Even Better: The 2017 Mazda 6i Grand Touring

The 2017 Mazda 6i Grand Touring.

Longtime TireKicker readers know that the Mazda 6 is one of our favorite cars...to the point that it's been in the TireKicker's Best Cars list on the right of this page for many years.  Freshly updated in 2016, it's a matter of minor tweaks to the 2017, all of which make the Mazda 6 an even better car.

2017 Mazda 6i Grand Touring.

So what's new?  A new design for the exterior mirror turn lamp and the steering wheel....and now that steering wheel can be heated (in this first real winter in Northern California in many years, I'm finding some serious love for that option) the Mazda Connect infotainment system is now standard equipment, lane-keeping assist is now standard on Grand Touring models, you can get heated rear seats now, traffic sign recognition is a part of the technology that edges us closer to some level of autonomy, and you now have the option of Nappa leather-trimmed sport seats, a new color (Machine Gray Metallic) and a black headliner.

2017 Mazda 6i Grand Touring interior.

Especially with the Nappa leather, the Mazda 6 has what we believe is the best interior in the family sedan segment.

All the fundamental great stuff about the Mazda 6 remains the same.  The 184-horsepower, 2.5-liter Syactiv-G four-cylinder engine, the exterior styling, the sports car-like handling and the EPA-estimated 27 mpg city/35 highway are constants.

Our tester was the Mazda 6i Grand Touring, the top-level trim.  Base price $30,695.  Ours was treated to the GT Premium Package (i-Eloop regenerative engine braking system, active grille shutters, shifter LED accent lighting, bright finish interior trim, Nappa leather-trimmed upholstery, heated rear seats, the heated steering wheel with unique stitching and the black headliner) for $2,500...a cargo mat for $75, the Machine Gray Metallic paint for $300 and door sill trim plates for $125.  So, with $835 delivery processing and handling fee, the bottom line was $34,530.

And most of all, like every Mazda 6 we've driven since TireKicker launched almost nine years ago, we were sad to hand back the keys at the end of the week.  The Mazda 6 holds its place on the TireKicker's Best Cars list for at least another year.