I used to think the Mazda 6 was a good car. In fact I used to think the Mazda 6 was a very good car. I’ve changed my mind. It’s an excellent car.
This was the weapon of choice for attending the Tunnocks Mull Rally at the weekend. There had been a last-minute technical hitch with my preferred mode of transport, so all the stuff was hastily packed into the Mazda.
This was the ‘fastback’ Tourer SE-L version of the 6 which is not classed as a full-blown estate car. First surprise, everything went in with only the single rear seat folded down, but there was no room for the bike!
Mazda always comes out well in surveys regarding owner satisfaction and is renowned for its reliability, but an awfy lot of folk are still unaware of this. That alone should ensure it makes it on to folks’ ‘wanted list’ when considering a new car.
Whatever, the drive north from central Lanarkshire to the Corran Ferry in the early hours of Thursday morning was an absolute treat. Leaving the rain behind it was dry all the way through Callander, Crianlarich, Tyndrum and Glencoe and then on to that magic stretch of road from Corran to Lochaline.
If there was one criticism it was that the 148 bhp diesel lacked a bit of initial ‘oomph’ when you needed to get out and past slower traffic. On the move it was fine and the torque could sweep you past most slow moving obstacles, especially those residential portaloos on wheels, but quick passing manoeuvres on short straights required a bit more forethought, although the excellent 6 speed auto has a manual push and pull sequential over-ride.
But you know what? Who cares. The quality of ride was sufficient to make you forget tearing along in a hurry, just sit back and watch the scenery sliding past. Honestly, the driver’s seat and the driving position are just sublime. That was enhanced by the suspension helped by the fact that it was running on sensibly sized wheels, and none of this rubber coated rims rubbish.
No doubt the tyres helped too, so there was another surprise in store under the wheelarches. The car was running on Toyo Proxes T1 Sport 225/55 x 17s and they felt just as good as, if not better, than some of the better known brands. That also included one emergency stop when a rather large lump of venison on the hoof hopped out of the shrubbery.
The brakes are excellent and the steering a delight, but it was the bump absorption that was most impressive. Not once did it bottom-out during the weekend, and that included 3 two-way trips up and down Glen Aros on Mull, which is similar to those roads in Portugal which can leave you with a numb bum even if you’re driving a waterbed.
This was the SE-L spec car, hence the 17 inch wheels, (unlike the Sport which has 19s) and came with cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring, Smart City Brake Support and Hill Hold Assist. It also had dual-zone climate control air-conditioning, powered folding door mirrors, auto-dimming interior mirror and privacy glass which is ideal for catching a fly wee kip without folk noticing. Automatic headlights and wipers were standard along with front and rear parking sensors, two extra audio speakers, a really neat set of roof rails and a cargo net.
It also had a SatNav system which worked very well, I had to admit, even though it was supplied by a certain Dutch cowboy outfit which still owes me money from six years back, but that’s another story. That’s also why I prefer Garmin!
The boot is a lot bigger than it looks. Disguised by the sloping tail and swept back glass, the floor is quite long to the back seat, but what was appreciated was the low, wide sill where one could perch quite comfortably while having a coffee and a sticky bun by starlight at midnight in Dervaig.
There was another bonus, I managed 570.9 miles on a full tank and I reckon there are still some fumes left. It returned an average of 43 mpg for the whole trip, including many miles of stop/start sections of single track road, and I reckon 50 mpg would be an easy target for the more light-footed.
And you know what, if offered a luxury German or British saloon, I think I would still opt for the Mazda. Call it reverse badge-snobbery if you like, but you have to admit, it looks different and it stands out from the crowd. This is the car that puts the grin on a Cheshire cat.
As for the run up to Tobermory and back, I’d do it again tomorrow.