A person learns all his life, let today's headline be proof of that. During the entire test, I was comparing Mazda with "our" Octave in my head, I had prepared a heart-wrenching introduction about the entry of the German concern giant into the domestic car industry and the subsequent presentation of a car that literally destroyed the domestic market, only to find out while writing these lines that it actually they are not quite the same category of cars. Like seriously, is the Octavia "only" a lower mid-range car? It is said that this is no longer the case for the third generation, but the numbers speak clearly, if you compare it with Mr. Superb. Well, thank you very much, dear Wikipedia, now I'll have to cook a little water. But on the other hand, probably better than being a fool…
But let's finally focus on Mazda, she is of course the main star here today. In addition, in the most powerful engine and with equipment that certainly does not fall behind in any way, rather the opposite. If we take it in a nice order, the design catches the eye at first glance. And not just any, Mazda itself refers to this direction as KODO, i.e. soul in motion. It is true that the curves give the impression of an organic creature rather than a cool machine. Either you'll fall in love with them right away, or maybe it'll take a while for them to get under your skin. But believe me, it will happen sooner or later. The shapes are graceful and well thought out. Here, everything is additionally enhanced by beautiful nineteen-inch wheels.
Moving inside, I have to admit that the interior impressed me even more than the exterior. Especially in this version of light leather, dark plastics and a combination of matte and polished aluminum, there is no mistake. A bit impractical, but very nice to look at. It's just a shame that the manufacturer didn't use circular air conditioning vents in this model line as well. The on-board display is not controlled by touch, but by a rotary control in front of the armrest. In the era of touchpads, it's quite unusual at first, but after using it for a while, you'll find that it's less distracting than hitting individual points on the screen while driving. And most importantly, the display does not dim after a while.
The second thing that catches your eye in the interior, apart from the design, is the space. It's everywhere, and in this context, I miss the meaning of all those sixes, five-five Baws, and esque Bears, let alone their higher ranks. Is this really not enough for someone and they need more? I don't understand, but so be it, against taste… Apparently, somewhere here too, the first worm of doubt about the comparison with Octavia has begun to gnaw. Although I consider myself a patriot, I was more impressed by the interior of the Japanese wrestler due to its appearance, processing and, above all, its spaciousness. But which was subsequently explained, at least the space. There is also enough for luggage. You won't complain about the volume, which you may already have, is its accessibility in the sedan variant we tested, because only a relatively short edge behind the window opens and you have to reach into the back of the trunk a lot and lean over the bumper, which in bad weather can take your clothes away. A liftback design would certainly be more practical from this point of view, with a station wagon this concern is eliminated.
But enough talk, it's time to start and go. The position behind the wheel is relaxed, the luxurious leather seats are spacious and comfortable, they just slide a little when cornering. They are perforated and allow ventilation on warm days, which greatly increases comfort behind the wheel. Heating is then a matter of course. A nice trick is the moving red bar on the speedometer dial, which reacts to the current speed limit according to GPS, so you can see exactly how much you can drive, so you don't expose yourself to problems with the law. Most of the time you will check the speed on the head-up display in your field of vision, but even so, this is a very nice detail. What surprised me a lot while driving was the comfort. Large rims with low-profile tires are usually a matter of compromise and it's up to you whether you prefer looks or comfort, but here, surprisingly, the size does not have any negative effect on the ride, so it's really a win-win situation. Only your wallet may have a different opinion…
Atmospheric gasoline two and a half liters promises a lot of fun on paper. In reality, it is only half confirmed. Don't worry and don't get me wrong, the car goes, it goes fast, but still, maybe I had a bit more expectations. After switching to sport mode, the situation improves dramatically, but I still can't help feeling that I could get more out of the engine with a manual. Or maybe not, because it's more of a time for smaller turbo engines and the larger naturally aspirated ones seem to suffer a little more from the transition to the new Euro standards. Today the game is about emissions and consumption. In this regard, the Mazda unit keeps pace and disengages two cylinders during leisurely city driving. The average consumption during the test was 8.8 l, I believe that if I wanted, I could get to eight, which is definitely not a bad value at all.
I also have mixed feelings about the brakes. You need to apply quite a lot of pressure on the pedal right from the start, and if you want to get the best out of them, you really have to work hard. Well, I don't know, I don't know how women in particular would cope with this. However, the driving itself and the feeling of the car are clearly positive. The ride is comfortable enough, yet the car is not unnecessarily swayed and follows your commands exactly.
Manipulation on site is then somewhat more cumbersome. The exterior dimensions are really impressive and unfortunately the view from the car is not great at all. Yes, of course there is a parking camera, but I still prefer to rely on my own eyes and have the camera only for checking and possibly to use the last possible centimeters. Regarding this, the car has another useful gadget. When you drive next to cars parked lengthwise, you can see them on the display from a bird's eye view and at the same time lines delimiting the space required for parking. So you can check right away if there is enough free space and don't try to drive somewhere you can't fit.
It's hard not to get excited when you're faced with a car that's beautiful, powerful, spacious and suitably luxurious, let alone take the liberty of criticizing it for anything. But I tried to avoid being accused of bias or perhaps even a bribe from the manufacturer. I wish it would, hello… :-). Let me tell you, saying goodbye was hard. Still, I would choose a slightly different spec. Definitely a station wagon, and probably a smaller two-liter engine with a manual transmission . After my experience with the Mazda 2, I know that these Japanese really know how to do it, so perhaps it's a shame that the motorization we tested is not offered.
