When Tony Blair coined the phrase “Mondeo Man” at the 1996 Labour Party Conference it was because the Ford Mondeo, and for that matter, its direct rivals, held an important share of the car market, as they were just the sort of car that were bought by families and indeed the sort of voter that New Labour hoped would vote for them in the upcoming General Election. All the volume brands had an offering in what was also known as the D -Segment, or upper-middle sized family saloon, though of course indeed most were actually hatchbacks or estate cars. Ford’s Mondeo competed with the Vauxhall/Opel Vectra, Peugeot 406, Nissan Primera, Toyota Avensis, Renault Laguna, Citroen Xantia and others across Europe and beyond and there were also some slightly left field choices from the then up and coming Koreans, such as Hyundai’s Elantra and Sonata or even the bargain priced Daewoo Nubira. It was closely fought battleground, with national prejudices still playing a significant role in buying decisions. As we moved through the twentyfirst century, though, one by one, as these cars reached the end of their model cycle, they have not been directly replaced, the market having shifted inexorably either to cars with a premium badge or an SUV bodystyle. It’s taken a bit longer in the US for their market to go the same, as until recently if you booked a full-sized saloon with the rental car company there were around a dozen different models that you might receive. But the same has happened there, with class rivals to the big-selling Toyota Camry and Honda Accord diminishing at a rate. The Mazda6 is one of the casualties. Never perhaps the obvious choice on either side of the Atlantic each generation of Mazda’s large family car has been well received by the press and then largely ignored by the buyers. The third generation car to be called Mazda 6 was launched around the world at a variety of Auto Shows in 2012 and whilst the car followed the general approach of its predecessors, the range was cut back so there was only a saloon and an estate, even for hatchback-loving Europe and there were a more limited number of engine options. It all looked promising, with the model being a finalist in the 2013 World Car of the Year, but sales remained similar to that of the previous generation: steady but dwarfed by almost of all its rivals. It was accordingly no surprise when Mazda announced that there would be no direct replacement, and the Mazda6 was gradually phased out of every market where it was sold. The last US market cars were built for the 2021 model year. Unlike its predecessor, it rarely appeared in the Hertz US fleet, so whilst I did manage to drive a European spec car in the UK back in 2015, I guessed that the American market cars were going to elude me. But in that period of post-Covid recovery it seemed that Hertz had bought some, so I was optimistic I might get to sample what to my eyes is a good looking car which I knew from that UK test car would drive well. But on the rare occasions when I saw one, it was always pre-allocated to someone else, and then they seemed to disappear. However, on my third night in Las Vegas, whilst surveying a sparsely stacked Hertz facility, I spotted a pearlescent white Mazda that appeared available for rent. Clearly, this was the car to take.

It turned out that the test car was actually a 2018 model year car, making it one of the oldest on fleet, but it was in a good shape cosmetically, so I headed to the exit lane, looking forward to a day when the weather looked like it was finally going to improve after two wet and windy days.

All US market Mazda6 cars come with a 2.5 litre four cylinder SkyActiv engine. Those with a turbo put out a healthy 250 bhp whilst those like the test car that are naturally aspirated generate 187 bhp, which is pretty much bang on class average. This is a smooth and refined engine, and it is a willing one, too. There is strong acceleration which belies the available power. I took the Mazda6 to Death Valley which is a journey devoid of freeways but with well-surfaced State roads that allow for a decent turn of speed, you can also generally maintain a steady speed until your reach the Valley. There is a noticeable growl from the engine under stronger acceleration, but generally noise levels from all sources are well suppressed and the car is a peaceful cruiser. I covered around 300 miles and the car needed 8.78 gallons to fill it which computes to 34.16 mpg US, a good result, though I have seen even better returns from some of the Mazda’s rivals.

My expectations for the other driving characteristics of the Mazda6 were high and with one exception I was not disappointed. Let’s deal with the problem first. As I reached Death Valley, which is really quite a long way from anywhere, the oil pressure warning light came on. Worried that I was a long way from a garage and also that mobile phone signal was patchy. I have visions of needing to flag down someone for help and did consider turning back. But then the light went out. It stayed out for quite a while, so I carried on but intermittently, it did come back on again, leading to some nervous moments on and off. I tried not to let it colour my judgment of the car as this was almost certainly a service issue on this particular car. That apart, everything was good. The steering is particularly good, with lots of feel and perfect weighting. If anything, it is even better than that of the Ford Fusion, the other class champion in this regard. For sure, it is heavier than in any of its rivals, most of whom seem to have been configured to make the car easy to manoeuvre but vague and lifeless out on the road. The Mazda is the exact opposite, but even though the steering is weightier than its rivals, I still had no issue when parking up. The Mazda6 handles beautifully, too. There is lots of grip, no body roll to speak off and a chassis that just encourages you to find the twisty roads. The suspension is relatively firm, but even so I thought the car rode nicely. The test car came on 225/55 R17 wheels. There were no issue with the brakes which did their job effectively, without feeling at all grabby and just needing a consistent and light pedal pressure to bring the car to a halt. Visibility is generally as good as you get these days. Being a slightly older car, the slew of ADAS features that you would now get in a car of this class were missing here, and to be honest, I did not miss a single one of them.

Mazda made a significant effort a few years ago to improve the interior quality of their cars and that shows here. This one is nicely finished, even in the entry level spec of the test car, with plenty of leather on the dash and door casings and there is a chunky leather-wrapped steering wheel to hold. The dash design is pleasingly simple, reflecting the fact that the basic design of the Mazda6 goes back to an era long before the obsession with touchscreens and gimmicky features. There is an 8” infotainment touchscreen, of course, which sits high in the centre of the dash where it is easy to see. Mazda provide a control wheel in the centre console and this is how you select options and features from the screen whilst on the move. You can use the touch interface when the car is stationary. Whilst this would be a bit clunky for navigation – which was not on the test car, anyway – it is a joy to use for functions such as audio. The sound system has six speakers and you get Bluetooth but not XM Satellite Radio nor do you get Apple Car Play or Android Auto. The instruments are nice and clear with the usual two large dials for speedometer and rev counter and a combined unit for water temperature, fuel level and trip computed displays. Twin chunky column stalks, with the left hand one including the lights. Auto lights and auto wipers are standard. There are plenty of buttons on the steering wheel boss, for audio repeater, trip computer cruise control. They are all quite small and a bit fiddly. There is dual zone climate control.

The seats are trimmed in a suede/alcantara like material which I found rather agreeable. Adjustment is manual. Factor in a steering column that adjusts for rake and reach and it was easy to get a comfortable driving position. There is a feeling of space here and I found the seat to be very comfortable, which was just as well given the long haul to Death Valley and back. The seats have firm padding and contouring to prevent you from moving around when driving enthusiastically. Both the seat bottoms and back bolsters are supportive without being intrusive. These seats work well for both long-range cruising comfort and support for when you’re on curvier roads.

Successive generations of the Mazda6 have got ever larger and one beneficiary of this has been the space available for rear seat passengers. A bit tight in the first generation Mazda6, what is on offer here now counts as generous from a leg room point of view, even with the front seats set well back. The car is just about wide enough for three adults to fit. Headroom is just sufficient, my head just clearing the roofline, and the sloping roofline may mean that the taller may have to duck a little when getting in and out. Occupants get the benefits of a drop-down armrest with cupholders in the upper surface, and there are map pockets o the back of the front seats and door bins.

There is no external release for boot, so you need to use the button on the key fob or the release button inside the passenger compartment. Once the boot lid is open what you see is a capacious baggage area. It is very long from front to back and nice and wide. There are stowage wells at either side of the boot which would be useful for a few smaller items. There is a space saver under the floor with a bit of room to tuck a few small things around it. The rear seat backrests are asymmetrically split and simply drop down to create a much longer load platform. Inside the cabin, there are stowage areas in all the areas you would expect: there is a modest glovebox, pockets om the doors, a recess in front of the gearlever, and lidded cupholders in the centre console with a deeper cubby behind.

For the US market, the 2018 Mazda6 is available in five trim levels. The base Sport is fairly bare in terms of features, but it comes in at a reasonable price. The Touring and the Grand Touring have the features most shoppers would want, and the latter includes a more powerful engine. For a more premium experience, consider the Grand Touring Reserve or the Signature, which comes with more attractive exterior trimmings, higher-quality materials and even more features. The entry-level Sport starts with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder (187 bhp, 186 lb/ft of torque) and a six-speed manual transmission. (A six-speed automatic is optional.) Standard equipment includes 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, push-button start, 60/40-split folding rear seats, non-illuminated vanity mirrors, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. An 8-inch entertainment touchscreen comes with Bluetooth, one USB port and a six-speaker sound system. Standard safety features include blind-spot monitoring, a rearview camera and rear cross-traffic alert. Advanced safety and driver assistance features are available in the optional i-Activsense package, which includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning and lane keeping assist. It’s worthwhile to step up to the Touring trim, which adds features throughout the vehicle. A six-speed automatic is standard, as are 19-inch wheels, a sunroof, proximity keyless entry, automatic wipers, automatic high beams, simulated leather upholstery, heated front seats, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, illuminated vanity mirrors, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration (late availability). Rear passengers get additional vents in the centre console and a centre armrest with two USB charging ports. The safety features of the i-Activsense package are standard with the Touring, too. The Grand Touring starts where the Touring leaves off, but it adds the turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine (250 bhp, 310 lb/ft of torque) and the six-speed automatic. The infotainment system gets more power, too, with the addition of an 11-speaker stereo, satellite radio and navigation. You can tell the Grand Touring Reserve apart by its upgraded LED lighting and the addition of a rear spoiler. Comfort improvements for the driver include a heated steering wheel, a power-adjustable front passenger seat and driver-seat memory functions. There’s leather seating for everyone else, along with ventilation for the front row and heating for the rear. Above the gauge cluster sits a transparent panel that works like a head-up display, showing information such as traffic signs and your current speed. This trim also has adaptive front lighting, which turns the low beams in conjunction with the steering wheel to improve visibility at night. Aside from the addition of a gunmetal front grille, the fully loaded Signature trim level primarily improves the look and feel of the interior. You’ll find higher-quality materials such as microfiber suede, wood and upgraded leather, along with the addition of LED interior lighting and a frameless rearview mirror. Other feature additions consist of a digital gauge cluster and a surround-view camera system with front and rear parking sensors.

When you learn that Mazda’s CX-5 crossover was outselling the Mazda6 by a factor of 9-1 it really is no surprise that no replacement was developed. And that is a shame. Ignoring the nervous moments with that intermittent low pressure oil warning light which was almost certainly a service issue, then this was a car that I enjoyed driving, with particularly well-judged steering, an agility that belies its size, coupled with a spacious and well-finished cabin and elegant good looks. That so few people bought one remains a travesty, but that can and does happen in the automotive markets of the world. It’s unlikely that anyone else will find one now in the rental car fleets, but if you do, I would say this is one of the best cars in its class and you should eschew the lines of Nissan Altima and Chevy Malibu, and probably the Toyota Camry and perhaps even the Ford Fusion and take this one instead.