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AUTO REVIEW

— note to Mazda: Audi, your interior benchmark, is moving from trim level that offers my favorite gearbox. That means no manual

with the turbo. (I’m going to take a moment of silence now... Ok,
knobs to touchscreens in their newest vehicles — Mazda’s infotain-
ment system is easy to use and visually modern. While Apple CarPlay I’m back.) The Sport also comes with blind-spot monitoring, rear
and Android Auto are expected to be added to the Mazda Connect cross-traffic alert, low-speed forward-collision warning, and auto-
system soon, they aren’t here yet. mated emergency braking.
Base model Mazda6s come with a 2.5 liter 4-cylinder engine that The $26,595 Touring model adds 19-inch wheels, heated front
makes an uninspiring 187 HP but sips fuel to the tune of 26 MPG seats, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and additional safety features.
city/35 highway. So what? The engine you want is the tur- If you’d like your 6 with an interior that even Car and Driver com-
bocharged version of that powerplant that pumps out 227 HP and pares favorably with the Audi A4, order the Signature edition. It
enables the Mazda6 to scoot from 0 to 60 MPH in 6.4 seconds. comes with upholstery trimmed in leather and alcantara, Japanese
There’s a fuel consumption price to be paid, of course, but not Sen wood trim, and more — all for an affordable $35,645.
much of one — the turbo gets 23 MPG city/31 highway. Both en- The 2018 Mazda6 is growing up with a sophisticated design, more
gine choices feature SkyActiv technology, which is basically direct upscale interior, and improved tech to go with driving excellence. In
injection coupled with a high-compression ratio and other tech- fact, I’d say they’re emulating Audi, which seems smart given that
nology to optimize combustion. company’s recent sales success. It may not sell like an Accord or
So how does the Mazda6 drive? Very well, and definitely better Camry, but it should. In many ways it’s a better car.
than the big selling Honda Accord and Toyota Camry (or even the
Audi A4, for that matter). Twisty B-roads are where the Mazda6 feels If you’re in the market for this kind of vehicle, call Phil Hornbeak
most comfortable thanks to neutral handling and good weight bal- at 210-301-4367.
ance (and obviously enthusiastic engineers), but it’s fine on the inter-
state or in town as well. I’m surprised a FWD car can drive this well. Stephen Schutz, MD, is a board-certified gastroenterologist
The base Mazda6 is the Sport, which is pretty unadorned but only who lived in San Antonio in the 1990s when he was stationed
costs about $23,000. The good news is that you can get a Sport with here in the U.S. Air Force. He has been writing auto reviews
a six-speed manual transmission, but the bad news is that’s the only for San Antonio Medicine since 1995.

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