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Seeing the 6, I immediately knew that the driving experience is worth savoring. Settling down on the driver’s seat, it occurred to me that the engine was already running. I made it a point to turn it off and crank it back to life again—call me obsessive, but I can can tell cars by their engine sound as much as some men can identify women just by their cleavage. The 2.0-liter MZR sounded similar to the Ford Lynx’s engine, which is, of course, a Mazda engine. In fact, the behavior is so much alike down to the sporty exhaust note and the revvy nature (it commonly shifts at 3,500-4,000 rpm). Though the 131-bhp, 176 Nm output may seem flaccid for a mid-sized sedan, it must be noted that the 6 is 90 kilograms lighter an Accord. Also, paper figures don’t really tell the whole story: the 6 delivers driving excitement that no other in its class can duplicate. As much as I wanted to make the tires squeal, the 6 has enormous amounts of grip (even with the traction control turned off). The chassis is nicely balanced giving the 6 neutral handling and minimal body roll. The 6’s behavior on the twisty bits is so well tuned that I could swear it had passive four-wheel steering. The quick-ratio steering offered good feedback, considering the 6’s front-wheel drive layout. In fact, had the 6 been given the 3.0-liter, 220 bhp engine, it can eat the mid-priced BMW 3-series for breakfast. Speaking of the 3-series, the 6’s cockpit takes a nod from it’s Bavarian counterpart, with the lack of cubby holes and those floating red / orange dials as some proof. As I mentioned, there’s no timber or leather, but what you get is a hodge-podge of stuff: chrome, aluminum, soft plastics and sporty fabric on the seat surface that makes for a great suede feel. Don’t let that turn you off though, as it harmoniously comes together. |
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