After a slow start, it seems that sales of the new Mazda6 are picking up. Just yesterday, I observed 9 of them around town.....the most I've seen so far in one day.

While not as plentiful as other mid-sized sedans (including the omnipresent Honda Accord and Toyota Camry), it is a sign that the car is gaining popularity. Having said that, many enthusiasts have criticized its size as being too big and its styling for being bland compared to the 1st gen. Mazda6. IMO, the size is where it needs to be. The mid-size segment is doggedly competitive and to be taken as seriously as a contender, Mazda needs a product that compares well to others in its class.

The previous 6, while an excellent car, was too small...it's hard to be taken seriously as a mid-size alternative while not being appreciably bigger than the competition’s sub-compact offerings. In this regard, you can say that all cars have gotten too big.

As far as the styling goes, I'm a little split on this. I think that the 1 gen. Mazda6 is a better looking car overall - no matter what angle you look at it it's a sexy car. The new 6 has some good points and is not a bad looking car, but it could be better. Hopefuly the next time around, the designers will improve on this.

 

I too have been seeing more 2nd gen 6's lately. Mostly base model autos.

From the first, I liked the styling of the new car, and agree that Mazda needed a true modern mid-sized car to help them compete in the market. But personally speaking, I wouldn't consider the car for me because it is bigger and "less sporty" for my taste in cars. Add to that it is only available in a manual in its most basic form.

I'm also not so sure the 2.5L is powerful enough to competently drag that much weight around either. For a mid-sized family car needing low end grunt, a supercharged version would likely be my pick if it were up to me. But then again, a boosted car requires premium fuel, and that's not what sells most family cars these days either.

To my eye, the 1st gens and 2nd are two very different cars for two very different kinds of owners. I have driven 1st gen 6's and found it's size big enough for my liking, it's ride soft but appealing/comfortable in stock form, and body yaw certainly excessive for a sporty car. I have often said that if I ended up owning a 6 series, the first mod I would make is putting the biggest "bars" on it that I could find.

No, the 2nd gens are very nice cars, but they do not have the Zoom-Zoom factor that other (real) Mazdas enjoy.

 

The Mazda6 (in any form) has, for me at least, been a big *yawn*; errr, that is until I read this review yesterday:

• 2012 Mazda 6 Diesel Prototype - Driven - Automobile Magazine

I'm now thinking, "Hmmm, 173 hp, 310 lb-ft of torque, 4-Doors with room enough for the family, and a 6-Speed manual transmission. All that's missing to make it perfect for my tastes is a nice Sport Suspension and RWD."

 

Yeah, shipo, that sounds nice. However, America does like big cars too much. The previous generation 6 was a perfect size. It looked great. The latest 6 looks sleek. However, the lines do not seem to match up to me. It kind of looks unfinished. I also think that they look too big. I would of liked to seem them keep the old 6 and use the newest 6 as a new vehicle segment. Like
Mazda 2-compact economy car
Mazda 3- small size economy car
Mazda 6 (previous version)- midsized family car- tweak looks slightly, but keep the weight the same and put in the new 2.5 motor.
Mazda 6 (current version)-family car segment different name-like mazda 7... whatever.

Does that make sense?