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24 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday August 6, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Hot Days. Hot Deals. Hot Cars. (You sensing a theme here?) 2008 GOLD KEY AWARD BEST NEW COMPACT SUV L'ANNUEL DE L'AUTOMOBILE Striking looks, bigger engine Continued from last page required not going lower than fourth on the uphill grades. I only drove the automatic four briefly in urban traffic, plus a short hop on the highway. Again, there was all the power the average drive would need. Most of my time was in a GT-V6 where the torquey engine and six speeds resulted in almost jackrabbit starts from traffic lights. Because of the high "tip in" speed of the torque converter, too much throttle can lead to "laying rubber" by accident leaving a traffic light. Merging onto the highway, every one of those 272 horses were all there, making it easy to pick my entry spot. My tester was equipped with the blind spot system that lit up an icon in either mirror along with an audible beep every time another car would stray too near. The first time it went off, I was startled, but after a while it became a welcome extra warning of what was going on around the car. My tester also came with the navigation system. Mazda was smart to offer it as a standup option because why pay $2,600 when you can go to Canadian Tire and get a good system that does the same thing for around $400. The beauty of the aftermarket device is that it's transferable from car to car. On California's fabled Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), the Mazda6 was in its element, cruising along at about 2,000 rpm with hardly any wind or engine noise. When I had to pass, there was no white-knuckle/beads of sweat as the car built up to speed. With the V6, it was a matter of just touching the gas, not tromping the pedal. What stuck out was the small turning circle, making steering and parking much easier than a lot of other front-drivers. Now with standup good looks, great interior room and more than enough power along with good mileage, this car should continue Mazda's winning ways with Canadians. MSRP $25,595* JLX MODEL SHOWN GRAND VITARA NEW CASH PURCHASE PRICE 2008 ¥ $19,995 PLUS PURCHASE FINANCING FOR 72 MONTHS 0% $1000 CASH INCENTIVE 4.05% EFFECTIVE RATE and 5-year unlimited kilometre roadside assistance Suzuki of Oakville 2219 Wyecroft Road, Oakville, ON L6L 5L7 Toll Free 1-877-469-5969 fax 905-469-4562