How does Mazda do it?

File: IMG_1866.jpg (2MB, 3264x2448px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 3264x2448px

I recently got given a 06 Mazda Atenza as a company car. To compare it to my most similar car, an 07 CL7 accord, the Mazda:
>has less power
>is way uglier
>gets worse fuel economy
>aids interior
>only revs to 6k
>barely holds idle on startup and is falling apart
>has a shitty shift knob

Yet for some reason, this shitty 160hp Mazda 6 is one of the most fun cars I've ever driven
I find myself banging gears, doing pulls and casually speeding more than even my old DC5, and almost as much as my twin turbo

How did Mazda achieve this? Is it that whole jinba-ittai thing they always go on about?