In an increasingly muddied midsize sedan market, you need to be simple and concise with your product to help prospective buyers focus on your car. With solid offerings coming from all over the world, there are more great options than ever, so

Bringing those criteria together is the challenge automakers struggle with from one model year to the next. Constant updates and revisions are often needed to make new-car buyers come out to see what you have to offer.

The 2011 Mazda6 GT-V-6 I recently spent some time with remains similar to the last redesign for the 2009 model year. There isn't much notably different in what was a solid update, and it feels a bit long in the tooth and lacks a bit of the excitement it had in the past.

That's not to say the Mazda6 has faltered in any way over the last two years. The 3.7-litre V-6 still cranks out a robust 272 horsepower and propels the sporty sedan to can-I-seeyour-licence-and-registration-please speeds quicker than many sports cars on the market. The six-speed transmission is smooth and precise, holding the right gears nicely when climbing and descending hills. Steering input and feedback are strong and give a nice feel for what the front tires are doing at any given time in a corner. Body roll is minimal while offering a reasonably compliant ride, given the big 18-inch alloy wheels and low-profile tires.

Inside, the story is much the same. A wide variety of standard gadgets complement even the base-model four-cylinder, including features like rain-sensing wipers, steeringwheel audio controls and heightadjustable automatic headlights that you'd never have expected to see on a base model car even just a couple years ago.

My GT tester's heated leather front buckets were comfortable and supportive without overly aggressive bolsters. A little more height adjustment would have been nice, as the power moonroof cuts into headroom for taller drivers.

The dash is adorned with metal and wood-look finishes. The wood trim in my tester was so dark you only noticed it wasn't a solid colour in direct sunlight -I'm a big fan. That wood-trimmed ledge helps create a nice separation between the top and bottom halves of the dash.

Mazda's signature bright red gauges are still a point of contention for me. While they are easy to read, red is not a relaxing colour and feels a bit out of place covering all the gauges and displays.

The centre console is simply and rationally laid out, with a nice small screen still available if you don't opt for the navigation system. Three big knobs and a handful of buttons handle the climate control system, all easily operated while wearing gloves. Below those are the dual-temperature seat heaters, a 12volt power outlet and start button. While the start button is a nice feature and gives a fun, sporty feel to the interior, the original key ignition remains on the console plugged with a cheap-looking plastic cover. While I realize why this is done, it would be nice to see Mazda create a different steering column cover to rid the car of the eyesore.

The 2009 redesign saw to it that rear legroom was more plentiful as the Mazda6 grew to keep up with its competitors. Headroom is a bit cramped for passengers over six feet, but it's tolerable.

The fold-down centre armrest with cupholders for rear-seat passengers is always nice for longer trips. The rear seats split 60/40 to provide access to the well-sized trunk.

While the trunk has a good amount of depth, the trunk opening is a bit small and might make it a challenge to load larger items.

Fuel consumption was a point of contention for buyers in the past, as the Mazda6's engines fell short of competitors. This year the Mazda6 sees a slight bump in economy, although it's more likely to save cents per fill rather than dollars on the V-6.

The four-cylinder sees a pretty significant savings of 1.0L/100 km in the city and 0.4L/100 km on the highway. That's something to keep in mind, as gas prices could approach record highs this summer.

While first impressions do count, once I got to know the Mazda6 a little bit more I came to realize this car is still just as competitive in the segment as it has been.

Once you look past all the flashy gadgets that many people will rarely use and get down to what makes a car great, the Mazda is still a standout.

mhaase@edmontonjournal.com

THE SPECS

2011 Mazda Mazda6 GT-V-6 Type of vehicle: Front-wheel-drive mid-size sedan

Engine: 3.7L DOHC six-cylinder

Power: 272 horsepower at 6,250 r.p.m.; 269 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 r.p.m.

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Brakes: Four-wheel disc brakes with front ventilated discs. ABS with brake assist, electronic brake force distribution (EBFD)

Tires: All-season P235/45R18, temporary spare

Price: $37,440

Destination charge: $1,595

Transport Canada fuel economy (L/100 km): 11.9 city, 7.9 highway

Standard features: Variable-assist power rack-and-pinion steering, tire pressure monitoring system, front active headrests, leather seating, 8-way power driver's seat with position memory feature, heated front seats, 4-way power front passenger seat, outside temperature display, simulated wood/metal-look dash trim, leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel, 60/40-split folding rear bench seat, stability/ traction control system, engine start button, anti-theft alarm system with engine immobilizer, ISOFIX child seat anchors safety, blind-spot-monitoring system, rear view camera, fog lights, LED tail lights, auto-dimming, heated and folding outside mirrors with signal lamps and puddle lights, bi-xenon auto-levelling HID headlights, rear window defroster, power glass sunroof, tinted glass, air conditioning, automatic climate control, 10-speaker Bose in-dash 6-CD/ MP3 changer with Bluetooth, auxiliary input jack, Sirius satellite radio and steering wheel-mounted audio controls, cruise control, Homelink universal garage-door opener, Intelligent key system, power door locks, power windows with front one-touch down feature, remote fuel-filler door release, remote keyless down function for front windows and moonroof, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, rain-sensing variable intermittent windshield wipers