This engine is almost identical to that in the Jaguar which was parked in the adjacent stall, by the way, making slightly less horsepower

The Mazda6 wagon comes with a standard 220-hp DOHC, 24-valve 3.0-liter V6 engine. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press)

in Mazda trim but needing less as well. After all, the 6 wagon is lighter overall than the X-Type wagon, and only drives the front wheels compared to all-wheel drive for the Jag. While AWD offers increased traction in the winter, it saps power and increases fuel consumption. Mazda fitted its superb 5-speed automatic gearbox to my test vehicle, which includes one of the slickest manual shift modes around, dubbed Sport Shift. In contrast, the Jaguar only featured the luxury brand's well-worn

Equipped with one of the slickest manual shift modes around, my test vehicle was fitted with Mazda's superb 5-speed automatic gearbox. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press)

"J" gate, which hardly offers the same high level of control. Personally I'd save the cash and opt for a 5-speed manual, ideally suited to the sporting nature of the 6 wagon. Speaking of a sporting nature, the 6 wagon gets a fully independent suspension setup with a double-wishbone front and E-type multi-link rear suspension. Mazda makes a point of saying the car's wide front track and stabilizer bar help it to resist body roll and side-to-side weight transfer, while minimizing understeer, and I'm not about to disagree. The 6 wagon handles extremely well in all situations, superb when the road starts to wind. It gets low-profile coil springs and angled shock absorbers as part of its E-link rear suspension configuration, plus optional 17-inch 5-spoke alloy rims wrapped in P215/50R17 performance tires that really keep the car firmly planted on the tarmac.