Review
Life would be a little boring if we all liked the same things, all wore the same clothes, all devoured Marmite and drove the same cars.
This is why it’s great that Fleet News has a panel of road testers, each with their own opinions on what they like or dislike.
Take Phill Tromans for example.
He drove the Mazda6 2.0D Sport before I had it and described its looks as “sleek, mean and sexy”.
I agree with the adjective “sleek” but am afraid to say I think it’s far from “sexy”.
The great whopping spoiler perched on the back and the lilac pearlescent paint aren’t really my cup of tea but I can see how they appeal to a 26-year-old single male.
Aesthetics aside I do agree with Phill on the handling of the car, the spacious boot and the back seats easily accommodating three adults or, in my case, two adults and a baby seat.
There’s a fun factor in driving the Mazda6, the 2.0-litre engine gives a really zippy character and everything about it is smooth.
The gears are smooth along with the ride, handling and even the build quality.
More often than not closing a car door is an arduous task with a heavy clunk of metal but not with the Mazda6 – everything about it feels light and easy to manoeuvre.
Apart from parking that is. I can’t believe there is no option available for parking sensors. I have come to rely on them in previous cars and would happily pay for a set when purchasing my next car.
They just take the strain out of parallel parking, especially when there’s a spoiler partially blocking your view out of the rear window.
Another thing I can’t believe is the spare tyre situation. Mazda’s decision to dispense with a spare has been a costly one for us.
Mazda says the decision was a weight-saving one, designed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Yes, fuel consumption and emissions may be down but so are finances.
After one of the tyres blew, Phill used the can of tyre filler which plugs the punctured tyre and enables you to drive to the next garage without using a spare.
We then had to order a replacement can for the boot at a cost of £114.10. Add to this is the cost of the replacement tyre – £150 – and the total was £264.10 to repair a puncture.
Let’s hope I don’t have any punctures in the future as I don’t fancy trying to re-inflate a tyre with an aerosol and another bill for more than £200.
