Mazda6 Estate: month 3

Arrived: May 2008
List price (including options): £19,490
Average economy: 38.2mpg

The Mazda6 Estate has been -

The 6 has been all over the place. It ran up to Scotland and back over a weekend, and it's been to countless airports and hotels. That all means that in its short tenure with me it's covered over 5,000 miles. A quick calculation suggests at current fuel prices those miles have cost around £755. Ouch. It could be worse though; I could have used the train to get about - I did look into taking the train on my Scotland trip but not only was the Mazda much cheaper than the train tickets, it was quicker and more comfortable too. Add that I could throw in as much stuff as I liked and taking the train became a non-option. Of all the launch events the 6 has visited it's its revised RX-8 rotary-engined coupé relative that stands out most. Not just because Mazda has done a good job on updating it, but because the planes at the airstrip were aerobatic ones, and I got to fly one.

We're loving the -

Attention to detail inside. It's only after you've spent time in a car that you appreciate the little details. I love the fact there are two sockets for phone, satnav chargers and the like - one in the conventional ashtray location, the other in the central armrest. The boot and comfortable supportive seats continue to impress, as does the ride and handling, the 6 an enjoyable car to drive down a challenging road. It grips hard and rides very nicely indeed. The Bluetooth phone system is a real boon, meaning on those long drives I can keep in touch without breaking the law.

But not so impressed by -

That Bluetooth system is impressive, but it does connect you directly without you getting to hear the number you're calling ringing. That might sound like I'm being overly fussy, but it does result in rather protracted periods of ascertaining there's someone at the end of the line when it connects. The fuel consumption is remaining resolutely around the 38.2mpg mark; I had hoped it might creep up with all the motorway miles. Inexplicably the radio has lost all its settings twice now. I know immediately it's happened as it also resets the teeth-clenchingly bad 'zoom-zoom' audible greeting when you get in. The radio reception has never been much good either, it crackling away where others don't.

We're looking forward to -

Enjoying a summer of activity with it. The boot is so usefully sized I've taken to leaving all my sports stuff in the back, so it's always handy. It'll be heading up to Scotland again in August and if I've time it may be pointed in the direction of Chamonix - visiting my favourite ski resort in the summer something I've always planned on doing.

Kyle Fortune