearly identical package. The wagon is a step up by squeezing even more cargo room into a shape that considerably better looking than either of its smaller brothers.

The 2006 Mazda6 Sports Sedan has continued to set new standards for performance, styling and drivability in its class, and since its introduction in 2004, more than 70 awards for automotive excellence. In 2005, Mazda was the first to offer a six-speed Sport AT automatic transmission featuring manual shift mode in the midsize segment. This avant-garde technology is available on all Mazda A6's models. Additional new features this year included 17-inch alloy wheels standard on all Sports Sedans, 5-Door and Sport Wagon models, optional on base-trim models. Standard on all Sport and Grand Touring models was 8-way power driver's seat. Standard on Grand Touring was Bose® Audio/Moonroof package and optional on all Base and Sport models.

All 05 Mazda6 models came standard with power windows with driver-side one-touch down feature, power door locks and mirrors with keyless entry, along with front and rear overhead dual map lights that are tightly focused to minimize nighttime glare. To increase comfort and room, numerous storage areas were designed into the cabin which included overhead sunglass storage area, door pockets design to hold half-liter bottles, a center console with two cup holders covered by a damped lid and an expandable pocket on the driver's seat back.

On the inside, the Mazda6 is full of spacious comfort for five adults inside an inviting cabin with an attractive interior. The center armrest offers two compartments for storage, CDs and a second 12V outlet. It is easy to handle odd-sized cargo, simply fold down one or both portions of the 60/40 rear seat. The seatbacks are spring-loaded and fold down with a single pull of the release levers, which are conveniently located in the trunk. Inside there was also a three-spoke steering wheel which offered tilt and telescopic adjustments along with integrated cruise and supplemental audio controls.

The instrumentation inside the Mazda6 included an analog speedometer, tachometer, fuel and engine temperature gauges along with a digital readout for ambient outside air temperature. Standard on all cars was a loud, six-speaker integrated AM/FM/CD sound system, while available upgrades include an in-dash six-CD changer, a cassette deck, an MP3 player or a MiniDisc Player. Standard on Grand Touring models was a 200-watt Bose® sound system, it was also available as an option, comprising a six-disc in-dash CD changer, four 25-watt speakers, a tweeter mounted in the A-pillar of each door, an amplifier and a 100-watt subwoofer. Also included with this package was a power tilt/slide glass moonroof with interior sunshade.

For 2006 Mazda introduced a thrill-packed version of its midsize sedan in the form of the MazdaSpeed6. A turbocharged, all-wheel drive Mazda6, the MazdaSpeed6 was more than just a turbo version of the sedan. The MazdaSpeed6 is unique beyond its turbo in the fact that it features direct injection of fuel into its cylinders rather than mixing the fuel with air upstream of the combustion chambers as it conventional. The Speed also featured the all-wheel-drive system, the 2.3-liter, DOHC, 16-valve four-cylinder engine. The engine also works out to 272 hp which is channeled through a six-speed manual transmission before the advanced all-wheel-drive system electronically determines which wheels can use the torque first.

by Jessican Donaldson