The 2011 Mazda 6i Sedan Touring is a mid sized sedan that has the looks of a sports car and the comforts a larger car.
Exterior
There is no mistaking the 2011 Mazda 6i Sedan Touring with its sporty and muscular design. The car is quite striking from certain angles. Our Kona Blue test model came with 17″ alloy wheels, fog lights, dual remote power mirrors, ground illumination with turn signal lights, and chrome exhaust finishers.
Interior
After spending considerable time in the 2011 Mazda 6i Sedan Touring, I would have to say the interior is where the car has the most going for itself in this very crowded segment. Our test model did not have leather seating but the black cloth seats were of high quality and extremely comfortable in both the front and back. The center control stack is very user friendly and although we didn’t have a navigation system in our test model, most other current features like Sirius satellite and Bluetooth were included. The interior was roomy enough to seat five adults and also included 60/40 split fold down rear seats. The tilt and telescopic steering wheel felt upscale but sporty. Mazda engineers must have worked overtime on preventing wind noise in the cabin because the Mazda 6 did a great job keeping the cabin quiet during my time behind the wheel. The 2011 Mazda 6i Sedan also has very generous trunk space with a class leading 16.6 cubic feet of storage.
Performance
Mazda is known for “Zoom-Zoom” and I would guess that the 6-cylinder Mazda 6 can deliver on that moniker, but our 2.5L DOHC 16-Valve VVT I4 cylinder was more about fuel economy than driving excitement. With the 5-speed automatic transmission (with manual shift mode), the 2011 Mazda 6i Sedan Touring delivered 22mpg city and 31mpg highway driving. Mazda likes to call this “Economical Zoom Zoom” and, with gas prices where they stand today, I have to agree that sometimes it’s smarter to zoom past a gas station rather than zoom off the line. I was also impressed with the blind spot monitoring system in the side mirrors that we’ve seen on Ford products. Believe me when I tell you it makes you a better driver.
Overview
Mazda redesigned the Mazda 6 a few years back and although we were big fans of that last model design we also understand that things change. The new design captures some DNA from the RX-8, which is a good thing, and the interior is well thought out and quiet. Those who want that extra power when they hit the pedal will have to opt for the 6-cylinder, but for those who cherish every mpg stick with the 2.5L DOHC 16-Valve VVT I4 cylinder. Pricing on the 2011 Mazda 6i Sedan Touring we drove came in at $25,240, the middle of the pack in this segment.
