一
辆新车往往是你所购买的所有商品中第二昂贵的，而货币的贬值则会令买车的经济负担变得更加沉重。因此就很容易理解为什么当前的汽车销售量如此低迷了。从金融危机到波动的燃油价格，现在唯一可以确定的就是这个国家的不确定性达到了历史高点。但是如果你必须要买一辆新车呢？如果是我的话，就会考虑传统风格的中型轿车。
中型轿车显然是这个越来越疯狂的世界中最理性的选择。忘记那些过于昂贵的“跨界(Crossover)”多用途汽车以及它们糟糕的油耗；别再费力计算混合动力轿车的长期回报；彻底无视那些卡车和越野车(SUV)。考虑到具备了传统的5座空间，合理的油耗，和比其他类型汽车更出色的价值定位，中型轿车毫无疑问构成了汽车市场的主力军。
2003年刚上市的老款马自达6算不上是主流。它的外观设计非常不错，但狭小的后排座椅却是致命的缺点。马自达对这两方面因素的考虑在新款轿车上都得到了体现。对运动风格的强调和较硬的悬挂系统被原封不动的移植到新车上。新车的操控非常灵敏，驾驶员得到的回馈也在平均水准之上，标配的6速手动变速箱搭配了间距较小，但档位非常清晰的排挡杆。
总体而言，新款马自达6比老款更加注重驾驶乐趣，尽管新车加长半英尺，增重150磅的设计有些奇怪。实际上马自达6已经从个头最小的中型轿车之一，变成了最大的之一，结果是车内多出6立方英尺的乘客空间。如果只从车内空间的大小来衡量实惠与否，那马自达6就值得推荐了。
我测试了配备170马力4缸引擎的型号。它的动力十足，在使用选配的5档自动变速箱的情况下，美国环保署(EPA)的油耗评级为24mpg（英里/加仑）。这种程度的油耗虽然很普通，但也算是为将来可能出现的油价攀升上了一个保险，尤其是和配备了V6引擎的20mpg相比。既然和V6引擎相比4缸引擎既可以减少20%的油耗，还能便宜3000美元，这样一来选择哪款引擎就显而易见了。千万不要被马力数字迷惑，V6引擎对于一辆中型轿车来说并不是必须的。
从外形设计的角度来看，马自达6的确是非常出众。它融合了表亲马自达RX-8和MX-5跑车的运动元素，在前轮上方使用了巨大的弧形轮廓。这种设计以前并没有收到太好的效果，但用在体积较大的新马自达6身上显得非常抢眼。车身的侧线延伸到前脸，狂放与优雅两种风格在这里得到了完美的平衡。
与外形相比，马自达6的内饰并没有如此精心的设计，是一个典型的“仿豪华轿车”。闪亮的金属外观装饰看上去只会感觉廉价，印有图案的塑料也不像木质内饰，不同纹理和色彩的塑料内饰搭配起来并不出色。
另外在此价位区间的大多数新款车型都有一个通病，就是糟糕的工效学设计。这使得人们对马自达6的评价变得更低。新款马自达6的按钮式点火装置安装在中控台的排挡杆后面，并且行车电脑的控制按钮从正面看都隐藏在方向盘的后面了。坦白讲，做出这一设计的马自达工程团队应该被发配去开发脚垫。（或许这也一样危险。经销商们还是用扔进去脚垫来表示价格敲定了，不是吗？）
说实话，最重要的其实还是价格，它是评判交通工具时最重要的变量。所以，尽管去选择马自达6吧，因为它的运动风格（或是选择丰田是因为它的流行，选择本田是因为它的声誉，选择日产是因为它的价值，选择现代是为了它的质保，或者选择雪弗兰是为了支持国货）。但是在作出决定前一定要先试驾一下其他的类似车型。现在有太多的中型轿车可以让你慢慢挑选，毕竟大环境不好。
A Sane Sedan for Seesaw Times
A new vehicle is often the second most expensive thing you'll ever purchase -- and depreciation can make it even more costly. Which makes it pretty easy to understand why auto sales are so bad right now. From the financial collapse to seesaw gas prices, the only thing that seems certain today is the record level of national uncertainty. But what if you absolutely need a new car? I'd consider that old standby, the midsize sedan.
There are more good cars in this category than any other, from the three top sellers -- the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima -- to the resurgent Chevrolet Malibu and underrated Hyundai Sonata. And now you can add Mazda's redesigned 2009 Mazda6 to the list. Powered by either a 2.5-liter four-cylinder or a 3.7-liter V6 engine, the front-wheel-drive Mazda6 has a base price of just $19,220, though a loaded example can top $30,000.
Midsize sedans are clearly the sanest choice in this increasingly insane world. Forget about overpriced 'crossovers' and their weak fuel economy, don't bother trying to calculate the future payback on a hybrid and by all means ignore the deals on trucks and SUVs. With legitimate five-passenger seating, the potential for reasonable fuel economy and a better value proposition than any other kind of vehicle, it's no wonder midsize sedans form the backbone of the car market.
The old Mazda6 was a fringe player from its debut as a 2003 model, its singular appeal being exceptional handling, while a small back seat served as its Achilles' heel. Mazda has addressed both issues in the new model. The emphasis on sporty driving and firm-riding suspension has made the transition to the new car intact. The steering feels quick and offers above-average feedback, and the standard six-speed manual transmission engages with short and necessarily precise throws of the shifter.
On the whole, the car feels even more targeted at driving enthusiasts than before, which seems a bit odd considering the new model is half a foot longer and about 150 pounds heavier. Indeed, the Mazda6 has grown from one of the smallest midsize cars to one of the biggest, gaining six cubic feet of passenger volume in the process. But if you're looking for bang-for-the-buck measured strictly in roominess, the Mazda6 can now be considered.
I tested the 170-horsepower four-cylinder model, which offers ample power and a combined EPA rating of 24 miles per gallon when equipped with the optional five-speed automatic. This sort of fuel economy is nothing special, but it is something of an insurance policy against the next gas spike, especially compared with the V6 model's 20-mpg rating. Since you can get fully 20% better fuel economy by choosing the four-cylinder version, while saving nearly $3,000, it's an easy choice. Don't succumb to the red mist of horsepower: There's just no compelling reason to choose a six-cylinder engine in a midsize car.
From a styling standpoint, the Mazda6 makes a distinctive exterior statement. The car resembles its cousins, Mazda's RX-8 and MX-5 sports cars, in deploying huge arched fenders over the front wheels. While this design has not quite worked before, on the larger sedan it looks brilliant, tough and stylish and perfectly balanced by a character line down the side of the car that sweeps up to form the lip of the trunk.
If only the inside were as well conceived. Instead it's a perfect example of 'imitation luxury car,' with a usual result: The shiny metal-look trim seems nothing more than cheap, the patterned plastic that could be imitating wood isn't, and the different textures and shades of plastic make nothing more than a pusillanimous pastiche.
While I have a similar complaint with most new cars in this price range, poor ergonomics sink the Mazda6 even lower in esteem. The engineering team that decided to put the push-button starter behind the shifter on the face of the center console, while locating the controls for the trip computer on the opposite side of the steering wheel from the display, honestly deserves to be reassigned to developing floor mats. (Or perhaps that's just as dangerous. Dealers still throw in floor mats to seal the deal, right?)
But honestly, the most important thing here is the deal, that crucial variable in evaluating transportation appliances. So go ahead and chose the Mazda because it's sporty (or the Toyota because it's popular, the Honda because of its reputation, the Nissan for its value, the Hyundai for the warranty or the Chevy out of patriotism) but make sure you drive the others first. There are too many good midsize cars out there not to be picky, especially in today's climate.
JEFF SABATINI
There are more good cars in this category than any other, from the three top sellers -- the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima -- to the resurgent Chevrolet Malibu and underrated Hyundai Sonata. And now you can add Mazda's redesigned 2009 Mazda6 to the list. Powered by either a 2.5-liter four-cylinder or a 3.7-liter V6 engine, the front-wheel-drive Mazda6 has a base price of just $19,220, though a loaded example can top $30,000.
Midsize sedans are clearly the sanest choice in this increasingly insane world. Forget about overpriced 'crossovers' and their weak fuel economy, don't bother trying to calculate the future payback on a hybrid and by all means ignore the deals on trucks and SUVs. With legitimate five-passenger seating, the potential for reasonable fuel economy and a better value proposition than any other kind of vehicle, it's no wonder midsize sedans form the backbone of the car market.
The old Mazda6 was a fringe player from its debut as a 2003 model, its singular appeal being exceptional handling, while a small back seat served as its Achilles' heel. Mazda has addressed both issues in the new model. The emphasis on sporty driving and firm-riding suspension has made the transition to the new car intact. The steering feels quick and offers above-average feedback, and the standard six-speed manual transmission engages with short and necessarily precise throws of the shifter.
On the whole, the car feels even more targeted at driving enthusiasts than before, which seems a bit odd considering the new model is half a foot longer and about 150 pounds heavier. Indeed, the Mazda6 has grown from one of the smallest midsize cars to one of the biggest, gaining six cubic feet of passenger volume in the process. But if you're looking for bang-for-the-buck measured strictly in roominess, the Mazda6 can now be considered.
I tested the 170-horsepower four-cylinder model, which offers ample power and a combined EPA rating of 24 miles per gallon when equipped with the optional five-speed automatic. This sort of fuel economy is nothing special, but it is something of an insurance policy against the next gas spike, especially compared with the V6 model's 20-mpg rating. Since you can get fully 20% better fuel economy by choosing the four-cylinder version, while saving nearly $3,000, it's an easy choice. Don't succumb to the red mist of horsepower: There's just no compelling reason to choose a six-cylinder engine in a midsize car.
From a styling standpoint, the Mazda6 makes a distinctive exterior statement. The car resembles its cousins, Mazda's RX-8 and MX-5 sports cars, in deploying huge arched fenders over the front wheels. While this design has not quite worked before, on the larger sedan it looks brilliant, tough and stylish and perfectly balanced by a character line down the side of the car that sweeps up to form the lip of the trunk.
If only the inside were as well conceived. Instead it's a perfect example of 'imitation luxury car,' with a usual result: The shiny metal-look trim seems nothing more than cheap, the patterned plastic that could be imitating wood isn't, and the different textures and shades of plastic make nothing more than a pusillanimous pastiche.
While I have a similar complaint with most new cars in this price range, poor ergonomics sink the Mazda6 even lower in esteem. The engineering team that decided to put the push-button starter behind the shifter on the face of the center console, while locating the controls for the trip computer on the opposite side of the steering wheel from the display, honestly deserves to be reassigned to developing floor mats. (Or perhaps that's just as dangerous. Dealers still throw in floor mats to seal the deal, right?)
But honestly, the most important thing here is the deal, that crucial variable in evaluating transportation appliances. So go ahead and chose the Mazda because it's sporty (or the Toyota because it's popular, the Honda because of its reputation, the Nissan for its value, the Hyundai for the warranty or the Chevy out of patriotism) but make sure you drive the others first. There are too many good midsize cars out there not to be picky, especially in today's climate.
JEFF SABATINI
http://chinese.wsj.com/gb/20081224/trv152334.asp
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