Can you get a family station wagon with a powerful diesel engine, automatic transmission, four-wheel drive and a list of equipment, almost longer than the list of an average politician lies, for under 37,000 euros? Mazda says you can. Therefore, they presented us with Mazda 6 Wagon CD175 AT AWD Revolution Top.

Mazda 6 Wagon CD175 AT AWD is a great car for its price

There is no such thing as a free lunch, says the American proverb. And it is clear that you can not get everything listed above for a bargain. The Wagon version of the Mazda6 also earned some minuses, but in general it is a really tremendous car for its price.

The Wagon is shorter than the Sedan

But let us start with an interesting and rather unusual fact. When driving the Sedan version of the Mazda6, we noticed that it has a lot of knee room for the passengers sitting in a second row. On the Mazda 6 Wagon, the wheelbase of a car is eight centimeters shorter. Shame, because without this quite incomprehensible move from the Japanese, Mazda6 station wagon would be much larger bestseller. This shortage of the rear internal centimeters puts Mazda 6 Wagon ‘just’ somewhere in the class average.

Also, the total length of the Wagon is six centimeters shorter, but the luggage compartment is expectedly larger. 522 liters of basic volume are enough to more or less demanding family. And because we are talking about the station wagon body style, it is possible to enlarge this volume to more than 1,600 liters. One of the smaller complains goes to the one-third / two-thirds split rear seats. They are designed in a way that the larger part is on the left side.

Mazda 6 Wagon interior has no major weaknesses

If the feeling of the space on the rear seats is in class average, the front passengers can not complain. There is enough room, at least for drivers, lower that 190 centimeters. A comfortable driving position is easy to find. Ergonomics is not quite on the level of European competitors (like Volkswagen Passat), but also has no major weaknesses. The offer of in-cabin storage places to put smaller object is generous.

In short, from the comfort and usability perspective, the Mazda 6 Wagon is a really nice car. Again, with one small exception, the noise. Mazda 6 Wagon is not one of the quietest cars in the class. Mainly because of the noise coming from under the wheels, while the sound of the engine and the air around the body is properly well restrained.

Dashboard and gauges: successors room for improvement

How old is a Mazda 6 and what step will its next generation have to do to catch up with the latest trends in delivering information and control functions of the car, reveals the view at the dashboard and gauges.

9-centimeter information display, which is designed to manage the car settings as well as navigation (a part of serial equipment in Revolution Top package) is well-transparent. Beside that, Mazda 6 has another display on the center console. This is not the touch screen, the only option to operate it is through rotating and pressing a button, which is less practical for use.

And the remaining gauges? The time when we will qualify them for a little archaic is slowly approaching, since they are not much digitized. The screens are not of high-resolution and are colourless, all together looks very classic. The speedometer lacks transparency and does not allow accurate reading of the exact speed of the car, which can be rather awkward because of the high speeding penalties.

Mazda 6 Wagon Revolution Top has a rich list of standard equipment

The security systems are not quite excellent, because this Mazda 6 Wagon lacks lane assistance control, radar cruise control can be a little too aggressive, automatic braking too late and too softly.

Otherwise, the Mazda 6 Wagon Revolution Top has a rich list of standard equipment: the smart key, radar cruise control, electrically adjustable seats with memory function, sound system by Bose, directional LED lights with automatic switching between short and long beam, blind spots surveillance system and lane keep assist (LKA), low-speed autonomous braking system, navigation, heated seats and also rear camera for reversing. However, the price, as mentioned above, is moderate. All this for less than 37 grand.

Engine? Strong. Flexible. Economical. CD175.

Engine? 2,2-liter diesel is lively enough, already from the lowest speed and revolutions, flexible enough, but also likes to rotate all the way up to the red area on the rev-counter. In combination with otherwise classical (not only by the design, but also by the feelings and functioning), but still sufficiently well-functioning six-speed automatic, makes such Mazda 6 confidently fast and slick. 5.9 liters consumption of diesel per one hundred kilometers is quite exemplary figure. For those who does not think so, we would like to remind you that we are talking about 175 horsepower, automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. So they should consider it again. No, the fuel consumption is definitely very low (also compared to the competition).

And the chassis? Not too hard, sufficiently precise and with sufficient feel of the steering mechanism.

Mazda 6 Wagon CD175 AT AWD once again proves that it is possible to get a lot for not very lot of money. On the other hand, it makes clear why some cars cost more, and the other slightly less. But one thing is certain: this Mazda 6 is noticeable, beautiful and good car.

Mazda 6 Wagon CD175 AT AWD technical details

ENGINE:
4-cylinder, 4-stroke, turbo diesel.
Displacement: 2191 cm3.
Maximum power: 129 kW (175 hp) at 4500 rpm.
Maximum torque: 420 Nm at 2,000 rpm.

TRANSMISSION:
Four wheel drive.
6-speed automatic transmission.

MEASURES AND DIMENSIONS:
Length: 4,805 mm.
Width: 1,840 mm.
Height: 1,475 mm.
Wheelbase: 2750 mm.
Trunk: 522-1648 l.
Fuel tank: 52 liters.
Tire size: 225/45 R19 W.

PERFORMANCE:
Top speed: 209 km/h.
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 9.1 s.

FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Combined average fuel consumption (ECE): 5.4 l/100 km.
CO2 emissions: 143 g/km.

MASS:
Empty vehicle: 1,560 kg.
The maximum authorized mass: 2,150 kg.

PRICE: 36,500 euros.

Mazda 6 Wagon probable competitors

• Audi A4 Avant
• BMW 3-series touring
• Ford Mondeo Estate
• Hyundai i40 Wagon
• Mercedes C-Class Estate
• Renault Talisman Grandtour
• Skoda Superb Combi
• Toyota Avensis Touring
• Volkswagen Passat Variant

Image credit: Mazda