With the Mazda 6 only being one year old, Mazda has firmly decided to make this a family car that has a little, as they would say, "Zoom Zoom". In making this determination, this vehicle is a little more fun to drive than the typical family sedan, even if it doesn't have the horsepower of some of its competitors. There are not a great deal of changes from the 2003; there are some new wagon and hatchback styles that are scheduled and some additions to the optional packages but these very minor changes are what Mazda hope will sell more cars.
The appearance of the Mazda 6 was lukewarm; the critical response was one of adulation, whereas buyers weren't so excited, as it was outsold by the Altima. Some of the issues were that the Mazda 6 didn't provide enough backseat room as with other family sedans and there were problems with the sound of the engine. Combined with the fact that Mazda isn't as well known as a commodity as its competition, they had a long way to go from many standpoints.
As a consequence, the 2004 Mazda 6 has a revamped look from the previous year, with its sportiness being the main focus. Just like last year, there are two levels; the "i" has a 160 horsepower, 2.3 liter four cylinder engine, providing 155 pound-feet of torque. The "s" has a 220 horsepower 3.0 liter V6. Both come with cruise control, power windows, mirrors and door locks with key-less entry, six-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo, air conditioning, dual-stage front airbags, leather-wrapped steering wheel with tilt and telescope adjustments; 16-inch steel road wheels, dual 12-volt power outlets, a power trunk release, and dual map lights front and rear as a standard.
The "s" also comes with new 17-inch aluminum wheels, ABS, a perimeter alarm system, electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), traction control, and automatic climate control. Either the four cylinder or V6 is available with the five door but the V6 is standard for the wagon. Some of the options are a power-adjustable driver's seat, a side-impact and side-curtain airbags, a power glass sunroof, a Bose sound system with CD changer and a six-disc in-dash CD changer.
It appears that Mazda took a long, hard look at the 2003 model of the Mazda 6 and made sure they learned from the mistakes. The 2004 version looks to be an improvement in every way the 2003 did not succeed. Although there are other choices available at the same price, the 2004 Mazda 6 stands more firmly alongside them, rather than a step behind them like last year.