10 Things You Need To Know About The 2016 Mazda Mazda6

Mazda Mazda6

The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 represents the first update made to the mid-size family sedan since it was completely redesigned for the 2014 model year. Although the changes made to the latest Mazda Mazda6 are in some cases subtle - or restricted to higher trim levels - it's still a positive move that shows how much momentum the brand has accumulated with its slate of new automobiles. The Mazda6 is a noteworthy four-door that is not only practical and affordable, but also exceptionally fun to drive when compared against the majority of its competitors.

1. The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 Features Revised Styling

The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 has made a number of changes to the look of its top-tier model, the Mazda6 Grand Touring. Stepping up to this version of the car gets you not just the more in-your-face grille surround for the vehicle's oval opening up front, but also LED headlights that are new for Mazda Mazda6. The LED theme continues out back, where LED tail lamps offer improved illumination. Also fresh on the Mazda6's list of style-oriented features: a set of darker-colored 19-inch rims to replace the vehicle's stock 17-inch rollers (or mid-trim 19s), if you so desire.

2. The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 Delivers Upgraded Accommodations

More extensive changes can be found upon opening the door of the 2016 Mazda Mazda6, which has seen its already comfortable confines refined to a much greater degree. Compared to 2015, the updated Mazda Mazda6 makes significant improvements to the quality of the trim throughout the cabin, introduces more brightwork and detail, and reorganizes the dashboard and center stack so as to enhance their appeal to tech-seeking modern drivers. The net effect has been to take the somewhat plain interior of the previous edition car and bring it up to a new standard that is in keeping with the increasingly well-to-do mid-size sedan segment.

3. The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 Is Roomy Inside

Speaking of competitive, the svelte profile of the 2016 Mazda Mazda6 conceals a secret: a rear seat that's much more spacious than the car's modest dimensions would have you believe. There's plenty of room to stretch out behind the driver and front passenger, and while the vehicle's rear windows might be smaller due to the plunging nature of the car's roofline, overall the Mazda Mazda6's interior volume is quite competitive with best-in-class rivals. Trunk space is good too for a mid-size car, checking in at just under 15 cubic feet of storage.

4. The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 Offers Mazda Connect

Bigger and more attractive inside, the 2016 Mazda Mazda6 also steps up its infotainment game with the introduction of the Mazda Connect LCD interface. First seen on the compact Mazda3, the Mazda Mazda6's seven-inch LCD Mazda Connect screen is standard with all but the base model car, and it can be upgraded to include a navigation system as well as satellite radio and a number of apps designed to enhance Internet connectivity (as well as provide additional information about the automobile). In addition to being larger than the display it replaces, the new Mazda Connect screen has also been repositioned for better visibility.

5. The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 Comes With A Single Engine Choice

The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 walks a lonely path amongst mid-size sedans by offering only one engine option. With the car's promised turbodiesel option mired in emissions-related red tape, all versions of the Mazda Mazda6 come standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder Skyactiv direct-injected motor that produces 184 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque. This is enough grunt to get the Mazda6 to 60-mph from a standing start in roughly 7.5 seconds, but its output falls short of the V-6 and even turbocharged four-cylinder units available from the vast majority of other four-door family vehicles.

6. The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 Can Be Matched With A Rare Manual Gearbox

Making up somewhat for the 2016 Mazda Mazda6's lack of a brawny engine upgrade is the availability of a six-speed manual transmission. A truly unusual option in a segment where driving enthusiasts are typically ignored, the shift-it-yourself unit is available on all but the most luxurious Mazda Mazda6 models, which means you won't have to suffer in a stripper to enjoy rowing through its cogs. If you'd prefer an automatic, then Mazda also offers a Skyactiv six-speed unit that doesn't ask you to get involved unless the spirit possesses you to tug on one of its steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

7. The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 Can Be Had With i-Eloop Technology

Helping to boost the 2016 Mazda Mazda6's fuel efficiency is the availability of the i-Eloop system. I-Eloop makes use of a set of regenerative brakes that charge a capacitor instead of a battery, which is a lighter setup than most traditional energy storage solutions. This electricity is then used to power vehicle systems such as the air conditioner and other accessories, reducing the load placed on the vehicle's alternator and lowering the parasitic drag on the engine. The end result is an EPA rating of 28-mpg in city driving and 40-mpg on the highway for i-Eloop-equipped cars, a boost of two miles per gallon for each respective measure when compared against Mazda6 models without this feature.  

8. The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 Is Available In Three Trim Levels

The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 starts out in Sport trim, which includes equipment such as air conditioning, power windows and door locks, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, a vehicle data display, 17-inch wheels, and an adjustable steering wheel. Moving up to the Mazda6 Touring installs Mazda Connect, a rearview camera, HD radio, voice control over infotainment and communications features, dual automatic climate control, a power driver's seat, keyless entry and push-button start, 19-inch wheels, and a move from cloth to vinyl upholstery. The Grand Touring edition of the Mazda sedan rules the roost with its special 19-inch alloy rims, LED headlights and taillights, satellite radio, sunroof, louder stereo system, auto-dimming rearview mirror, a power passenger seat, and additional power adjustments for the driver's seat (which are both wrapped in genuine leather).

9. The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 Makes Active Safety An Option

The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 does a good job of accenting safety by way of its available advanced passenger protection gear. The Mazda Mazda6 Touring adds a blind spot monitoring system as standard equipment, with the ability to order a forward collision mitigation system with automatic braking as an option. The latter is standard for Grand Touring cars, which also offer the choice of a lane departure warning feature bundled with a forward collision warning system. This is on top of the standard forward airbags, side impact airbags up front, and side curtain airbags that deploy along the entire length of the vehicle (as well as Mazda's electronic traction control and stability control systems).

10. The 2016 Mazda Mazda6 Is Fun To Drive

There's one more aspect of the 2016 Mazda Mazda6 that is harder to quantify using figures and statistics, and that's its fun-to-drive character. Unlike several other sedans in the mid-size category that feel more like transportation appliances than driver's cars, the Mazda Mazda6 features suspension tuning that engages whoever is behind the wheel to a far greater degree than one would expect. With strong cornering capability and an overall lightweight design, the Mazda6 is one of the few four-door automobiles available at its very affordable price point that almost perfectly marries practicality and a sporty personality.