Mazda 6 2.2 TD TS2

I spent many months researching different cars in this sector and eventually narrowed my choice down to the Mondeo and the Mazda 6. On the test drives the Mazda won hands down. After 3 months I still look forward to every journey and find it hard to fault this car. The handle for the boot lid is recessed into the inside of the hatch (right hand side) and makes for easy closing. I also paid for rear parking sensors to be fitted on delivery and they are worth every penny as judging your distance without them is a challenge. Comfort is good, economy is good, the car is very responsive and it draws countless compliments and envious glances. I bought mine at a healthy discount on-line. Highly recommended.

Having only ever owned a small Fiesta previously I cannot compare my new Mazda 6 2.2 TD TS2 to other similar large family cars on the market (eg Mondeo, Insignia). However I am extremely impressed with this car. I have only owned it for 2 weeks so can't comment on long-term reliability, but it is beautiful to drive; extremely responsive, coasts along with ease at higher speeds thanks to it's 2.2 litre engine and feels like you are driving a small, zippy car on country roads as it seems glued to the road. It is also achieveing some impressive MPG figures when sensibly (over 2 weeks I'm averaging 45 MPG on a combination of roads & motorways).

The car has a sporty look to it, which is why we chose it over a Mondeo, which the wife thought looked a bit boring. It's probably worth pointing out that it is a few grand cheaper than a Mondeo as well.

A few minor gripes I have:

- No handle for opening and closing the boot which is quite awkward, I can imagine it would be quite difficult for someone not very tall to close it (I'm 6 foot 2 thankfully.) Also means you leave unsightly finger marks all over boot area.

- Not a great view out of the rear view window.

- No spare tyre (they have a temporary puncture repair kit, can't imagine this will be much fun to use in the middle of winter!)

- Rear view mirror seems quite prominent in front of you and can be quite off-putting, though you don't get dazzled thanks to an auto-dimming feature.

All in all though, I'm a very satisfied new Mazda customer.