Photo: Mazda
While it's a subjective thing to say, Mazda seems to be the most exciting Japanese manufacturer overall, even though it doesn't necessarily have one particular model that stands out.
It's actually the homogeneity of its lineup that gives it this very unofficial title, unlike others which rely on specific nameplates for the wow factor, but manage to bore the hell out of its customers with the rest. Think Honda and its Civic Type-R or NSX - or Nissan with the GT-R - and you'll get a pretty close idea of what we mean.
Mazda killed off the rebel in its range, the rotary-engined RX-8 sports car, and even though there are talks of it making a comeback, it's devoid of any real blood pressure pumper at the moment. The closest you can get to anything like that is the MX-5, and that says a lot.
At the same time, its core models have never looked better - and have never been so numerous. The classic Mazda2, Mazda3, and Mazda6 are all up to date and sleek as hell, while the CX-3, CX-5, and CX-9 crossovers/SUVs are probably the sexiest propositions in their segments.
We're going to focus on the Mazda6 here, which had its 2018 model revealed at last year's Los Angeles Auto Show. The Japanese sedan received a new gasoline engine with this occasion, and it was an odd one for Mazda since it featured a turbocharger.
The 2.5-liter four-cylinder unit sounds a bit archaic, especially when you hear it only produces 250 hp and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. Most modern engines with these specs are usually 2.0-liter four-cylinder units, but since we're speaking about the U.S. market, the bigger the displacement, the better.
The Environmental Protection Agency has finally come up with the fuel efficiency test results for the new model, and they're just about average. The Mazda6 returned 23 mpg (10.2 l/100 km) in the city and 31 mpg (7.6 l/100 km) on the highway, obtaining a combined rating of 26 mpg (9 l/100 km).
Mazda6's two closest rivals, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry both have similar results, though they also come with different engines. The Accord gets a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo with just about the same output (252 hp) for a combined rating of 27 mpg (8.7 l/100 km), while the Camry has a V6 engine with 301 hp (but less torque) which returns the same fuel efficiency figure as the 2.5-liter in the Mazda6.
The 2018 Camry has just become that much more important for Mazda after an engineer recently revealed the Hiroshima-based company is no longer benchmarking its models against BMWs, but has chosen the new sedan from Toyota due to its excellent handling. Only a few years ago this would have sounded like a really bad joke.
Mazda killed off the rebel in its range, the rotary-engined RX-8 sports car, and even though there are talks of it making a comeback, it's devoid of any real blood pressure pumper at the moment. The closest you can get to anything like that is the MX-5, and that says a lot.
At the same time, its core models have never looked better - and have never been so numerous. The classic Mazda2, Mazda3, and Mazda6 are all up to date and sleek as hell, while the CX-3, CX-5, and CX-9 crossovers/SUVs are probably the sexiest propositions in their segments.
We're going to focus on the Mazda6 here, which had its 2018 model revealed at last year's Los Angeles Auto Show. The Japanese sedan received a new gasoline engine with this occasion, and it was an odd one for Mazda since it featured a turbocharger.
The 2.5-liter four-cylinder unit sounds a bit archaic, especially when you hear it only produces 250 hp and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. Most modern engines with these specs are usually 2.0-liter four-cylinder units, but since we're speaking about the U.S. market, the bigger the displacement, the better.
The Environmental Protection Agency has finally come up with the fuel efficiency test results for the new model, and they're just about average. The Mazda6 returned 23 mpg (10.2 l/100 km) in the city and 31 mpg (7.6 l/100 km) on the highway, obtaining a combined rating of 26 mpg (9 l/100 km).
Mazda6's two closest rivals, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry both have similar results, though they also come with different engines. The Accord gets a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo with just about the same output (252 hp) for a combined rating of 27 mpg (8.7 l/100 km), while the Camry has a V6 engine with 301 hp (but less torque) which returns the same fuel efficiency figure as the 2.5-liter in the Mazda6.
The 2018 Camry has just become that much more important for Mazda after an engineer recently revealed the Hiroshima-based company is no longer benchmarking its models against BMWs, but has chosen the new sedan from Toyota due to its excellent handling. Only a few years ago this would have sounded like a really bad joke.
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