So who are these 'best and brightest' you refer to? 
My question is how does it stack up in overall quality feel compared to others in the segment like Accord, Fusion, etc.
Net impression on the road...same...better...worse...can't tell? Seat-of-the pants impression...
Come on, imagine you're lying in a ditch about to die and you could write just one more auto-journalist sentence that you would be remembered for...WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ABOUT THE MAZDA 6?
Please excuse my ignorance at this point. I haven't been in either the Accord or Fusion, yet. Last year I drove zero press cars. So, I am playing a little catch up. I did, however, drop into a Ford dealer last night to peek inside a Fusion.
Verdict: I'd have the Mazda interior. It just seems more lux to me (from a looks standpoint). Fit and finish - the jury is still out on that comparison until I hop into the other offerings.
I did take it out yesterday evening and give it a good flog on some pristine and not-so-pristine paved back roads. Considering it has winter tires, I still had a ton of fun. The seats are a bit stiff for my liking (noticed that in the CX-5 as well) but that's more of a personal taste thing. The seat bottoms are made for 400lb oxygen suckers -- absolutely massive. I wish the seats had A LITTLE more bolster but most people won't be driving as hard as I was. Other than that, I had a lot of fun behind the wheel, as I usually do with all Mazdas.
On the highway, I was kind of disappointed. That steering dead zone made it hard to keep it in a straight line if you were adjusting the radio or something else. That bugs me. It really needs to be tightened up in that regard.
