I've had two Mazda 6 Wagons, 04 and 06, 6cyl, 6sp, I bought them because I like to drive, I want a fast responsive car in which I can weave in and out of the moms in their giant minivans or suvs, who are doing pretty much EVERYTHING else besides driving the car! The WAgon is no longer available in the US. The new generation 6s are more geared toward luxury than towards performance, personally I think they are GORGEOUS, but not what I need anymore. In late July I smoked my motor and transmission on my 06 6, with only 70k miles. Price tag was 10k, but went that direction rather than buying a new car, there ARE no cars that suit my needs in that price range (25k-35k). I am still awating the work to be finished, am driving a Ford Focus rental (zzzzzzzzzzz). I LOVE my Mazda 6, both of them, I love Mazda's concept as a company since I am a very spirited driver (with three teenagers and 2 golden retrievers), but if you are looking for safety, economy, and and traction in snowy weather, the 6 is probably not the car for you! My mom has a CRV and it suits her needs perfectly, relatively inexpensive, very reliable, very safe. Good Luck!