The Mazda6 now comes with a 2.5 TURBOCHARGED engine option in their Grand Touring, Reserve, and Signature models. And that’s a game-changer for this car!
As I’ve said in a bunch of previous Mazda reviews… the Mazda design team is on another level. They skip right over the gimmicky, trendy, & transparent design cues of the season. And they stick to what’s timeless & alluring in automotive design – curves! The portrayal of motion! Mazda gets what it’s all about. They have never really been a ‘me too’ brand. They don’t follow. But in more recent/current years… they haven’t really been able to stand out either. And my ongoing criticism, was that Mazda’s engines did not have the same excitement as their designs!
Well – change may be on the horizon! Because with the addition of a turbocharged engine option in the new 2018 Mazda6, Mazda filled-in all those voids, gaps, and shortcomings… and the Mazda6 now offers a hell of a lot of bang for the buck! The interior of the Mazda6 Signature is top notch for its class… with luxurious & sophisticatedly sporty suedes, leathers, & Sen woods. Even seat coolers! At this price range (36k totally decked out), Mazda is offering a lot for the senses. And that ‘driving engagement’ thing they’re always preaching about, is really starting to come full circle.
As far as the characteristics of the new Mazda 2.5 turbo engine: The turbo comes on quickly & strong… giving the driver a lot of real-world passing/merging power to play with. The turbo wheezes out at about 4700 RPM, and can’t really continue make power past that point. But that’s expected for these modern turbocharged cars in stock form, as the turbo is dialed-in for snappy low-end power… and simultaneously… efficiency.
A year ago, my humble advice for a midsize sedan buyer, would’ve been to play it safe & skip over the Mazda6 for a more sensible & tried-and-true Camry or Accord. That’s now changed… and I would absolutely urge you to at least go drive the Mazda6 & see where it fits in, before you pull the trigger on those other cars.
