2008 Mazda 6

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2008 Mazda 6 Overview

The Mazda 6 (or Mazda6, as the manufacturer prefers) is the mid-size sedan for the driving enthusiast. The Mazda6 looks leaner than its competitors, and the driving experience confirms the impression, with agile handling and responsive engines. The Mazda6 feels tighter in corners and holds the road better than the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord or Nissan Altima. It's lighter on its feet and stops quicker. In short, it's more of a driver's car. Four-cylinder and V6 engines are available, and each is offered with a five-speed manual or automatic gearbox.

2008 Mazda 6 Trims

The Mazda6 comes in a sporty 5-Door hatchback style, in addition to the more traditional four-door sedan. The 5-Door excels at carrying cargo, yet it doesn't look like a hatchback; in fact, it takes a sharp eye to distinguish it from the sedan. 

The 2008 Mazda6 comes in four-door sedan and five-door hatchback body styles. (The wagon has been discontinued for 2008. So has the high-performance, all-wheel-drive Mazdaspeed6.) 

Two engines are available: Mazda 6i models come with a 156-horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine; 6s models are powered by a 212-horsepower 3.0-liter V6. With either engine buyers can choose Sport VE (for Value Edition), Touring, or Grand Touring trim. All are well equipped. 

Additionally, there's the base-level 6i Sport, offered only as a sedan, but still equipped with air conditioning; cruise control; six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio; tilt and telescope steering wheel; power windows, mirrors and door locks with remote keyless entry; a 12-volt power outlet; automatic headlight shut off; variable intermittent windshield wipers; rear window defogger; and 215/50 all-season radials on 17-inch alloy wheels. A five-speed manual transmission is standard; a five-speed automatic is optional.

The 6i Sport VE sedan and hatchback add a body-color grille; side sill extensions; eight-way power driver's seat; in-dash 6-disc CD/MP3 changer; and leather-wrapped steering wheel, shift knob and parking brake handle. New for 2008 is a standard security system. Again, automatic is optional.

Touring and Grand Touring models are now offered only with automatic transmission. Additionally, 6i Touring sedan ($22,240) and hatchback upgrade to leather upholstery; heated front seats and outside mirrors; and a 200-watt, seven-speaker Bose audio. 

The 6i Grand Touring sedan and hatchback add HID headlights, fog lights, electroluminescent gauges, automatic climate control, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, Homelink garage door opener, and a power glass sunroof with sunshade.

  The V6-powered lineup begins with the 6s Sport VE sedan and hatchback. Except for the engine, and two 12-volt power outlets instead of one, equipment is identical to the four-cylinder Sport VE's. Again, a five-speed manual is standard, but the optional automatic is a six-speed. Touring and Grand Touring versions add the same equipment listed above for about the same differential in price, except that 6s Grand Touring models ride on 215/45 all-season radials on 18-inch alloy wheels. Prices top out with the 6s Grand Touring hatchback.

Mazda 6 Interior 2008

The front seats of the Mazda6 are comfortable through a wide range of adjustments. We found them suitable for hard driving, with good upper body support and enough lower back support with the optional lumbar adjuster for all-day comfort. Touring and Grand Touring models add cowhide to all the right places, with thankful perforations on the seating surfaces.

The interior is designed to be comfortable for front and rear passengers in the 95th percentile of all body shapes. The rear seats are quite accommodating, whether in the sedan or hatchback. There's more than 96 cubic feet of passenger space inside the Mazda6 sedan, according to the EPA measuring system, and only a fraction less in the hatchback; and that translates to plenty of room for four. You can squeeze in five in a pinch.

2008 Mazda 6 Test Drive

When it comes to sporty handling, the 2008 Mazda6 is among the best in the class. It offers better road holding than the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima, as well as better transient response in quick lane-change maneuvers. The Mazda6 just feels sharper and more agile than those other cars.

Zoom-zoom is in plentiful supply regardless of which model you choose. The four-cylinder Mazda6i is a hoot to drive. Order it with the five-speed manual and the fun zone starts at about 4000 rpm, where the engine is very responsive. The 2.3-liter, double-overhead-cam engine loves to rev and acceleration is on par with that of other four-cylinder mid-size sedans. The Honda Accord may be a little quicker, but the Mazda feels younger and sportier. Below 3000 rpm, however, the four-cylinder lacks strong throttle response. We like it with the manual gearbox, but we have not tried it with the five-speed automatic. The manual shifter felt mushy to us at first, but that initial impression quickly faded and we found it fun to shift.

 Four-cylinders with the manual transmission are the most economical Mazda6 models, being EPA-rated at 21/29 mpg city/highway. Automatics surrender just one highway mpg and are classified as Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles, or PZEVs, in the eight states that require California emissions standards; in other states they are merely Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles (SULEV).

2008 Conclusions Mazda 6 

The Mazda6 is the sports sedan of the mainstream midsize cars. It boasts style, agility and performance. In short, it's more fun to drive than other cars in this class. It's a great choice for someone who wants a more exciting car. "Above-average ride, handling and performance with decent mileage at a reasonable price." says Chicago Tribune The sedan offers the best handling; but the 5-Door hatchback gives up very little relative to its increased versatility.