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Road Test

Mazda 6 1.8 TS

Test Date Wednesday, January 16, 2008  Price When New £16,110

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Verdict

Mazda knew the old 6’s weaknesses and has done an impressive job of eradicating them in this new version. The new 6 could wear a premium badge and be a credible rival to an Audi A4 or a BMW 3-series.

As it is, it’s competitively priced, given its equipment, and comes tantalisingly close to overall victory. It does this thanks partly to a pleasing, well designed interior and intelligent engineering, but mainly to its terrific handling and a compliant ride.

So could it go straight in at number one? That would be a bold verdict, and we should reserve that judgement until we have tried the rest of the range on British roads. Experience so far suggests its Mondeo arch-rival is ultimately more refined, for example. But if you love driving, the smaller, handier, more engaging Mazda could be the better choice.

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