1º - Mazda 6
2º- Opel Insignia
FICHA TÉCNICA
Basicamente o MZ6 sai vencedor em quase toda a linha: melhor conjunto motor/caixa, prestações, comportamento dinâmico, habitabilidade/versatilidade, equipamento generoso, custos de manutenção e preço de aquisição. O Insignia destaca-se pelo conforto e interior "premium".
THe family car class is dominated by the likes of Ford, Vauxhall and VW, but Mazda is trying to break their monopoly with the addition of a more powerful diesel version of the 6.
You won’t be able to identify the new car from the outside, though, because the big hatchback’s neat styling is unchanged. Its flashy light clusters provide some visual interest, but parked next to the striking Vauxhall, the Mazda looks positively plain.
If the exterior doesn’t turn heads, neither will its no-frills cabin. It majors on space and practicality rather than style, with lots of room in the back and a decent 510-litre boot. Fold the rear seats and you get 1,702 litres of space – 239 litres more than in the Vauxhall. The 6’s folding mechanism is also more user-friendly, because the rear seats operate with the pull of a boot-mounted lever and fold completely flat.
Its advantage in the space race isn’t matched on the quality front. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the simple dashboard and bland plastics, but when you climb into the Mazda after driving the Vauxhall, its cabin is much less appealing.
Compensation comes in the form of equipment, because our TS2 test car has more kit than its rival. Dual-zone climate control and a Bluetooth phone connection are fitted as standard. Both cars have attractive leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheels and comfortable driving positions, but over-the-shoulder visibility in the Mazda is better thanks to the quarterlight windows in the C-pillars.
On the road is where the 6 has always been at its best, though. On paper the two engines are closely matched, but the reality is very different. The Vauxhall has only 3bhp less than the Mazda and a 10Nm shortfall in torque, yet the Japanese car is much more lively. While the Insignia’s engine runs out of puff well before its 5,000rpm red line, the 6 pulls strongly all the way to its maximum.
The sporty power delivery is backed up by our figures, because the Mazda sprinted from 0-60mph in 8.2 seconds, a full second faster than its rival. The advantage is less pronounced from a rolling start, but our in-gear timings also favour the 6. It completed the haul from 30-70mph six-tenths of a second ahead of the Vauxhall.
The Mazda is in its element on country roads, because its precise steering is perfectly weighted and the slick six-speed gearbox wouldn’t feel out place in the firm’s MX-5 roadster. Enthusiastic drivers will relish the sporty suspension too, as it provides excellent body control and agility for such a big car.
Ride comfort is predictably firm, though, and the suspension only settles on really smooth surfaces. Still, the Mazda returned an impressive 40.3mpg in our hands, giving it an advantage over the Insignia. Is that enough for it to take the win?
You won’t be able to identify the new car from the outside, though, because the big hatchback’s neat styling is unchanged. Its flashy light clusters provide some visual interest, but parked next to the striking Vauxhall, the Mazda looks positively plain.
If the exterior doesn’t turn heads, neither will its no-frills cabin. It majors on space and practicality rather than style, with lots of room in the back and a decent 510-litre boot. Fold the rear seats and you get 1,702 litres of space – 239 litres more than in the Vauxhall. The 6’s folding mechanism is also more user-friendly, because the rear seats operate with the pull of a boot-mounted lever and fold completely flat.
Its advantage in the space race isn’t matched on the quality front. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the simple dashboard and bland plastics, but when you climb into the Mazda after driving the Vauxhall, its cabin is much less appealing.
Compensation comes in the form of equipment, because our TS2 test car has more kit than its rival. Dual-zone climate control and a Bluetooth phone connection are fitted as standard. Both cars have attractive leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheels and comfortable driving positions, but over-the-shoulder visibility in the Mazda is better thanks to the quarterlight windows in the C-pillars.
On the road is where the 6 has always been at its best, though. On paper the two engines are closely matched, but the reality is very different. The Vauxhall has only 3bhp less than the Mazda and a 10Nm shortfall in torque, yet the Japanese car is much more lively. While the Insignia’s engine runs out of puff well before its 5,000rpm red line, the 6 pulls strongly all the way to its maximum.
The sporty power delivery is backed up by our figures, because the Mazda sprinted from 0-60mph in 8.2 seconds, a full second faster than its rival. The advantage is less pronounced from a rolling start, but our in-gear timings also favour the 6. It completed the haul from 30-70mph six-tenths of a second ahead of the Vauxhall.
The Mazda is in its element on country roads, because its precise steering is perfectly weighted and the slick six-speed gearbox wouldn’t feel out place in the firm’s MX-5 roadster. Enthusiastic drivers will relish the sporty suspension too, as it provides excellent body control and agility for such a big car.
Ride comfort is predictably firm, though, and the suspension only settles on really smooth surfaces. Still, the Mazda returned an impressive 40.3mpg in our hands, giving it an advantage over the Insignia. Is that enough for it to take the win?
2º- Opel Insignia
With its new Vauxhall logo and fresh name, company bosses have high hopes for the new Insignia, and they claim it has the class and ability to take on the premium brands. Our SE Nav model certainly has the price tag to rival a compact executive, so is it good enough to justify the extra expense?
Judged on pure kerbside appeal, it gets off to a flying start. Pedestrians won’t give the Mazda a second glance, but the Vauxhall is a genuine head turner. Rarity value accounts for some of that interest, but even when the Insignia becomes a common sight, its sleek profile and classy detailing should stand out.
The amount of effort put into the Insignia’s cabin is obvious, too. After driving the Mazda, the Vauxhall feels like a car from the class above, thanks to its sweeping dashboard curves, chunky switches and high-quality materials. Only the questionable wood trim fitted to our test car lets the side down.
Specify SE trim, and the centre console includes a space-saving electric parking brake. It creates room for an effective BMW iDrive-style controller for the DAB stereo and sat-nav. Our SE Nav test car costs £785 more than the regular SE, and also features USB and auxiliary inputs for digital music players. However, even the standard model is a hefty £2,701 more than the mid-range Mazda.
You have to step two rungs down the Insignia ladder to match its rival on price, but at £18,650, the Exclusiv Nav model misses out on a host of kit. Omissions include the supremely comfortable multi-adjustable driver’s seat and digital radio, while the rear windows have manual winders and there’s a conventional handbrake. One thing that’s common to all Insignia models is the lack of rear headroom. The sleek roofline means tall rear passengers will find their heads rubbing the roof lining.
The Vauxhall also loses out to the Mazda in terms of boot space. With the rear seats in place, a capacity of 520 litres is 10 litres greater than its rival’s. However, it can’t match the Mazda with the seats folded, and the 1,463-litre load bay has an uneven floor.
Hit the road, and major differences between the two cars emerge. The Vauxhall’s suspension is more supple, but its 2.0-litre engine simply doesn’t pull as strongly as the larger 2.2-litre unit of its rival. The brakes merit a mention, though, because a stopping distance of 44.7 metres from 70mph was an impressive result on an icy track and nearly three-and-a-half metres shorter than the Mazda’s.
Our test car was fitted with Vauxhall’s £750 FlexRide set-up, which tunes the throttle, steering, stability control and suspension settings to suit three modes; Sport, Normal and Tour. Selecting Sport sharpens the steering and limits body roll, but the changes are too slight to justify the extra outlay, and the Mazda still provides more grip and driver enjoyment.
The Insignia’s strengths lie on the motorway, where it is one of the most refined cars in the sector. A noise meter reading of 70dB is deceptive, as the Vauxhall seems much quieter than the Mazda. Softer suspension and more comfortable seats make it great for longer journeys, too. Is that enough to justify the Insignia’s extra cost?
Judged on pure kerbside appeal, it gets off to a flying start. Pedestrians won’t give the Mazda a second glance, but the Vauxhall is a genuine head turner. Rarity value accounts for some of that interest, but even when the Insignia becomes a common sight, its sleek profile and classy detailing should stand out.
The amount of effort put into the Insignia’s cabin is obvious, too. After driving the Mazda, the Vauxhall feels like a car from the class above, thanks to its sweeping dashboard curves, chunky switches and high-quality materials. Only the questionable wood trim fitted to our test car lets the side down.
Specify SE trim, and the centre console includes a space-saving electric parking brake. It creates room for an effective BMW iDrive-style controller for the DAB stereo and sat-nav. Our SE Nav test car costs £785 more than the regular SE, and also features USB and auxiliary inputs for digital music players. However, even the standard model is a hefty £2,701 more than the mid-range Mazda.
You have to step two rungs down the Insignia ladder to match its rival on price, but at £18,650, the Exclusiv Nav model misses out on a host of kit. Omissions include the supremely comfortable multi-adjustable driver’s seat and digital radio, while the rear windows have manual winders and there’s a conventional handbrake. One thing that’s common to all Insignia models is the lack of rear headroom. The sleek roofline means tall rear passengers will find their heads rubbing the roof lining.
The Vauxhall also loses out to the Mazda in terms of boot space. With the rear seats in place, a capacity of 520 litres is 10 litres greater than its rival’s. However, it can’t match the Mazda with the seats folded, and the 1,463-litre load bay has an uneven floor.
Hit the road, and major differences between the two cars emerge. The Vauxhall’s suspension is more supple, but its 2.0-litre engine simply doesn’t pull as strongly as the larger 2.2-litre unit of its rival. The brakes merit a mention, though, because a stopping distance of 44.7 metres from 70mph was an impressive result on an icy track and nearly three-and-a-half metres shorter than the Mazda’s.
Our test car was fitted with Vauxhall’s £750 FlexRide set-up, which tunes the throttle, steering, stability control and suspension settings to suit three modes; Sport, Normal and Tour. Selecting Sport sharpens the steering and limits body roll, but the changes are too slight to justify the extra outlay, and the Mazda still provides more grip and driver enjoyment.
The Insignia’s strengths lie on the motorway, where it is one of the most refined cars in the sector. A noise meter reading of 70dB is deceptive, as the Vauxhall seems much quieter than the Mazda. Softer suspension and more comfortable seats make it great for longer journeys, too. Is that enough to justify the Insignia’s extra cost?
FICHA TÉCNICA
Basicamente o MZ6 sai vencedor em quase toda a linha: melhor conjunto motor/caixa, prestações, comportamento dinâmico, habitabilidade/versatilidade, equipamento generoso, custos de manutenção e preço de aquisição. O Insignia destaca-se pelo conforto e interior "premium".
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