Grand Touring version is the top trim package including Mazda and niceties such as heated leather seats, navigation, Bose surround-sound stereo and 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in all-season tires Dunlop SP Sport. GT comes exclusively with a six-speed automatic transmission and Mazdas Skyactiv-G 2.5-liter I-4, which produces 184 hp and 185 competitive lb-ft of torque. (A 2.2-liter diesel comes at the end of the year).
Thats enough power to drive the 3275 Mazda pounds to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds and through the quarter mile in 15.7 seconds at 88.6 mph. In other words, the acceleration is life but never felt so strong. That said, the four-cylinder engine that relatively large-bore was smooth and really happy at higher revs, so getting the most out of it was more entertaining than torture. Mazda auto including operating manual shift mode with column shifter or steering wheel-mounted paddles, and the system works well, faster than the average speed shift for class.
The live Chassis Mazda Skyactiv is suitable for machine and generally feels nimble and balanced. The power steering is fast and well weighted, with a very good feel for the power units, and Mazda who want to dive into the turns, showing the final understeer when pushed hard. A more neutral behavior can have a touch of mid-corner throttle lift. About eight figures of our testing, Mazda6 changed in running 27.1 seconds, besting only the last 2013 Honda Accord Sport we tested late last year. We were also impressed with the Mazda brakes, which are easy to modulate, offering a solid pedal feel, and help stop the GT 7 feet shorter than the Sport Accord. Overall, the Mazda6 is an attractive package for those who want to stand apart from the norm middle. Of course, for those who want to emphasize the involvement of the driving, there is always a choice of six-speed manual.
Anyway its entry-level price-Sport Mazda6 does not look or drive like a basic model. Indeed, the six-speed manual tester we did not have as many features-notably Bluetooth, which, oddly, is only available with the automatic Sport-but offers an interior that does not feel cheapened out. Clean, neat and coherent illumination black trim gives a sense of quality not normally associated with the vehicle at this price. Shifter, friendly, does not feel like an afterthought. The button itself looks odd out of the Volkswagen, but flowed easily between the gate clear. Box is not directly relative to the MX-5, but its pretty close. In addition, the clutch take-up is easy to control, thanks to the fun pedal feedback. Although the 3250-rpm torque peak, which means the acceleration at highway speeds requires multiple downshifts. Pedal makes rev matching is easy, but the machine offers little aural satisfaction in the act. In fact, the 2.5-liter four is so well-insulated that, sometimes, you will not forget to upshift after joining the traffic on the freeway. Some time later, you will look down and see that the 4500 rpm tach has been buzzing for some time.
With weight and less overall shorter gearing, Sport 6 will be noticeably faster than auto-trim Touring and top-line Grand. Unfortunately, a few precious milliseconds gear shift incurred by negating their advantage, and Sport produced more than 60 mph (7.8 seconds) and the quarter mile (15.9 seconds at 88.8 mph) results. On top of it all, manually restore fuel economy slightly worse (down 1 mpg city / hwy) than its peer automatically. Is the action worth the six-speed paddle gearbox acceleration and mpg penalty depends on the owner, but the $ 1615 saved by choosing it makes for a convincing argument.
| 2014 Mazda6 | Sport | Grand Touring |
| BASE PRICE | $21,675 | $30,290 |
| PRICE AS TESTED | $21,675 | $31,190 |
| VEHICLE LAYOUT | Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan | Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan |
| ENGINE | 2.5L/184-hp/185-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4 | 2.5L/184-hp/185-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4 |
| TRANSMISSION | 6-speed manual | 6-speed automatic |
| CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) | 3107 lb (58/42%) | 3275 lb (59/41%) |
| WHEELBASE | 111.4 in | 111.4 in |
| LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT | 191.5 x 72.4 x 57.1 in | 191.5 x 72.4 x 57.1 in |
| 0-60 MPH | 7.8 sec | 7.4 sec |
| QUARTER MILE | 15.9 sec @ 88.8 mph | 15.7 sec @ 88.6 mph |
| BRAKING, 60-0 MPH | 116 ft | 121 ft |
| LATERAL ACCELERATION | 0.87 g (avg) | 0.84 g (avg) |
| MT FIGURE EIGHT | 26.9 sec @ 0.63 g (avg) | 27.1 sec @ 0.63 g (avg) |
| EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON | 25/37 mpg | 26/38 mpg |
| ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY | 135/91 kW-hrs/100 miles | 130/89 kW-hrs/100 miles |
| CO2 EMISSIONS | 0.66 lb/mile | 0.64 lb/mile |
