Of the Accord/Altima/Camry/Malibu competition only the Malibu has a longer wheelbase, which doesn't translate to superior cabin or trunk dimensions, and only the Accord is longer and wider by fractions of an inch.

But with its flowing roofline similar to oxymoronic four-door coupes and real coupes like the Audi TT, wraparound overhangs that appear shorter than they are, and sleeker lines overall, the Mazda6 comes across as a smaller, trimmer car than the relatively box-like Accord.

From dead ahead or in your mirror the diamond teardrop headlamps laid over the front corners add a hint of French to a Mazda RX-8 face, and from any other angle the floating front fenders are signature Mazda: the edgiest front-end in the mid-size market. An upper body crease that would normally go to the front wheel stops just shy of that floating fender, and the rear wheel arches have double creases to mirror the front.

Although both Mazda and Acura use a five-sided grille, Mazda's has a deeper V-shape to it and it's all body-colored. There is no chrome beyond the logo wings, and darker colors show even fewer character lines for the most fluid appearance. Fog lights are set in horizontal openings but the lights themselves are vertically-oriented.

At the rear, taillamps wrap well around the sides, and V6-model exhausts are distinctively shaped stand-offs not actually connected to the pipes themselves. You could stretch the shape and find the RX-8's influence in numerous places on the Mazda6.