We love taking road trips and California is the place to go! Our latest adventure was enhanced as we motored along in a fully-loaded 2017 Mazda6 Grand Touring. Thanks to MazdaUSA, we test drove this beautiful car in our crazy neighborhood, on the CA highways to Santa Ynez along the central coast as well out to the Yucca Valley in the high desert. The performance of this car was top-notch and we felt an instant connection to the Mazda and got comfortable right away. So, here is a list of 4 things we liked about the Mazda 6:
It’s comfortable!
The Mazda6 comfortably fits all our family body types. I’m 5’4”, husband is 6’3” and in the driver and passenger seats we did not have to “scrunch” necks to see out the windshield. The seat adjustment mechanism was dialed in by the adults and made us feel more attached to the car and “along for the ride”. Our 9yo daughter had plenty of room in the back. Also, we love heated seats. We were running them when AC got too cold. Cali life!! New this year, heated rear seats!
Interesting safety features
It was my first time using the Lane-keep Assist System. We utilized all the warning features from beeps to vibrations to rumbles! I also appreciate the Blind Spot Monitoring System as I only had the car for a short time and not enough time to get a natural sense of all blind spots. Most importantly, the brake system feels solid. We didn’t have any reason to rely on the Smart City Brake Support but I do appreciate the extra safety features that might help us avoid an accident.
Fuel Efficiency
The Mazda6 is great on gas which is usually an important factor when purchasing a car (especially for families). An optional feature on this Mazda is the i-Eloop regeneration engine. This equipment is usually found in hybrid vehicles. Basically it offers better fuel economy. i-Eloop reduces the engine’s need to burn extra fuel when using electricity/power for components. The car seemed to give us more mileage out of a tank of gas. This is definitely a feature I would look into if purchasing a Mazda.
Style
Of course, features, safety and price are all motivators when purchasing a car. But, the style of a car does have some influence on our buying decisions. It’s my personal taste but I do like cars with a sporty look. This car fits me like a glove and I loved the sleek angles of the Mazda as well as the Machine Gray Metallic exterior color. I also love the light cream (Parchment Nappa Leather) interior along with gray piping on the seats. You’d be surprised at how much harder you work at keeping your car clean with white or lighter interiors!
Overall I liked the handling, solid and active braking system and maneuverability of the car. It’s lower to the ground so handles very sporty. The Mazda6 seats 5. My daughter had ample space in the back but if the front seat driver and/or passengers are very tall, it could cramp the passengers in the rear. I’ve driven a few Mazdas and I always have a pleasant and rewarding experience test driving them. Mazda6 is definitely a fun family sedan!
