Road Test: Mazda 6 2.0 SE-L Nav 5dr

A mainstream naturally aspirated petrol estate. Does anyone buy these any more? Surely they go for a small turbo petrol or a good solid diesel. Mazda offers one of those, and it's good enough to make this car a difficult sell.

The 6 Tourer itself is not such a difficult sell. It's a handsome car that sits well on the road. So what happened inside? How can such a well-executed exterior open into such a ham-fistedly generic cabin? Honestly, the boot's more interesting to look at and use than anything in the driving environment. At 483 litres, it's no bigger than its rivals', and the 1,632-litre max volume is unremarkable too, but that doesn't tell you the full story.

It has a wide, deep floor with useful cubbies either side and rear seats that flip themselves down at the pull of a lever. It's simple, and it works. Much like the rest of the car, which loves to be hustled around. Yes, the ride is firmer than you might be used to, noise and vibration a little more intrusive, but this is a car that reminds you it knows what it's doing at every roundabout, and there's something valuable in that.

And the petrol engine? Impressive, but you'd have the diesel.