2008 Mazda Mazda6

Most car makers will run an ad on TV to claim that their new 'wonder-mobile' is this, or that. It's usually the first in the industry to have the latest, whatever blinking bobble, or it has some new-fangled airbag that will explode in your face 'like a daisy'. But when they run an ad talking about how good the car is to drive, I usually change the channel. You just know they're lying.

Over the years, I've driven countless "drivers cars", and they're usually rubbish. So when I drove a Mazda 6, I was actually surprised at how good it was, and how cheap it was. Now it's far from a 'poor man's BMW. It leans a bit in the curves, the V6 isn't especially powerful, and the worst part is all the young, Foakley wearing punks that you see driving them. But it's particularly annoying when you're sitting at a red light, and one of these punks pulls up along side, nods his approval at you, then blasts his stereo until your ears start to bleed. Then he'll usually floor it when the light turns green in a pathetic attempt to show the world just how fast his car...isn't. Oh yeah, then there's that god-awful rear wing on the Sport models. It's hideous.

The Mazda 6 is a decent driving car though, and it's a sporting alternative to a Camry or Accord. But that's just it, it's like a Camry or Accord with better rims and a 10ft tall spoiler. The steering, brakes and handling are tuned to have a sportier feel. There's even a manu-matic gearbox. But it's not a 'sports sedan' it's a 'sporty sedan'. It was designed to add a dash of fun on your commute to work, and nothing more.

The base "i" model uses a 160-horsepower, 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, and the "s" models get a 220-horsepower, 3.0-liter V6 (a Ford Taurus actually feels more powerful than a V6 S model). Either can be had with a 5-speed manual, or 4-speed auto with the manu-matic. A 5-speed auto comes with the V6. A MazdaSpeed version gets a turbo 4 that makes 274-hp. It also gets AWD, a 6-speed manual and a body kit makes the car look like a Tonka toy. The interior however, is actually very nice and has an up-scale feel to it. Standard equipment includes a single-disc CD player, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, and a split-folding rear seat-back. V6 cars get automatic climate control and options included a sunroof, leather, heated front seats, and an in-dash CD changer with Bose audio.

While the Mazda 6 does live up to it's Zoom Zoom image, I'd still have the Camry. . YEAR TO YEAR CHANGES FOR THE MAZDA 6: 2004: Wagon and hatchback versions joined the model lineup. Seventeen-inch wheels became standard on the "s" models, and optional for "i" models. A Sport Package was offered and included a gigantic rear wing and special interior trim. 2005: ABS and traction control were now standard on all models. A six-speed automatic now came in the "s" versions. 2006: The MazdaSpeed model was introduced and came with all-wheel drive and a 274-hp turbocharged 4-cyl. 2007: Curtain side airbags were now standard on all models. . COMMON PROBLEMS FOR THE MAZDA 6: Brake Rotors - The front brakes can pulsate or make noise, requiring the rotors to be machined and revised brake pads installed (2003-2006) - $300 Camshaft caps (3.0L only) - A ticking noise from the engine usually requires the removal and re installation of the camshaft caps (2003-2005) - $800