If you're reading this, chances are that you grew up knowing a relative or family friend who owned a Mazda6, Subaru Legacy or Toyota Camry. For years, these family sedans have faithfully ferried children to school, wives to work and sons off for National Service.
Being reliable, practical and relatively economical are some of the many facets that helped carve these household names in the automotive hall of fame.
The Japanese adage, Kaizen, which means 'continuous improvement' is apparent in the latest iterations of these cars. Apart from the injection of a little panache, they now come with a host of technological enhancements coupled with more desirable cabin designs as compared to their predecessors.Exterior
Excelling in aesthetics has always been one of Mazda's strong points and this facelifted third generation 6 owes its good looks to Mazda's 'KODO: Soul Of Motion' design direction, a notion aimed at creating cars that communicate with drivers on an emotional level.
Its flexuous design puts it right beside the new Subaru Legacy and facelifted Toyota Camry with regards to styling. Although the latter two have more drastic changes to their facades compared to the previous generations, the Mazda6 puts up a good fight with its sleekness.
Being reliable, practical and relatively economical are some of the many facets that helped carve these household names in the automotive hall of fame.
The Japanese adage, Kaizen, which means 'continuous improvement' is apparent in the latest iterations of these cars. Apart from the injection of a little panache, they now come with a host of technological enhancements coupled with more desirable cabin designs as compared to their predecessors.Exterior
Excelling in aesthetics has always been one of Mazda's strong points and this facelifted third generation 6 owes its good looks to Mazda's 'KODO: Soul Of Motion' design direction, a notion aimed at creating cars that communicate with drivers on an emotional level.
Its flexuous design puts it right beside the new Subaru Legacy and facelifted Toyota Camry with regards to styling. Although the latter two have more drastic changes to their facades compared to the previous generations, the Mazda6 puts up a good fight with its sleekness.
Subaru has obviously done a bit of growing up and has taken the designs of its cars down a more matured path. Although boy racers may find the company's aesthetic decisions of late slightly less sporty, we find that this sixth generation Legacy bears a good mix of executive sophistication and modern sportiness.
Also receiving a facelift is the Toyota Camry. This XV50 variant comes with a more stylish front and rear end. The Camry's overall fascia looks a whole lot more youthful than the rounder designs of previous generations - a much needed rejuvenation for the brand.
Also receiving a facelift is the Toyota Camry. This XV50 variant comes with a more stylish front and rear end. The Camry's overall fascia looks a whole lot more youthful than the rounder designs of previous generations - a much needed rejuvenation for the brand.
InteriorSimilar to the pre-facelift third generation Mazda6, navigation, keyless entry, sunroof, paddle shifters and an 11-speaker Bose sound system are exclusive to this 2.5-litre model.
The facelifted Mazda6 now sports a host of interior upgrades. Drivers can expect to see a new dashboard design, centre console, swankier air-conditioning vents, climate controls, an updated electronic parking brake, a new head-up display and Mazda's MZD Connect system, all draped in soft leather trim giving the car a more premium touch.
The Subaru Legacy is not far off, giving the Mazda6 a good run for its money with an interior design that is aimed at being sporty. Changes include two binocular-style gauge pods enhanced by electro-luminescent gauges, and elegant blue ring illuminations matched with a 5.0-inch centre LCD information display.
Combined with soft-touch materials, thicker cushioning for both the armrests and centre console as well as new trim styles, the Legacy is proof that Subaru's effort in the refinement of its cars has paid off impressively and it is also the roomiest Legacy to date.
The facelifted Mazda6 now sports a host of interior upgrades. Drivers can expect to see a new dashboard design, centre console, swankier air-conditioning vents, climate controls, an updated electronic parking brake, a new head-up display and Mazda's MZD Connect system, all draped in soft leather trim giving the car a more premium touch.
The Subaru Legacy is not far off, giving the Mazda6 a good run for its money with an interior design that is aimed at being sporty. Changes include two binocular-style gauge pods enhanced by electro-luminescent gauges, and elegant blue ring illuminations matched with a 5.0-inch centre LCD information display.
Combined with soft-touch materials, thicker cushioning for both the armrests and centre console as well as new trim styles, the Legacy is proof that Subaru's effort in the refinement of its cars has paid off impressively and it is also the roomiest Legacy to date.
As you can probably tell by now, Toyota's designers have set their sights on targeting a younger demographic. This is apparent not just with the exterior of the car but also on the inside.
Despite the fact that the steering wheel retains much of its four-spoked, wood-grained top half design, the Camry does have a more up-scaled touch. Peep just beyond that and what greets you is a modernised blue-backlit Optitron instrument panel with a coloured infotainment screen.
You now get an integrated Toyota head unit that boasts a plethora of customisible options that include a reverse camera, navigation and Bluetooth. The new unit is a step up from the previous set.
However, a couple of the interior panels in the Camry does look and feel a little flimsy to the touch, but Toyota's remodelling of the centre console and roomy cabin more than makes up for that.
The auto dual-zone climate control knobs, which are pretty outdated in design for its time have also been swopped out for switches and buttons that sit flushed with the centre console.
Despite the fact that the steering wheel retains much of its four-spoked, wood-grained top half design, the Camry does have a more up-scaled touch. Peep just beyond that and what greets you is a modernised blue-backlit Optitron instrument panel with a coloured infotainment screen.
You now get an integrated Toyota head unit that boasts a plethora of customisible options that include a reverse camera, navigation and Bluetooth. The new unit is a step up from the previous set.
However, a couple of the interior panels in the Camry does look and feel a little flimsy to the touch, but Toyota's remodelling of the centre console and roomy cabin more than makes up for that.
The auto dual-zone climate control knobs, which are pretty outdated in design for its time have also been swopped out for switches and buttons that sit flushed with the centre console.
The
Drive
In the quest for output, the Mazda6 produces the most brake horsepower and torque, rated at 189bhp and 256Nm respectively.
While Mazda has the suspension setup of the car softened, the car does not compromise on handling. However, as impressive as the Mazda6 is, it also has the noisiest engine - more than you'll notice when in the Camry or Legacy.
Surprisingly, the Legacy's 2.5-litre Boxer engine has the lowest power output of the three, making 173bhp - 5bhp less than the Toyota Camry - and 235Nm of torque. However, having outright power does not translate to the best driving car. The Subaru proves to be the most fun of the lot thanks to its Lineartronic CVT transmission, which behaves just like any conventional automatic gearbox all whilst providing the fuel economy of a CVT.
Further adding onto the fun factor of its signature all-wheel drive (AWD) system is the Active Torque Vectoring technology, which assists in the braking of the inside wheels during a corner to combat understeer. Give the Legacy a bit of gas and you can faintly hear the engine's trademark Boxer note, a sound that is always pleasant to the ears.
The Camry isn't sloppy either. It's four-cylinder in-line 16-valves DOHC Dual VVT-I engine produces 178bhp and 231Nm of torque. This new engine is mated to a six-speed Super ECT automatic gearbox that provides seamless shifts and is a lot less sluggish as compared to the previous model that ran a four-speed.
Driving the Camry feels a lot better than its forerunner not just due to the updated engine and gearbox, but also an all around firmer suspension setup.
Conclusion
Pitting the Mazda6, Subaru Legacy and Toyota Camry against each other with the aim of deciding which will be the best family sedan is one of the toughest things we have ever have to do as each car excels tremendously in its own way - the Mazda6 is modern, the Subaru Legacy is fun and the Toyota Camry, comfortable.
But if we have to pick a car to haul our family around in for the next 10 years, the Mazda6 may just be that vehicle of choice. Undoubtedly, it is a charming sedan with a surprisingly frugal side.
Driving the Camry feels a lot better than its forerunner not just due to the updated engine and gearbox, but also an all around firmer suspension setup.
Conclusion
Pitting the Mazda6, Subaru Legacy and Toyota Camry against each other with the aim of deciding which will be the best family sedan is one of the toughest things we have ever have to do as each car excels tremendously in its own way - the Mazda6 is modern, the Subaru Legacy is fun and the Toyota Camry, comfortable.
But if we have to pick a car to haul our family around in for the next 10 years, the Mazda6 may just be that vehicle of choice. Undoubtedly, it is a charming sedan with a surprisingly frugal side.
