The Mazda 6i Grand Touring is a luxury car at a less-than-luxury price. With an MSRP of $32,795 the Madza 6i Grand Touring is a beautiful, comfortable car with loads of features! Let’s start with the basics-this car seats 5 adults comfortably, even my 6′ tall son, Jordan fit in the back seat. It has a 6-speed automatic transmission and with the added technology package it averages 28/48 mpg (city/hwy). The trunk is huge! I didn’t get a picture but, you can fit a tall 8th grader with room to spare

Included in the Base Model Mazda 6i Grand Touring

• Power sliding glass moonroof
• 19″ alloy wheels with platinum silver finish
• Rear lip spoiler
• Bi-Xenon headlights
• LED daytime running lights
• Auto on/off headlights
• Auto-dimming driver’s side mirror
• Steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters
• Navigation system with real-time traffic updates
• Heated front seats
• Leather-trimmed seats
• 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with power lumbar adjustment and memory settings
• 4-way power-adjustable passenger’s seat
• Bose® Centerpoint® Surround Sound Audio System with 11 speakers (including subwoofer)
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio with 4-month trial subscription
• Smart City Brake Support-Smart City Brake Support operates in certain low-speed situations. Factors including speed, road conditions and driver input can all impact stopping distance.
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Mazda Advanced Keyless Entry
• Multi-function Commander control
• Rear seat heat and A/C vents
• Blind Spot Monitoring System
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert

We used the navigation system several times and it worked well. I especially liked that when we had music playing, it lowered the music in the driver’s side speakers so the navigation directions can be clearly heard. The sound system is amazing! We were able to listen to FM, HD and Satellite Radio. When Jordan rode in the back seat, he really appreciated the rear seat A/C. I love the keyless entry and push button start. It is so nice not to have to dig out the key to get into, start or lock the car! The blind spot monitoring is a must-have in a car. It makes driving so much safer, letting you know when it is and isn’t safe to change lanes. Aaron is in love with the Platinum Silver Finish Wheels and wished he could get some for his car!

Optional Technology Package

The car I drove included the optional technology package, I feel this is a must-have for this car. The package includes:

• Mazda Radar Cruise Control
• Forward Obstruction Warning
• i-ELOOP Regenerative Braking System
• Lane Departure Warning System High Beam Control
• Active Grill Shutters
• Sport Mode

I talk about a lot of these features on the video review so check that out. Keep a lookout on the video for my absolute most favorite feature on the Mazda 61 Grand Touring too! (Special thanks to Jordan for shooting and editing the video for me!)

 

If you are in the market for a new car visit MazdaUSA.com or your local Mazda dealer for more information about the Mazda 6i Grand Touring or all of their other models.

The post Mazda 6i Grand Touring Review #DriveSTI appeared first on The Mom Maven.

I drove the Kia Rio for a week and my absolute favorite feature was the gas mileage. I averaged 27mpg with mostly around town driving. That is just unheard of for us. The Kia Rio is an adorable little car and the Electric Blue color garnered compliments everywhere I drove it. The Kia Rio is a sub-compact and I don’t believe I have ever driven a car this small before. The front seat area had plenty of room and was comfortable to drive though the seats are rather low to the ground and I had to work to find a comfortable way to get in and out of the vehicle. The back seat is a bit small, especially since my kids are full sized. Aaron fit in the back seat but he was not comfortable.
The Kia Rio has a large trunk space under the hatch with plenty of room for groceries or luggage. Aaron made sure it had enough room to carry his cajon…and it did.

I was impressed with how comfortable the ride was, especially being so low to the ground. The suspension was just right. The Kia Rio is a nice driving car with enough get-up-and-go to get you through daily traffic.

Here is a brief tour of the Kia Rio:

My other favorite thing about the Kia Rio is the dash board. The layout, all of the information it gives you plus the navigation system and the bluetooth technology was great. It was simple to connect my iPhone to the car for hands free calling and for streaming my music from my phone. The sound system also has a CD player, AM/FM radio and Sirius Satellite Radio! The nav system worked great, much better than any of the apps I have used on my phone. The back-up camera is an awesome feature that is now on my list as a must-have for any vehicle I purchase.

In the end, the Kia Rio is a great little car. I think it would be a great first car or a car for a young couple with small kids. The gas mileage is fantastic and with Kia’s 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty you can’t go wrong. While it isn’t the car for me, it may be just right for you or someone you know. Please share this post with your friends using the buttons below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Kia Rio so leave me a comment.

Disclosure: I received the car to drive for 1 week. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% mine.

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