Editors' Page: 2014 Mazda6

It's as practical as any other midsize sedan, just more fun.

You know that Hollywood cliché with the quiet kid who's constantly overlooked until he saves the day with some heroic skill no one suspected he had? Well, that kid is the Mazda6. Constantly dwelling in the shadows of heavyweights like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, the athletic Mazda6 is now fighting its way into the spotlight with renewed vigor. It's been totally revamped for 2014 and boasts wonderful road manners, an efficient and modern powertrain, excellent cabin design and svelte new skin.

A Driving Force

The Mazda6 is among the best-driving midsize sedans even though it doesn't offer V6 or turbo power. From our full review of the 2014 Mazda6: "By designing the body, engine and transmissions at the same time, Mazda engineers were able to tailor the body and chassis to match the other components, resulting in a lighter yet stiffer body, which offers more precise handling. At the same time, the suspension was optimized to enable more confident cornering."

One of the Best

Riding the strength of its standout styling and driving dynamics, the 2014 Mazda6 earned a spot on this year's list of 10 Best Sedans Under $25,000.

Sky What?

More a philosophy than a feature, Skyactiv refers to engines, transmissions and design working together to improve efficiency and performance at once. The Mazda6's Skyactiv engine, for instance, features direct injection, a stratospheric 13:1 compression ratio and available trick technology like the i-ELOOP energy regeneration system that helps bump highway fuel economy to 40 mpg. The Mazda6 is indeed among the most fun and most efficient midsize sedans you can buy, thanks in large part to Mazda's Skyactiv approach.

Diesel Power on the Way

While we're fans of the gas-powered, 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G engine, it's still a 4-cylinder mill and its 184 horses will get winded easier than the 6-cylinder and turbocharged 4-cylinder powerplants available in the Mazda6's competition. Mazda's solution? Diesel power. Or diesel torque, more accurately. We're fans of the diesel-powered Volkswagen Passat TDI and its abundance of low-end oomph, and we're eager to sample the same kind of power in the diesel-powered Mazda6 set to arrive in late 2013.

Cost of Entry

The 2014 Mazda6 enters the market at a hair under $22K for the base Sport variant, and a loaded Grand Touring can easily crack the $30,000 barrier, particularly if combined with the $2,080 Technology Package (which includes the mpg-enhancing i-ELOOP energy regeneration system). Build and price a Mazda6 to your liking, and we'll give you a Fair Purchase Price that reflects real-world selling prices updated weekly and adjusted for your area.

Mazda6: 1 of 12

If delivering driving satisfaction isn't a top requirement for your next midsize sedan, you'll have one fewer reason to choose the Mazda6 over one of its 11 midsize sedan competitors.