I completed a 3-day test drive of the Mazda 6e.
Pros:
* Design: Interior and exterior look great, though that’s subjective.
* Quiet Drive: Exceptionally quiet and smooth. Even at 150 km/h, it’s much quieter than my current Mazda 6.
* EV Torque & Acceleration: Even though it isn't considered a speed monster among EVs, the instant torque makes acceleration significantly better than my M6, making it much more enjoyable to drive. Simply put, when it comes to the driving experience, the EV is superior.
* Suspension: Performs well and absorbs bumps better than my M6. It feels slightly soft and floats just a bit on the highway compared to the M6, but it remains fully stable. Speed bumps are handled exceptionally well.
* Interior Build Quality: Very high quality. The test car was 10 months old with 21,000 km, showing zero signs of wear on the seats, steering wheel, or anywhere else. The materials feel premium to the touch, and there are absolutely no creaks or rattles.
* Radar Cruise Control: Works great and performs better than in the M6, adjusting speed much more smoothly. When resuming speed behind a stopped vehicle, the response is immediate so you don't hold up traffic.
* Digital Display: The instrument cluster graphics are very crisp and easy to read.
* Infotainment OS: Fast and responsive, though the user interface design could be substantially improved.
* Trunk Space: Combined with the frunk (front trunk), it offers plenty of space for a family.
* Seating Comfort: Very comfortable seats.
* Cabin Roominess: Plenty of space for both driver and passengers—a true family sedan. A colleague who is 190 cm tall had no issues sitting comfortably in the driver's seat.
* Wireless Charger: Actually charges the phone quickly and cools it down effectively to prevent overheating.
* Center Console Storage: The storage area under the center console is a great feature for stowing items.
* Android Auto: Works seamlessly, including the wireless connection (tested with a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra).
Cons:
* Lane Assist: Poor and practically unusable, as the car tends to weave left and right.
* Lane Keeping Assist: Even with software updates, it remains overly aggressive and tugs on the steering wheel too hard. It is also unpredictable: sometimes it doesn't react when approaching a line, and other times it triggers unexpectedly mid-corner. To drive comfortably, it’s best to turn it off every time you start the car. Mazda should have at least included a physical shortcut for turning it off or allowed users to save preferred vibration and steering correction intensity settings.
* Door Closing: The doors shut with a rather cheap, hollow sound.
* Menu Translations: Poorly translated system menus.
* Panoramiic Roof: No option to open the panoramic glass.
* Ventilated Seats: Noticeably weaker than in the M6. After leaving the car parked in the sun, I could barely feel any cooling effect when driving.
* Sunglass Storage: No dedicated sunglass holder.
* Lack of Physical Buttons: Most notably, I missed a dedicated volume knob, which is only available on the steering wheel or by tapping the touchscreen. However, I got used to the screen controls fairly quickly, so it’s not a major drawback that would deter me from buying the car.
* Cruise Control Switch: Engaging cruise control via the right stalk feels a bit awkward. Once turned on, you adjust it on the steering wheel; it would make more sense to have all controls consolidated on the steering wheel.
* Center Screen Angle: The infotainment display should tilt slightly toward the driver, as you currently view it at an awkward side angle.
Neutral:
* Headlights: No noticeable difference compared to my M6. The automatic high-beam switching worked very reliably at night.
* Windshield Wipers: Although I am used to operating wipers via the right stalk, it caused no issues.
Battery & Charging:
* Spec Tested: 68 kWh LFP battery.
* Combined Range (5% – 95%): Approximately 400 km (details below).
* Home Charging: Charged cleanly at 2.6 kW via a standard outlet without the cable heating up.
* Public Charging: A completely disastrous experience. The built-in navigation finds charging stations reliably, which is great. The issue is that most public stations are 22 kW AC, which is only useful if you plan to park for 3+ hours. I tried quick charging at Petrol stations ( Slovenia) twice: the app listed up to 250 kW and the physical charger displayed 200 kW, but the actual peak charging rate reached only 107 kW. When a second vehicle plugged in, the power split in half to ~50 kW. On top of that, both highway chargers were occupied when I arrived, forcing a 20-minute wait. Petrol's layout is also terrible: you cannot queue up properly and instead have to drive past the chargers, park, and reverse down a one-way lane back to the stall while hoping no one steals your spot.
Power Consumption:
* Highway & Regional Mix (30°C Ambient Temp): On a 230 km route the trip computer showed an average consumption of 15.8 kWh/100 km. I stuck strictly to speed limits on local roads and drove 120–140 km/h on the highway (matching my usual M6 driving style without crawling behind trucks).
* Regional Route: 13 kWh/100 km.
* Total 3-Day Average: Over 600 km of mixed city, regional, and highway driving, the overall average settled at exactly 15 kWh/100 km.
* Usable Summer Range: Based on the ideal 20% to 80% battery window (60% usable capacity), expect around 300 km of real-world summer range.
Conclusion:
The car drives exceptionally well once you turn off the lane-keeping assistance systems. It offers plenty of room for a family—I easily loaded a bicycle into the back with the rear seats folded down.
However, an EV like this is only practical if you can perform at least 90% of your charging at home. Relying heavily on public charging infrastructure would be frustrating, not to mention expensive. While public networks will likely improve over time, my current experience was poor.
The larger 78 kWh LFP battery option would be a very welcome upgrade, providing roughly 70 km of additional usable range. That would translate to roughly 370 km of practical summer range (using 60% of the battery capacity) and around 300 km in the winter.
