| Road Test Mazda6 MPS |
||
 |
||
|
Okay, point made. The MPS does have a lot of strengths, some of which have already been mentioned. Another is that the ratios in the six-speed gearbox are widely spaced, as indeed they should be in a car whose engine has such a wide spread of power. Mazda has resisted the temptation to pack them closely together, which would have sacrificed a great deal of the car's cruising ability for the sake of a couple of tenths in the 0-62mph figure.
The soft-ish suspension means that the ride quality is pretty good as long as you're not pushing too hard. The situation is confused by the fact that the 215/45 tyres, sitting on 18" wheels, transfer quite a lot of road information into the cabin, but they also help to provide what little handling sharpness the MPS has. And the subtly sporty exterior design would, I'm sure, suffer greatly if the MPS were fitted with smaller wheels and taller rubber. I lived with the MPS for a week and was sorry to see it go. It looked good, it performed well when I wanted it to and it was pleasant enough on long journeys. I wouldn't mind having one, though if it came to the crunch I would have to consider a lot of other very capable cars that match or beat this one's price of just under £24,000 (before extras). But even at that my cheque might head Mazda's way in the end. I think Mazda has missed a trick, though. This is by far the quickest 6 there is, but experience of the MX-5 and RX-8 suggests that there is still scope for a much sharper car - not necessarily a more powerful one - which really could give Subaru and Mitsubishi something to think about. Mazda might not regard this as a worthwhile exercise, but I'd like to see it all the same. Price: £23,995
|
