Infiniti Q60 vs Mazda 6

What's the difference?

One day Nissan's luxury sub-brand Infiniti could grow up to be as popular as Toyota's Lexus, but it'll take more than just time and brand awareness to get there – it will have to build outstanding cars that impress us, as well.

When I drove the top-of-the-range Q60 Red Sport at its launch a few months ago I called it the breakthrough car for Infiniti. Now we're testing the entry point into the line-up – the GT, which likes to imagine itself as keeping the BMW 420i and Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe awake at night, but really rivals the Lexus RC 200t.

So, is the Q60 GT outstanding or should you ignore it and go straight to the Red Sport with its bigger engine and Sport + driving mode if you want to be impressed? And what is it like to live with when you've taken your race face off and need to pick up the toddler from day care, then do a load of shopping on the way home?

We found out pretty quickly when we lived with the Q60 GT for a week.

Has it really been 20 years since the humble Mazda6 station wagon hit our roads? You betcha, but I was more shocked that I remembered when it did!

I have a sudden flashback of questionable fashion choices, glittery butterfly hair clips and how Skipper was making a play at being the coolest 'Barbie' (she wasn't).

I've always had a soft spot for wagons, they are the forgotten heroes for family hauling. It's hard not to glide over them when the market is dominated by SUVs but if you happen to remember they still exist (albeit, barely) you might remember why they were popular back in the day.

Being a 20th Anniversary Edition means there are some nods to the past in this model but unlike the low-slung jeans of my youth, they're stylishly done. With some luxuriously-appointed rivals to contend with, like the Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Passat, does it offer enough to be considered by a modern family?

My little family of three has been in it all week to find out for you!