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Mazda 6 Tourer Review: Driving to the New Forest

Richard Yarrow test drives the Mazda6 Tourer on a family weekend in the New Forest.

MAZDA6 TOURER: THE LOWDOWN

Best known for its MX-5 two-seater, Mazda has had a quiet few years. While rival brands have been finding new customers by developing innovative and desirable smaller vehicles, the Japanese company has chosen to stick with a more traditional line-up. That’s no bad thing, but the models it does haveneed to deliver. The Mazda6 is its best to date, and with genuinely innovative engine technology, it’s also extremely fuel-efficient, so cost-effective to own.

The hotel had bikes, helmets and even wellies for guests’ use – another example of Lime Wood’s attention to detail – and as we had plans to explore the New Forest, we bundled everything into the Mazda’s large boot. It proved a versatile vehicle with plenty of room for two kids and their stuff in the back.

WHAT THE MOTORING PRESS SAYS…

‘The perfect large family car, with plenty of space and practicality in a package that’s affordable to run and great to drive.’ carbuyer.co.uk

‘Excellent cabin space and a generous boot, with masses of room in the front and rear.’ whatcar.com

‘An attractively styled estate car with a practical cabin of decent quality.’ autocar.co.uk

BUY

Model: 2.2-litre 175bhp diesel with six-speed manual gearbox.

Trim level: top-spec ‘Sport Nav’ grade.

Family-friendly features: fold-flat interior, Isofix child-seat fixings,

USB connectivity.

Euro NCAP safety rating: 5 stars.

Fuel economy: 61.4 mpg.

CO2 emissions: 121g/km.

Price: £21,315-£27,595.

More info: Visit mazda.co.uk/cars/mazda6-saloon

 

DRIVING TO THE NEW FOREST

With no castle walls to storm, no dramatic hills to climb, no spectacular views and no amusement parks, the New Forest is perhaps not top of your list of places to visit with the kids. Many families head west to the seaside attractions of Bournemouth and Weymouth, for Brighton or straight on to the Isle of Wight. But this beautiful and ancient forestland – it’s mentioned in the Domesday Book – has plenty to entertain adventurous families for a weekend or longer. We made the trip in the Mazda6 Tourer, a smartly styled estate car that’s new this year.

CHASING CARS

Appropriately, our first port of call was to see more four-wheelers, at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, in the south-east corner of the forest. It has more than 250 vehicles on show, motoring from the earliest 19th-century models right up to those launched this year. Racing cars, motorbikes and world land speed record machinery are all there. I’m not sure who was more excited to see the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – the kids or my wife. The family-oriented Wheels exhibition, where you sit in pods that glide past tableaux, is a great way to explore how cars have changed our lives. Alsoworth a look is World of Top Gear, an exhibition of the crazy creations from the TV show.

BUCKLER’S HARD

We also drove the few miles to Buckler’s Hard, an 18th-century river village where ships for Nelson’s navy and the Battle of Trafalgar were built. The museum is packed with artefacts and information, and the children did a quiz as we went round.

NATURE

One of the New Forest’s main attractions is the ponies, which have lived wild on the heathland for centuries. There are thousands of them, and if you’re in the area long enough you will see them. They’re calm enough for you to get up close.

There are plenty of other activities on offer locally. The flat landscape means it’s ideal for family cycling, and there are several bike-hire centres. Canoeing, archery, a steam railway, wildlife park and tree-top adventure centre are all within easy reach.

WATERSPORTS

Watersports such as sailing are available at Lymington and Milford. The good news is that because the whole New Forest is only 20 miles by 20 miles, nothing is ever too far away. It’s a great family destination.

 

WHERE TO EAT

We finished off with a tasty if expensive lunch at The Master Builder’s Hotel on the waterfront, then a 30-minute narrated cruise on the river.

 

WHERE TO STAY

With the weather closing in, we headed for our accommodation at Lime Wood. This luxury hotel is on the outskirts of Lyndhurst, a pretty village in the centre of the New Forest, and hidden away up a long drive. We were staying away from the main building, in one of two newly built Forest Cottages down by the front gate.

They have been beautifully and tastefully created from wood, and ours had every conceivable bread for an arrival snack. There was kids’ crockery and cutlery, comfy sofas to lounge on and – treat of all treats for my two – a wall-mounted TV in the children’s bedroom. Upstairs, my wife and I discovered the large and elegant bedroom and luxurious bathroom.

Staff were friendly and helpful, and we immediately felt right at home.

An hour-long massage at the on-site Herb House spa was also very welcome after our day out.

I had reservations about how family-friendly the restaurant would be. Joint head chef is Angela Hartnett, one of the UK’s most high-profile cooks, and walking in it felt a long way from regular haunts such as Pizza Express. My fears proved unfounded; the kids’ menu had plenty of choice and my daughter proclaimed her burger the best ever.

PRICE

A Forest Hideaway suite at Lime Wood costs from £555 per night for a family of four; cottages cost from £650 per night. For more information go to newforestnpa.gov.uk

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Modena, Italy: Home of Ferrari

A city-break for car-loving teens, Modena’s Motor Valley celebrates all the big Italian sports cars and has just opened its new Ferrari museum.

Activities

The city’s fast car heritage is now being celebrated in the new Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari, a museum celebrating the life, loves and cars of Ferrari boss, Enzo. This is a museum for the true Ferrari aficionado and set in his former family home, a 19th century red brick carriage workshop where Enzo was born and his father Alfred worked. The museum’s new exhibition space has been built to replicate the Modena-yellow Ferrari bonnet. Inside this vast hanger is a collection of rare vintage sports cars, which have influenced Enzo over the years.

To get your head under shiny Ferrari bonnets, travel a few kilometres outside of Modena to the Museo Farrari, Maranello. While your budding Lewis Hamilton’s are too young to get behind the wheel of a real sports car, check out the museum’s F1 Driving Experience (€25), a Formula 1 driving simulator which takes wannabes around the Grand Prix track at Monza.

Why go?

There’s only one place in Italy to take fledgling petrol heads and that’s Modena, the roaring capital of Motor Valley. This pretty little medieval town in the heart of the Po Valley, with its cobbled squares and ancient spires, is famous as the birthplace of the world’s fastest cars. All the big Italian sports cars, Ferrari, De Tomaso, Lamborghini, Pagani and Maserati, were made here. 

The lowdown

Best time to go: Spring and autumn are the nicest times to visit, during July and August it can be very hot.

Travel time: Flights from London to Bologna take just over 2 hours, it is then a 35 minute transfer to Modena.

How to get there: British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Bologna; from £153 return. easyJet flies from London Gatwick to Bologna; from £60.48 return.  

More information: Combined tickets to visit the Ferrari Museum and Casa Enzo Ferrari are €22 for adults and €18 for children. Get more information on the region.

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Cars

Subaru Forester: Fun on the Farm

Richard Yarrow takes the Subaru Forester to the charming Dandelion Hideaway in Leicestershire.

Cottage hideaway

Some families are happy with the ‘take a site map, this is your pitch, that’s the toilet block’ style of camping. To be honest, my family and I have done it countless times. But when the opportunity to try something different comes along – staying on a working farm, getting the kids involved with the animals and ‘glamping’ in tents with en suite facilities – the Yarrows will be elbows out and barging to the front of the queue.

The Dandelion Hideaway is the collective name for six ‘canvas cottages’ located round the edge of a field on a 150-acre Leicestershire dairy farm. Driving round in the mud and ruts isn’t for every car, but the Subaru Forester is the ideal partner. With permanent four-wheel drive, rugged suspension, raised ride height and a cabin that’s focused on function rather than unnecessary features, this five-seater sports utility vehicle (SUV) is perfect for life in the countryside. 

DOWN ON THE FARM 

The farm is on the fringes of the new National Forest, a huge area spreading into Derbyshire and Staffordshire that has eight million more trees than it did 20 years ago. Bar one tent, which is designed as a romantic getaway for couples, the others all sleep six people – though would be more comfortable with four or five – and are targeted at families. They are tastefully decorated in vintage-chic style, comfortable, well-equipped and so perfect you’d think the whole thing came as a kit. In fact, the wooden bases and interior walls were built by a local carpenter and the canvas outer skins made to order.

All the decor and furnishings, from the butler sink and ageing leather sofa to the wooden dresser and trinkets on its shelves, were sourced by farmer’s wife Sharon. Rocking chairs on the porch, a traditional roll-top bath with shower head above and a Discovery Trunk packed with family activities – the only thing missing is electricity, and deliberately so.

Further afield

We headed for Market Bosworth, a charming town a 10-minute drive away. Lunch at the Black Horse Restaurant (theblackhorserestaurant.co.uk) was eaten outside under the covered patio: flatbreads filled with steak, caramelised onion and blue cheese for £9 each, supplemented by bowls of chips.

For all lovers of Horrible Histories, the next stop was Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, very topical after the recent discovery of Richard III’s body under a Leicester car park. Featuring numerous rooms of interactive displays, it tells the story of the battle and how it changed the course of British history. At £21 for a family ticket, it’s reasonable value. The only slight disappointment for me was that it was all inside. To my mind, battlefield stories should be more expansive.

FOREST FUN

The 200 acres of the National Forest boast plenty of activities for families, including off-road cycling (forestry.gov.uk); boat trips (merciamarina.co.uk); train rides (battlefieldline.co.uk); and numerous castles and stately homes. The National Space Centre isn’t that far away. We went to Conkers, the award-winning visitor centre that’s on the site of an old coal mine. A family ticket (£29.95) grants access to 120 acres of pathways, lakes, indoor and outdoor interactive exhibits, adventure playgrounds and cafes. My kids loved the Barefoot Trail, which requires little explanation upfront, but a hose-down afterwards.

For us, the star turn was camping on the farm. The Dandelion Hideaway will convert even the most ardent doubter. You’re in a cottage, it just happens to have a canvas roof and walls. Staying there is about the simple pleasures in life: spending time with animals, playing card games, making up riddles and taking silly photos.

No electricity means no TV, radio or internet and even hardcore Marvel comic fan Connor said it was lovely to get away from the world for a while. Staying there is more than a holiday – it’s an invitation into John’s and Sharon’s lives for a short while – and we came away richer because of it. 

Price: An autumn long weekend (Friday-Monday) at The Dandelion Hideaway costs from £550 for up to six people. A week costs from £700 for up to six people.

What to do

The highlight for my nine-year-old daughter Brontë was what she dubbed the ‘cosy cabin’, essentially a bed in a cupboard and perfect for children with imagination. The highlight for the menfolk – 11-year-old Connor is in the Scouts and I was 30 years ago – was lighting the wood-burning stove, which doubles as heat source and cooker. My wife supplied us with a perfectly lovely carbonara, though it was a slow process. If you’re in a rush, the back-up camping ring is a better bet.

The first morning we signed up for a tour with farmer John. He’s the fifth generation to work the land, which is home to 1,400 goats and crops to feed them. Talking about the processes and pressures, it’s clear he and Sharon have a genuine love for what they do. For example, they delayed the harvest of certain fields so a family of barn owls nesting on their land – the first for 50 years – still had somewhere to hunt.

We saw how the goats were milked, every 12 hours year-round, and the children joined in attaching the pumps to the udders. Tasting the freshly chilled milk just minutes later was fabulous and a new experience for everyone. After a session grooming the farm’s Shetland ponies we headed to the shed where the young goat kids are kept, all just a few weeks old. Ten minutes in there and even this old cynic was plotting how to get one in the back of Subaru without John noticing.

Subaru Forester

Subarus don’t sell in huge numbers in the UK, but the brand inspires respect and loyalty from owners who want a reliable workhorse family SUV. They see the value in durability and fit-for-purpose credentials, rather than fancy design details such as contrasting-coloured seat stitching. The Forester, now in its fourth generation since 1997, has improved with every new version. It’s a ‘head not heart’ choice, popular with towers of caravans, horseboxes and boats.

HOW DID THE CAR DO?

Torrential rain turned much of the farm’s tracks into rivers and the Forester really came into its own. Many of today’s lifestyle off-roaders lack the traction required – they’re very much form over function – but the Forester has all the grip you will need for muddy escapes. Thankfully, the dark interior is easy to wipe clean.

Model: Subaru Forester 2.0-litre D XC

Family-friendly features: plastic boot protector, roof bars, ISOFIX child seat fittings, generous rear-door storage.

Fuel economy: 49.6mpg

CO2 emissions: 150g/km

Price: £24,995 – £30,995

Richard Yarrow is Family Traveller’s Motoring Editor. Find out more about his adventures behind the wheel.