2006 Mazda 6

Pros: 5-door usefulness, V-6 can be mated to a stick shift, beautiful interior.

Cons: Notchy shifter, a few cheap touches

The Bottom Line: Check it out - especially if you're tired of ordinary sedans!

Review: The Mazda6 is a terrific line of vehicles! A very nice change from yet another boring sedan. I love that this comes in such a wide variety of choices of body styles (sedan, wagon, and even a 5-door!) as well as engines (2.3L 4-cyl or 3.0L V-6). And the ...

Pros: Unbeatable value, superb handling, many standard features.

Cons: The engine lacks power, interior not as large as competitors.

The Bottom Line: Perhaps not the best midsized sedan, but throw price into the equation and the 6, along with Sonata, are easily the champs.

Review: What is it that I like about the Mazda 6 the most? It's the price. When you can get 5 or $6000 off the sticker price this car becomes a great value. That's why I own it. For the money I paid in 2004 ($16,665), I got a well equipped V6 Mazda 6S. That was ...

Pros: Performance, comfort, styling

Cons: Wide turning radius, limited rearward visibility

The Bottom Line: This is an excellent all around midsize sedan. It is sporty and fun to drive and a really great value for the money.

Review: I recently bought a 2006 Mazda6s 5 door. Engine and Handling I drive about 500 miles a week, mostly highway, and this car is comfortable and smooth on the freeway. I opted for the V6 engine coupled to the 6 speed automatic transmission with the ...

Pros: Sharp handler despite steering rack, responsive V-6, good size and utility. High fun-to-drive quotient.

Cons: Kenworth-like turning radius, balky 6-speed autobox. Light, somewhat vague steering.

The Bottom Line: Just about as good as a family sedan can be, the Mazda 6 Grand Sport reminds us that sportiness can go hand-in-hand with function and utility.

Review: (late summer, 2006) When we bought our then-new Mazda 6 Grand Sport sedan in the summer of 2006 it had proved to be something of a relief. We had gone through an agonizing, extended, on-and-off search over the past 3 1/2 years, looking ...

Pros: Great looks, handling, and feel

Cons: Only one keyhole on the outside, needs a remote entry

The Bottom Line: Great looking, great driving, great feeling car!!! I want one!!!

Review: She was a real looker. Not flashily overdone, but smartly and sexily dressed down in an understated way. The type who might not turn a lot of heads, but once you got a halfway decent look, she would keep drawing your eyes back to her like a magnet. I ...

Pros: Excellent handling and power, good cargo room in hatch area, comfortable seats, reasonable fuel economy.

Cons: Lots of road noise on bumpy surfaces, hatchback limits rear visibility. Confused shifting.

The Bottom Line: I would recommend the 5-door version as it is sporty, comfortable and has good space as well.

Review: This review is for the Mazda Mazda6 S 5-Door Grand Sport V6. Intro I had just sold my 2-door car, a '97 Nissan 200SX 5-speed. I enjoyed the great gas mileage and sporty driving, but the car was getting old and I wanted something a little more ...

Pros: Great looking, sips gas, nice sound system!

Cons: Factory tires are terrible in snow, paint chips.

The Bottom Line: Great looking reliable car for the money!

Review: I bought this car after owning a mini-van for several years. I was attracted to it's bright red exterior with it's sporty look. It had many features such as a great Bose sound system that makes music sound awesome. I've owned it for more than a year ...

Pros: Lots of car and features for the money, manual tranny with V6, Bose stereo

Cons: Initial quality problems (throttle body and driver seat defect)

The Bottom Line: Although material quality may be higher with Toyota and Honda, there is serious bang-for-buck value here, plus you won't look like everyone else. Accords and Camrys are EVERYwhere!

Review: At 1500 miles it's too early to judge anything, really. But a few notes worth reading... I've been driving stick shifts for over 10 years but man I had a real hard time launching this car in 1st gear. I stalled it dozens of times at red lights. Found ...

Pros: Handles the mountains and curves like a power horse!

Cons: No fog lights, heated side mirrors, to fold back seats you have to open trunk.

The Bottom Line: Great car for the $$. Good gas mileage, safe, makes for a good family car!

Review: I love this car. She gets average 28-33 mph highway. I drive 300 miles every week to work and back and she does great. The engine has a lot of get up and go since I live in the mountains it does really well in the higher altitudes. Not the best in ...

Pros: Inexpensive for its features. Nimble, good on the highway. Safe with 6 airbags.

Cons: Bad turn radius & traction control. Climate “control” varies widely. Low MPG.

The Bottom Line: Peppy, nimble, good features for the price, safe with 6 airbags. Bad traction control, climate control, turn radius. Two brake repairs.

Review: Safety was key when I was shopping. The Mazda6 was neck-and-neck with the Subaru Outback for IIHS crash tests, and came in a little cheaper. I got a deal on a Sport Wagon, which had a couple of extras I wouldn't have sought: Bose sound, moon roof, etc. ...