We think the new Mazda 6 is one of the crispest, cleanest exterior designs in the mid-size sedan class, with a strong new front-end treatment that's consistent with other Mazdas, the MPV minivan, the pickup truck, and the Protege. Cat's-eye headlamps and big taillamps are both multi-element creations that enhance the action at each corner of the car. Everything in, on and under this car makes sense, and it all looks good doing it. The relationship of the lower body to the upper body is excellent, and the roof shape is designed for people, not for style. The new Mazda 6 benefits from a kind of muscular conservatism inside and out, with clear design ties to the Milennia luxury car. It has more personality than the Accord and more spunk than the Camry. There is enough ordering flexibility with both the high-volume four-cylinder 6i models, which should account for about 70 percent of sales, and the V6-powered 6s models, that you can have the Mazda 6 just about any way you want. Both of the engines and all of the transmissions are new technology, new construction. The engines are made of aluminum to keep the new Mazda 6 from getting too heavy, which it isn't, at 3311 pounds for the V6 automatic Sport.
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