2012 Mazda6 Review

The Mazda6 mid-sized sedan is in its 4th year with the initial car debuting in 2009. With improvements in 2010 and 2011 the 2012 version is not much different with almost no changes. Other than new colors replacing old it has almost all the same features as its predecessors. So if you saw the 2012 in the brochure holders stands you might not notice a ton of difference if you weren't quite familiar with the car already.

The Mazda6 is offered in a choice of seven different models. I drove the lowest priced iSport with the manual 6-speed, priced at $20,240. Power comes from a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with 170 horsepower. EPA fuel economy is 21 city mpg and 30 hwy mpg with the manual. The iSport performed well, was easy to drive, handling was nimble and responsive and shifting was light and precise. The only shortfall I found was the lack of a folding feature on the outside mirrors. The folding-in of the traffic-side outside mirror, lest it be broken off by a passing large truck, is pretty much a necessity when parallel parked on a narrow residential street in Chicago. full review

2012 Suzuki Kizashi Review

The 2012 Suzuki Kizashi is an automobile I hadn't heard much about. The name sounds somewhat familiar, but for the life of me I can't remember ever seeing one on the road, or on any fancy lapel pins. Considering it was introduced in 2010 and this is the 2012 model, the title of the review seems to say it all: A Well Kept Secret.

The Kizashi was recognized as the highest ranked vehicle among midsize cars in the JD Power & Associates’ APEAL study as well as the top sedan in AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Awards for the second consecutive year, and received a Best Buy designation from Consumers Digest.