Six Degrees of Freedom

Manual Magazine - September 2007

Driving is a lost art here in the Philippines.

Well, at least to the thousands plying the major thoroughfares of Metro Manila, whose main concern is to get from point A to point B. Somehow, the joy and pleasure derived from being behind the wheel and one with the car has become secondary to the daily routine of the mundane commute in your own vehicle. It doesn’t help that there are even quite a number of automobiles that do not give the term “driving” any justice. And worse, “drivers” have become mere operators of machines that devoid them of any sensation or emotion from the act they do. Rarely are there any machines that welcome the driver as a partner in a journey, enjoying each other’s company along the way. These automobiles are usually in the realm of the more expensive sports sedans, at the very least, or those super car exotics at the most.

But every once and a while, a rare exemption to the rule drives by and manages to get one’s adrenalin pumping again. They may not look any much different from the next car, but once you get going, there just doesn’t seem to be any reason anymore to stop. This is my blind date with the sporty Mazda 6.

We met up at the Mazda showroom in Alabang. It was late in the night already and almost a comedown to actually negotiate SLEX rush hour traffic to travel all the way to the south just to meet up with my companion for the weekend. But I’ve heard a lot about Six… she was voted Philippine Car of the Year in 2005 and even judged as Executive Saloon of the Year for two consecutive years. Now that has to mean something, right? She had rock solid credentials to back her up. In fact, even if only for these, I wouldn’t have hesitated to go out of my way to check her out… whatever the time of day! So you see, it is quite obvious I was looking forward to this date. Perhaps much like a giddy high-school student who just happened to see his crush pass by, hoping that a glance would turn into a profound discussion about life and what not. Then there she was… the silver metallic coat glimmering under the moonlight. She sat low on the ground. She gave hints of her sports pedigree - twin exhaust pipes, a ducktail wing, lower-than-average-ground-clearance bumpers, 17” shoes on Bridgestone Potenza…man, she appeared to be fast even while parked! She had the looks, granted… but did she really have the driving soul?

At first I just sat at the passenger seat to feel how it was to be cozied-up by our new friend. I loved the amber lighting of the display gauges and center console buttons. They conveyed a sense of hot driving passion. Sitting inside the cockpit felt like a warm glove that fit just right - not too loose, but not to tight either. The executive motif was consistent inside the all-black interiors - leather seats matched with a leather steering wheel. Although it felt a little old-school Mazda (dare we remember the interiors of the boxy Mazda 323s of the early 90s), brushed gun metal accents here and there reminded us of modern tastes. Another touch of the contemporary is the Dual Zone air conditioning system – allowing the passenger to set his or her preferred temperature independent from the driver’s side. It was nothing new especially to cars of her class, but at least it wasn’t given up for some other seldom used creature comfort.

Six also had a sunroof for those who wanted to, ironically, stare at the starry night while driving (Because uncovering this under the heat of the noon-time sun just doesn’t make sense to us locals in the tropics). Powering open the roof glass gave Six a roadster-like ambiance. She knew how to work me up, she was definitely a tease!

The following morning gave me a chance to be alone and intimate with Six. I saw how her flowing curves and wide rear made her look sexy and fit. No baby fat here. She looked toned, much like the girl who frequents the gym not to lose weight, but to keep in shape. She was indeed dressed for the image – sporty shoes, sporty skirt, sporty lines, sporty everything! She knew her bloodline, and kept true to herself.

Although she looked more like an evolution of a tried and tested form, Six nonetheless still had design cues that kept her in tune with the times. Snazzy dark chrome head and taillights made her look in vogue. Auto-on HID low beams and wipers and six airbags in the cabin are features that earn her the right to belong in her class. A distinctive power bulge on her hood gives you a hint as to the power underneath. Her lowered stance and flowing roofline distinguish Six from her contemporaries in the Executive Class who all seem to go by the “the higher the roof, the bigger the space” maxim. Mazda seemingly didn’t want to challenge the physical laws of driving dynamics and instead worked on keeping Six’s center of gravity low – for better handling of course. And to this effect, she did not disappoint.

If you’re into spirited manual tranny driving like myself, you might be surprised to find out that Six is only available in Automatic trim here in our shores. You’re probably one of those who protested, “What!? No manual option? How do you expect us to enjoy driving with Six?”. Well, at one point in time, that would’ve been a disappointment for those of us after the ultimate driving experience. But Six’s guardians in the Ford-Mazda conglomerate have seemingly correctly decided to leave the auto tranny alone. Her Activematic gearbox was just that – Active and Automatic! In the next couple of days we were together, Six and I went around and outside town. Guess what, it was hard to find fault in her drivetrain! In city traffic, she was perfect - perky and responsive down to the last inch of tail-gaiting traffic.

In the open roads

On the highways, the 5-speed auto was quick to respond when needed and it had a manual override to boot!

And when Mazda says it’s a manual override, it definitely is because you can actually floor Six all the way up to her engine’s rev limiter while in manual mode! She wont prematurely shift up as a failsafe feature. How many automatic transmissions will allow you to outsmart them the way Six’s does? Matched with a very punchy 2.3 liter in-line four, she never ran out of breath. Overtaking was a cinch! She just kept on going, and going… one gear after another. Pull back on the gear lever and you’re up a gear. Then when the corner comes, brake until the ABS kicks in and push the lever forward again and again and you’re going down the cogs. And her engine growl just built up so much confidence in me that I felt I wasn’t in an Executive Saloon anymore but in my trusty old race car! And this was just a mere 164 horses under the hood! That’s just Honda Civic SiR territory, but it sure didn’t feel like it with Six! I’ve driven other cars that have higher horsepower ratings that didn’t accelerate at all! Six was a different chick altogether! Her steering was quick and sharp! I could actually urge her tail to point into the corner even with the traction control button left at the default “on” position. And the brakes just were spot-on! It just goes to show that it’s not necessarily the horsepower figures that provide the thrill of speed – it’s how everything works in unison as a package that does!

The only hint aside from the luxury leather interiors that Six was indeed a refined being, was her ability to soak-up small bumps the way you’d expect an executive saloon would. Over nasty, uneven concrete roads, she felt sophisticated and composed. Inside I felt insulated. This despite the low profile 215/45/17 rubbers she wore! These same tires together with the double-wishbone front suspension layout allowed Six to negotiate corners with ease. You’d wonder why other cars who claim to be sporty-sedans don’t have the right shoes for the role at all. If Six can be a daily driver - a plush one at that - on those wheels and tires, then handle like a track-prepped car when needed, why can’t other more expensive sedans be as well?

We could’ve driven on and on, Six and I. But she had to cater to other writers and executives longing for her skills. I wouldn’t be surprised if the rest of the motoring journalist community likewise found Six a joy on the open highways. Although she was still up to it during our brief stint, I knew she also needed some tender loving care for a change. I would have treated her to car spa, given her an engine wash, and flushed her brake fluid if given the chance. Perhaps a gentle soapy-rag wipe down for the interiors just to remove the excessive armor-all her detailers dabbed her with.

Even so, abuse isn’t necessarily the right word to describe what Six has undergone in the odd thirty thousand kilometers she’s been out. I’m sure she had as much fun in those drives as her other dates had. She wanted to be on the road. She wanted to be driven! And her eagerness to please still radiates from her solid build. Now she’s my kind of girl - someone I wouldn’t mind having second and third dates with. I guess sometimes, there are those who just disarm you and make you get down to the basics of driving pleasure. Six is one of them…she really stirred my soul!

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