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"Mazda has been on a sales tear of late. No surprise here, as the Japanese manufacturer has been building fun, fuel-efficient small cars for decades. The outstanding Mazda3 continues to do well and, thanks to the explosion in gasoline prices, the Mazda5 \u2014 a funky, space-efficient mini-minivan based on the 3 \u2014 has seen its sales increase by nearly 50 percent from last year. So successful are the Mazda3 sedan and 5-door that they appear to have cannibalized sales from the company&amp;#039;s other 4-door offering \u2014 the Mazda6. But an all-new 6, which starts at $19,000, now moves a notch above its sibling, thanks to a dramatic, high-zoot makeover.   The new 6&amp;#039;s skin looks somewhat like that of the Lexus ES models, but with saucier styling cues, specifically the shapely RX-8-like front fenders and stretched headlights. Details like the lower front grille/foglight assemblies and the organically-shaped exhaust outlets housed in the rear bumper add a dash of extra athleticism that is missing from the Toyota luxury brand&amp;#039;s base 4-door entry.   The completely redesigned cabin looks equally upscale as well, with very nice plastics (some trim sections done in a high-gloss &amp;quot;piano black&amp;quot; finish like that found in the RX-8), sound ergonomics, straightforward controls and eye-pleasing aesthetics. The center stack looks even tidier with the available, easy-to-use DVD-based navigation system ($2000). And the available Sirius satellite radio system has a rewind feature and can instantly switch to another channel whenever a favorite song comes on from a preprogrammed list of favorite artists and/or song titles. Another tech option is hands-free Bluetooth audio and phone controls.   As is seemingly the case with all new car models, the 6 grows a bit larger than its former self, 2.3 in. wider (72.4 in.) and 6.1 in. longer (193.7) than before. As a result, both front and rear occupants have more leg room (the back seat can comfortably accommodate most adults for long stretches at a time) and trunk volume has grown by 10 percent to 16.6 cu. ft., this figure making it the new class leader in its category. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a14126/2009-mazda6-1/>