Thanks to the Christmas holidays our Mazda6 has had a bit of rest from daily commuting. But it has been put to new uses that made me appreciate the substantial interior space even more than usual.

The boot exceeds that of many more-popular SUVs and premium estate cars. But the need to transport large volumes of post-Christmas rubbish to the local recycling centre and to deliver a big dog crate to a family member meant the lowering of the back seats – easily done with levers either side of the boot interior – to make use of the entire 1,664-litre load space available to any Mazda6 Tourer customer. 

It also made me appreciate another advantage a traditional estate car has over the trendy crossover SUV – the lower boot means heavy items can be lifted in more easily.

Winter use, while proving the benefits of the heated steering wheel and front seats, has thrown up one issue. The windscreen demister on my test car seems pretty inadequate by today’s standards, leaving me sat frustrated for a good three or four minutes until I can see clearly enough to set off. The rear screen demister is also slower than I would expect.

Perhaps my complaint reflects my impatience, but today’s new car buyers surely have an expectation (rightly or wrongly) of ‘get-in-and-go’ and this does slightly mar an experience which, otherwise, has been resoundingly positive. 

A Google search shows there are some Mazda6 customers with similar gripes, and some have complained to their dealer, so I imagine my frustration will not come as a complete surprise to the Mazda UK network. 

Meanwhile, I can’t wait for summer to come.