Mazda's spirit is comprised of equal parts elegant style and sporty handling that channels a little Miata, no matter the exterior form. You might know it as "Zoom-Zoom," but it sifts down to cars that are a joy to drive, as durable as any Japanese car and stylish enough to grace your driveway with pride.

Now without Ford's corporate backing, Mazda carries on alone.

One of the best examples of the automaker's excellence is the 2014 Mazda6 — a four-door sedan that looks like it was styled by Italian artisans.

Designers make a strong case for sculpting elegant lines, hunkered over 19-inch alloys and ending in a fast rear window, lip spoiler and twin chrome exhaust tips. At a restaurant, people stared as if Carrot Top had rolled in with a Maserati.

Slip inside to see the exterior's promise fulfilled. Gazing at the large analog gauges through the sporty leather-wrapped steering wheel, it is easy to imagine piloting a Miata rather than a family cruiser. Comfy heated leather seats, 11-speaker Bose audio system and dual-zone automatic climate control spoil you rotten, as do Bluetooth calling/audio, power moonroof, USB and navigation.

Safety is enhanced by rear cross-traffic alert, radar adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning and front crash-avoidance alert systems.

Technical specs seem simple. The front-drive sedan is driven by a 184-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed paddle-shifted automatic transmission. That all works fine, providing plenty of power on the highway and efficient creeping in town.

But to achieve 28/40 mpg city/highway, there's much more to the tale. That's where it gets complicated.

Mazda offers its i-ELOOP system, which instead of batteries, uses a capacitor to capture kinetic energy through regenerative braking and stores it to power electrical components like headlights, climate control and audio. As in a battery-based hybrid, this reduces load on the engine and improves fuel economy.

In a conventional vehicle, an alternator is turned by the engine to generate electricity. Mazda's system essentially eliminates that drag to reduce friction. It's a relatively low-cost quasi-hybrid system that enables real fuel savings.

Fortunately, you feel none of that drama from behind the wheel.

During a four-hour blitz from Indianapolis to Louisville and back, the car ate compacts from the left lane and only burned half of a gas tank. Driven sensibly, there's plenty of power. Miata's spirit is summoned through the heavy steering and firm four-wheel independent suspension.

Just because kids or friends are in the mix doesn't mean you have to throw driving pleasure to the slow lane.

My concerns about the Mazda6 have nothing to do with the car — it's a nice ride. Without Ford as its parent, Mazda must design, develop and manufacture cars on its own. But, like Subaru, Mazdas feel special and have a unique place in the automotive realm.

And did I mention all that sexiness moves along with 40 mpg?

As long as Mazda summons the Miata through all it does, good things are ahead.

An as-tested price of $32,845 puts Mazda6 against cars like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Chevy Malibu, Ford Fusion and Kia Optima.


2014 Mazda6 I-ELOOP

• Basics: Five-passenger, AWD sedan.

• Powertrain: 184 hp 2.5-liter I4, six-speed auto transmission.

• Suspension f/r: Ind/Ind.

• Wheels: 19-inch/19-inch alloy f/r.

• Brakes: Regen disc/disc fr/rr with ABS.

• Must-have features: Style, mpgs.

• Fuel economy: 28/40 mpg city/hwy.

• Assembly: Hofu, Japan.

• Base/As-tested price: $20,990/$32,845.

Read or Share this story: http://indy.st/1er970N