Mazda6 vs Top of the Line Compacts

[niky]

Of all of the above, it's the new Impreza I haven't driven yet.

The Mazda6 and Mazda3 have the best tire specs, and handling is really nifty on both cars. I'm not really 100% on this (it's been over a year since I've driven a 6), but I think the 6 has much better steering than the 3. 4-speed ATs suck... but the Mazdas have good engines, with a generous amount of top-end.

The Focus is a bit heavy, and the tires really aren't suited to the engine performance, but it's the fastest available in this price range, 0-100 km/h in the mid-8 second range, potential sub-16 second quarter mile. Six speed gearbox. The steering isn't as tightly geared as in the Mazdas, but it's as feelsome as the Mazda 6's box, and better than the 3's. Springs are a bit on the soft side, but the shock damping is perfect for spirited driving. Given better tires, it'd be a blast on any mountain road.

The Civic has a lot of top-end grunt, but it's only available in automatic now, as the manual version is cancelled. The AT of the Civic is very responsive. it shifts quickly (better than the mazda boxes) and if you get the paddle-shift version, it'll hold gear in redline all day. Unfortunately, being an automatic, off-the-line acceleration is somewhat blunted... and the local Civic has very soft suspension tuning, which makes the rear end choppy when you corner hard.

The Impreza, I haven't driven... but from feedback from other sources, the base 2,0 model won't be as overtly sporty as the WRX, so it might be on the soft side. With AWD, AT and just two non-turbo liters, it'll be the slowest of this lot. The last 2.0 NA AT Subie Legacy we tested did 0-100 km/h in 13.5 seconds... the Impreza should do it in 12-13. With Subaru's trademark rally-bred suspension, it should be more supple than the Mazda/Ford lot, which have less suspension travel, and more stable than the Civic.

Personally, I'd go for the Focus, just because it's the fastest, as well as the only one with a 6-speed MT... but in terms of interior amenities in this price range, you can't really beat the Mazda6.

Of course, given the money, I'd like one of each (Civic, Mazda3, Mazda6, Focus, Impreza), please.