Does your commute look this good?

We were kindly given the Mazda6 Saloon 194ps GT Sport Nav+ Automatic for a long weekend to test and drive along the popular commuting route that runs between Cheltenham and Oxford along the A40.

Big Features of the Mazda6:

• Powerful LED Headlamps
• 19” Bright Alloy Wheels
• Refined LED Tail Lamps
• Dual-Zone Climate Control Air-Conditioning & Ventilated Front Seat
• Mazda Radar Cruise Control
• Premium Bose® Surround-Sound System
• 8” Colour Touch-Screen
• Multimedia Commander
• Leather Gear Shift
• Driver-Centric Cabin
• Power Seat Adjustment
• Lane Keep Assist System
• LED Headlights with High Beam Control LED
• Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC)
• Blind Spot Monitoring
• Advanced Smart City Brake Support
• Windscreen-Projected Active Driving Display

Price:

The Mazda6 Saloon starts from £23,195 and the Tourer starts from £24,095.

Our thoughts

Brilliant to drive and striking to look at, the new Mazda6 Saloon makes a stylish statement in town, on business and on long drives.

The Mazda6 Saloon is a beautiful car, it’s not one that screams ‘family car’ but it works wonderfully as one. We were surprised with the bags of space that it has (we have a tourer style car that doesn’t have as much room as this). I’m not a car reviewer but I’ve driven my fair share of cars and this is one of the more comfortable drives I’ve had. I chose an automatic to review as we changed from a manual last year (quite possibly the best decision I’ve ever made).

Let’s go inside

The interior is well appointed and has long clean lines which makes it feel super spacious. The middle console has all of the controls including the sport mode button (which Mr M made me turn off as he thinks I drive enough like a rally driver as it is) and the auto hold button. For anyone who doesn’t drive an automatic this is the most useful thing ever. When you’re on an incline or decline you don’t have to faff with a handbrake it just magically holds the car in place.

On a side note: I genuinely have no idea why people still drive manuals. Automatics are such an advancement in technology (and most you can switch to manual if you ever needed to) its so much easier and less stressful especially when stopping and starting etc.

So the interior features have pretty much the same as what our current car does apart from one snazzy thing that I think *all* cars should have. This is the “Windscreen-Projected Active Driving Display” and quite frankly it’s genius. It projects the speed you’re doing, the speed of the road you’re on and the sat nav directions on the windscreen just above the steering wheel.

Why doesn’t every car have this?! It’s so much safer; I’m not constantly looking down to see the speed of the road or what speed I’m doing or looking at the sat nav to see how far my turning is.

This next feature is quite nifty too, the red line on 60mph shows that this is the maximum speed for the road you’re on. This is handy in locations you aren’t sure of the speed limit.

Baby Space

Having enough space in a car is vital when you have a baby! I was super impressed with the amount of space, even with the car seat in, there was ample leg room for the passenger (we’re both 6ft tall so we need the extra space!) As you can see by the boot, there’s copious amounts of room for a buggy and a couple of suitcases!

Final musings

I really like the Mazda6; I was surprised by the features and the space is a big selling point for me. I think it’s perfect for a family who are in need of an executive car that can also carry a baby and everything that a baby needs but don’t have the budget for a second ‘family’ car.

Join in

What are your family car goals? Do you own a Mazda6? Leave a comment and join in the conversation!

Disclaimer: This post is a collaboration between Mazda and Missbird but all views expressed are my own.