Take a Mini Escape in the 2016 Mazda6 i Grand Touring
Mary Moore
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Getting ready for some springtime fun.
As we are heading into spring, the one thing that keeps popping up in on my mind is the word fun. I am ready to have some fun! Although fun doesn’t always mean getting away for a week long vacation. Fun can mean driving around with the moon roof open, good music on the radio and the sun shining in on my face. It can mean meeting up with friends for a sweet treat and cup of coffee to warm away a stressful week with laughter. For a mother it can also mean silence – like the kind you can get from a little drive all alone in a fully insulated vehicle such as the Mazda6 Grand Touring. Lots of things in life can be a fun mini escape from the everyday grind and I think it’s important that we make time for ourselves in our overly busy schedules as well – am I right? Sorry winter blues, but I think we are about done here.
Photo by Mary Moore for AGirlsGuidetoCars.
Mazda6 Grand Touring
This week we got a slight break in the snow and it came just in time for me to test drive the 2016 Mazda6 Grand Touring when I could enjoy some of it’s more sporty features. While right away my eye was drawn to the exterior color (known as Soul Red) this sleek little car also came with some other big surprises like its gorgeous exterior and interior design, stylish and functional features and an optional “Sport” mode to give the engine an extra little bit of boost when needed. [On a side note don’t you wish we could come with our own “sport” button for when we need that extra little boost – oh right, they call it coffee.]
Front view of the 2016 Mazda6. Photo by Mary Moore for AGirlsGuidetoCars.
Sleek design driven exterior and interior
The exterior design on the 2016 Mazda6 Grand Touring is eye catching – with a newly designed front grille and signature wing design with LED headlamps. Inside, the almost white leather trimmed seating looked clean and complementary to the darker, almost black color on the dash, steering and carpet. It totally reminded me of the retro checkered floor of a French pastry shop that I love drive to when I need a lemon scone and a break. Plus the seating had just the slightest touch of red that was thoughtfully used to stitch the seats – it tied the interior of this vehicle to the Soul Red exterior and gave the seating that unexpected little something extra.
Red detailed leather trimmed seats in the 2016 Mazda6 Grand Touring. Photo by Mary Moore for AGirlsGuidetoCars.
I also found the Mazda6 to be generous with interior space. In the front seat I had tons of room to breathe while my kids in the back seat also had quite a bit of room – and most importantly they had leg room. I didn’t once feel them kick the back of my seat. Going without the back of my seat being kicked for an entire week is a mini vacation in itself!
Interior view of the 2016 Mazda6 Grand Touring. Photo by Mary Moore for AGirlsGuidetoCars.
The trunk also came with a lot of space and a 60/40 split – which means that the back seats can fold down if you need more room for cargo. However even with the seats folded up into their normal position, the trunk area has tons of space for luggage, groceries or whatever else you might need to toss back there so you don’t have to look at it in your clean and tidy car.
14.8 Cubic feet of cargo space in the 2016 Mazda6. Photo by Mary Moore for AGirlsGuidetoCars.
Features that are both stylish and functional
Have you ever driven with a Heads-Up Display? I hadn’t either until this vehicle and I simply didn’t know what I was missing. Speaking of not knowing what you’re missing – how about a little turn dial next to your leg to change the radio and control the navigation? These are just two of the new technology features that the Mazda6 Grand Touring is capable of. While I enjoyed the easy access these features provided me to the cars information and settings, I also felt as though they really added to the luxury appeal of the vehicle. It was like going to the spa and finding cucumber in your water – it didn’t need to be there, but I really liked that it was.
Instrument Panel, Steering and InfoTainment on the 2016 Mazda6 Grand Touring. Photo by Mary Moore for AGirlsGuidetoCars.
Optional sport drive mode
Who am I kidding; sometimes taking a car for a drive is an escape in itself – especially when the car has an optional Sport drive mode. When the Sport mode is ON the vehicle will engage more like a sports car and react more quickly to my commands – such as the press of the gas pedal. Switching back and forth between SPORT mode and Normal drive mode is as easy as pressing a button. If only changing between yoga pants and evening attire were that easy.
Dial audio and navigation controls. Photo by Mary Moore for AGirlsGuidetoCars.
What We Loved
- Eye catching design and clean looking interior
- Functional features that also added luxury – like the heads up display and dial media control
- Optional SPORT mode
- Improved sound insulation throughout the body
- 99.7 cubic feet EPA passenger volume and 14.8 cubic feet cargo volume
What You Need to Know
- Price starts at $21,495 ; the model we test drove with tech package was $33,695
- 28 mpg city, 40 mpg highway; 32 combined
- Takes regular fuel
- 36 Month/36,000 Mile Bumper to Bumper Warranty
Disclosure: The Mazda6 Grand Touring was loaned to me for review purposes. All opinions are my own.