FWIW, I test drove a canary-yellow Mazda 6 today with the "GFX" package. I believe the only option missing was the leather interior. Here's my take on it:
The interior is very well put together. The stereo interface take s abit of getting used to but in seconds seemed intuitive. The HVAC controls are low on the console and require a good look to get to. I'm sure that too would become intuitive. The seats were firm and upright - not like my PGT. You feel up-high in this car. The seats are nicely supportive. With the driver's seat in a good driving position I was able to sit in the back seat without my knees touching the front seatback. Lots of headroom too though I'm only 6-foot. The instrument cluster is shocking-red, even in broad daylight, such is the illumination. The doors close with a very solid feeling and no extraneous noises; little effort is required to latch them.
The trunk is cavernous and has a really low lift-over. The lack of intruding shock towers plus a 60/40 split rear seat make this thing capable of hauling alot of stuff.
The V6 engine is quiet at idle and with the hood raised, sounds much like a KL. The gearbox throws are short and fairly notchy though I didn't sense any of the 1-2 goofiness the PGT gearbox has. The clutch is a tad heavier than my PGTs though with 10 years and 178,000KMs, I'm sure mine would stiffen up if refreshed. Take up is pleasant and predictable on the '6.
On the road, the suspension is nicely damped and not much noise gets into the cabin. Sharp edged potholes produce nothing untoward inside the car. The chassis exudes stiffness and this integrity can be felt in the way the car handles nasty holes in the road. Steering is just about perfect in terms of weight and turn-in. The 215/17 tires provided good cornering feel and good wet traction. The tilt and telescoping steering wheel make it easy to adjust it just so. Control weighting and feel is high-quality. This is a well put-together car.
The engine: well, hmmm... Throttle response is lazy, compared to my KL. The throttle plate is controlled by a motor, not a cable so this may be a calibration thing. There's a sense of being disconnected from the engine. Even during shifts the engine RPM hangs a bit which is another computer intrusion...
It's got a nice intake growl at WOT and a 6500-ish RPM redline. A 1-2 shift at this redline provided a nice kick in the back but getting there seems to take a bit. 1st gear is quite short providing a reasonable acceleration rate but 2nd seems too tall. An extra gear and closer ratios would be nice. I was to involved in other things to notice engine RPM at 100KPH (60MPH)
Engine torque, despite having VVT, seems definitely lacking below 3000RPM. Above 3000, the car is quite responsive but below it feels more like an I4, especially when in a gear higher than 1st. My PGT definitely feels torquier below 3000 than this Durtech-derived V6. Accelerating onto a parkway on-ramp seemed less than frantic. It's hard to say what's going on: the car curbs at 3300-lbs (pretty fat...500 more than the PGT) and I had 2 other people in the car at the time. I missed the VRIS-howl at 4250 the KL provides. Like a Jetta VR6 I drove not long ago, this engine seems to deliver a very flat torque curve. The lack of any "peakiness" - even if just a few foot-pounds - seems to give the illusion of slow-ish acceleration. I think this is indeed an illusion because I found myself at illegal speeds fairly quickly. I'd say my PGT feels a bit faster but not by much. At redline the motor sounded smooth though not as "musical" as a KL.
The brakes were awesome though I didn't abuse them. They were
right now and pedal modulation is easy and predictable. Handling felt secure enough though wet roads prevented any high speed off ramps to really test it.
It's a very well done car. Very solid, nice gearbox & clutch, great interior with lots of space. Not
especially fast though. Like many car mags have said, it needs another 30 HP and perhaps to lose a bit of weight. And, it would be nice to have a 2-door coupe option.
The car had a sticker of $CDN30,460 which is pretty competitive. Out the door, with no haggling and no mention made of a trade on the PGT, it would have been $CDN36,500 (taxes, destination and all that stuff) which is pretty high. $30K I can stomach, not $36K.