The Mazda 6 is a common sight on caravan pitches around the country. Does it deserve to be?
Well, yes. The firm suspension gives good straight-line stability and helped the Mazda fly through our lane-change test. Without a van in tow the firm ride means you’ll notice bumps more than you might wish, but the Mazda is great fun to drive.
With 141bhp and 266lb/ft of torque to call upon, you ought to expect strong performance. The 30-60mph time of 14.8 seconds is fair, but sixth gear is too high to be of much use when towing.
Our test load didn’t trouble the Mazda’s boot, which can swallow 505 litres with the seats up and 1712 litres with the seats down. The seats fold flat with one tug of a lever, and there’s no need to remove the rear headrests first.
The Mazda lost points on the hill start, however. The handbrake failed to hold the car on a 1-in-6 gradient, although the 2.0-litre engine coped with the climb.
