So here I am on a road I know well, in the hills and mountains just north of Nice. It's the kind of road that proves there's still enjoyment to be had from driving, and – if the car's not worthy of it – frustration can set in. It doesn't have to be some mega-money supercar, compromise-free sports car or honed hatchback for everything to gel; it simply has to be designed and engineered to work with the driver's commands and instincts, to involve the driver in the whole dynamic process.
This new Mazda 6 does exactly that, to a wholly remarkable degree. It feels like an Alfa 159 should, or like a BMW 3 series would if it were, like the Mazda, front-wheel drive. It has the precision, fluidity, light-footedness and sixth-sense responsiveness that used to mark out the Peugeot 405 nearly two decades ago. Mazda has been annoying us for several years with the puerile "zoom-zoom" slogan, but the reality really matches the hype.
Of course, every motoring pundit has heaped praise on Ford's current Mondeo. It too feels good to drive, flowing through corners, steering sensitively, keeping the driver interested and passengers comfortable. But the Mazda is a step ahead of the Mondeo, because it has an easy agility the Ford lacks. That's because the Mazda is lighter, smaller and more manageable than the too-corpulent, too-wide Mondeo. Average people have got larger and it's to be expected that cars will grow to reflect that fact, but no one need feel confined in the Mazda 6. It's just the right size for a normal family car.
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