Mazda 6 S Blends Utility with Surprising Performance

The 2006 Mazda 6 S 5-door is something completely new from Mazda, yet it seems oddly familiar.

Here's what we have: A sporty hatchback that blends utility with surprising Euro-like performance.

Sure, everyone has seen a hatchback, so maybe that was the familiar part. True enough. But this was more about feel than look. From the rigid suspension to the taut leather seats, the 5-door made me think Mazda was going someplace - like Sweden. Though the Mazda 6 5-door certainly stands on its on merit, it felt like and handled a little like a Saab.

This is not a bad thing for a company in need of something beyond the RX-8 and Miata to reach into the U.S. market. While Saab has a cult following in the U.S., Mazda has seemed to lose pace in the mid-sized sedan segment. The 626 was long underappreciated when all anyone could rave about was Camry and Taurus.

If drivers really look, the Mazda 6 shouldn't meet the same fate. It lives up to the company's new "zoom zoom" pitch while giving buyers plenty of options with a sedan, sport wagon and 5-door.

PERFORMANCE

This is the first time the sport package has been offered with the 5-door. It includes 17-inch alloy wheels, spoiler and a body-color front grill. The test model's 220-horsepower 3.0-liter V-6 was coupled with a sterling six-speed automatic Sport AT transmission with, which includes a manual shift mode. It's the only such offering in the mid-sized segment.

Because of the six-speed tranny, the lower gears have low ratios, translating into excellent pickup off the mark. Regardless of speed, the car seemed to always be in its comfort zone.

The rigid body and tight steering may take a little getting used to, but this is where the Mazda 6 truly earns its "S" for the sport package. There is minimal body roll and the car has quicker reflexes than most would anticipate when first getting behind the wheel.

AESTHETICS/ERGONOMICS

The tested vehicle came in Lapis Blue Metallic - an electric blue that certainly stands out in a crowd. The lines are again, somewhat Saab-like with a long nose, though more square and aggressive-looking than the Swedish entry.

Mazda has been forward-thinking in its layout, offering an abundance of storage space - for everything from sunglasses to empty drink bottles - throughout the cabin.

The instrument panel is completely analog and the cluster shows up well during the day before becoming a welcome light show at night.

The rear cargo area offers up nearly 50 percent more space than the sedan with 22 cubic feet of space. With the rears seats folded down, that number expands to 58.7 cubic feet of space for storage.