Mazda6 2006 review

IN 1989, Mitsubishi hit the nail on he head with the Galant VR4.

The latest to adopt the VR4 formula of all-wheel-drive, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a four-door sedan has been Mazda.

It is therefore a premium product in the Mazda range yet appears awkwardly placed because of the perception that Mazda puts all its big guns into coupe bodies.

Yet that's no reason to discard this high-performance family saloon.

Drive it and it has a closer relationship with, say Saab or Audi, than natural rival Subaru.

The MPS sits solidly on the road and when it gets pushed, the power delivery is comfortably restrained. There's no impression that this is a rev-head car, rather it is more a mature sports saloon. Like the Saab.

It comes only as a six-speed manual which is its first, and probably only, mistake. An auto is a definite in its market.

The clutch take-up is a bit severe, causing a few stalls at the traffic lights. That may diminish as the car ages.

Push this car hard on a test track and it becomes clear that it is a neat handler with loads of potential.

The 2.3's turbocharger starts its boost at 2800rpm, and will keep the heat on in a seamless path all the way to near the 7000rpm mark.

The fact that it's seamless is the bit where you don't feel as though it is particularly fast.

It has delightfully light yet accurate steering, strong brakes and benign handling. But the track doesn't do this justice.

On a run from Perth, sweeping bends, roughened bitumen and the narrow road brings its chassis abilities to the fore.

It holds a line well, feels confident and secure, and returns a comfortable ride even at high speed. The cabin is a delightful loungeroom of leather and premium acoustics and there's no doubt there is value here.

It comes with all the fruit, including the cherry, but misses out on the cream because of the silly space-saver tyre. You don't want to go country cruising with one of those things in the boot.

Features include an exhaustive list of safety gear including multiple airbags and ABS with stability

control.

The cabin is beautifully trimmed, the features here being some of the best that this top-notch Japanese carmaker can offer.

It isn't cheap but it is a selective car for an individual buyer.