Mazda six review: Japan’s Passat rival
T hese days the most popular family saloons tend to be premium-badged models from the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes, but the Mazda six shows there’s still a place for a stylish and well tooled mainstream alternative.
It’s available with a range of engines that are both powerful and efficient for their size, and will be cheap to run as a company car.
But the six has been around in this form for a while now, and in that time, fresh versions of the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat have both arrived on the scene and put it under pressure.
Space 7/Ten
Lots of legroom, but rear headroom is a little taut
T he Mazda six is a long car, which permits it to suggest more legroom than premium-badged alternatives, such as the Audi A4 and BMW 3-series. Unluckily, taller adults may well find they have to slouch a bit when sitting in the back of the six due to its rakish roofline.
Boot space is tighter to fault; there’s more than enough room for a duo of large suitcases, and the rear seats lie pretty much plane when folded down. That said, the boot opening is smaller than a Ford Mondeo’s, simply because the six is a saloon instead of a hatchback.
There’s slew of in-car storage, including deep door bins, a good-sized glovebox and a central lidded box inbetween the front seats.
Convenience 7/Ten
Petrol engines are noisier than diesels
S upportive front seats with lots of adjustment provide some convenience, but the Mazda six has fairly stiff suspension, meaning it doesn’t isolate occupants from poor surfaces as well as a Ford Mondeo.
T he six also lets in more wind and road noise than the Mondeo on the motorway, but it does have quieter diesel engines.
That said, the petrol engines can get raucous when they’re worked hard – and as they produce their power fairly high up the rev range, you have to do that often.
Book a free Mazda6 home test drive
Dashboard layout 8/Ten
N ot as clear as some, but works well enough
A large speedo that you can read at a glance is placed directly in front of the driver, and most of the other controls on the dashboard have been well thought-out, too.
The touchscreen mounted on top of the dashboard is also clear and effortless to use, however it has an irritating habit of becoming unresponsive if you haven’t touched it for a certain amount of time.
You then have to ‘wake it up’ by using the rotary controller Mazda has fitted inbetween the front seats. Fortunately, you can control most of the touchscreen’s functions through this, too, if you so wish.
It might take you a bit of time to get used to the fact that the volume control is down next to this rotary controller, however.
But with the exception of these minor gripes, the six is effortless to get along with; what’s more, brainy materials and nicely damped controls make it feel classy inwards.
Effortless to drive 6/Ten
Strong diesels; limited visibility
M azda offers the six with a pair of Two.0-litre petrol engines and a pair of Two.2-litre diesels, and it’s the diesels that suit it best because you don’t have to work them as hard.
T he weaker of the two diesels is particularly good; while it’s ultimately slower, it pulls strongly almost regardless of the gear you’re in, whereas the more powerful diesel requires extra gearchanges to keep it in its sweet spot.
Both diesel engines and the weaker of the two petrols can be specified with an automatic gearbox; you might want to go down that road if you find switching gear a chore, because the manual gearstick is fairly stiff.
It’s effortless to see out of the front of the 6, but your rear view is fairly limited due to a shallow rear window. The front and rear parking sensors – standard on the mid-spec SE-L model upwards – are very welcome, and if you can open up to Sport Nav specification, you’ll get a reversing camera too.
Joy to drive 7/Ten
Good apart from the steering
T he 6’s steering offers little in the way of feedback, and its lightness can be disconcerting at times when you’re pushing on, especially in petrol versions.
At least the responses to your inputs at the wheel are quick and consistent, and the car’s hard suspension helps it stay composed in corners.
Throw in strong grip and punchy diesel engines that make overtaking effortless, and the six can be an pleasant car to drive. However, it isn’t as involving as a Ford Mondeo or a BMW 3-series.
Reliability 8/Ten
Mazda’s customer satisfaction record leaves room for improvement
The Mazda six finished a very respectable 23rd out of one hundred nine cars in the two thousand fourteen JD Power customer satisfaction survey.
W hat’s more, Mazda ranks 7th out of thirty nine manufacturers in the Warranty Direct Reliability Index, which is based on warranty claims.
It’s just a pity Mazda offers only a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. Buy a Hyundai i40, and you’ll get a warranty that lasts for five years, with no mileage limit.
Fuel economy 8/Ten
C lose to the very best
T here was a time when the Mazda six was head-and-shoulders above the rest of its competitors for fuel consumption, but the rest of its class has now caught up.
That’s not to say that the six is falling behind, mind you; with a figure of 68.9mpg, the entry-level diesel model is still as economical as the equivalent VW Passat, and more so by a whisker than a similarly-powered Ford Mondeo.
That said, there are more efficient versions of the Passat, Mondeo and other rivals available with smaller, less powerful engines; an option not available to six buyers.
And you must stick with the standard manual gearbox if fuel economy is a high priority; diesel versions of the six average a much less exceptional 58.9mpg when fitted with the optional automatic.
Affordability 8/Ten
Makes a fine company car choice
Fuel economy and CO2 emissions are directly linked, so the Mazda six is one of the cleanest big saloons you can buy as well as one of the most efficient. This in turn keeps company car tax bills low.
Albeit the six isn’t especially cheap as a private buy, its comprehensive specification makes it decent value overall, and it will hold its value much better than a Ford Mondeo or Vauxhall Insignia.
F ixed-price servicing is suggested as an option. And Mazda promises to match like-for-like quotes for servicing from independent garages.
Safety 7/Ten
Lots of standard safety kit, with the option for more
Mazda six review: Japan – s Passat rival
Mazda six review: Japan’s Passat rival
T hese days the most popular family saloons tend to be premium-badged models from the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes, but the Mazda six shows there’s still a place for a stylish and well tooled mainstream alternative.
It’s available with a range of engines that are both powerful and efficient for their size, and will be cheap to run as a company car.
But the six has been around in this form for a while now, and in that time, fresh versions of the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat have both arrived on the scene and put it under pressure.
Space 7/Ten
Lots of legroom, but rear headroom is a little taut
T he Mazda six is a long car, which permits it to suggest more legroom than premium-badged alternatives, such as the Audi A4 and BMW 3-series. Unluckily, taller adults may well find they have to slouch a bit when sitting in the back of the six due to its rakish roofline.
Boot space is firmer to fault; there’s more than enough room for a duo of large suitcases, and the rear seats lie pretty much vapid when folded down. That said, the boot opening is smaller than a Ford Mondeo’s, simply because the six is a saloon instead of a hatchback.
There’s slew of in-car storage, including deep door bins, a good-sized glovebox and a central lidded box inbetween the front seats.
Convenience 7/Ten
Petrol engines are noisier than diesels
S upportive front seats with lots of adjustment provide some convenience, but the Mazda six has fairly rock hard suspension, meaning it doesn’t isolate occupants from poor surfaces as well as a Ford Mondeo.
T he six also lets in more wind and road noise than the Mondeo on the motorway, but it does have quieter diesel engines.
That said, the petrol engines can get raucous when they’re worked hard – and as they supply their power fairly high up the rev range, you have to do that often.
Book a free Mazda6 home test drive
Dashboard layout 8/Ten
N ot as clear as some, but works well enough
A large speedo that you can read at a glance is placed directly in front of the driver, and most of the other controls on the dashboard have been well thought-out, too.
The touchscreen mounted on top of the dashboard is also clear and effortless to use, however it has an irritating habit of becoming unresponsive if you haven’t touched it for a certain amount of time.
You then have to ‘wake it up’ by using the rotary controller Mazda has fitted inbetween the front seats. Fortunately, you can control most of the touchscreen’s functions through this, too, if you so wish.
It might take you a bit of time to get used to the fact that the volume control is down next to this rotary controller, tho’.
But with the exception of these minor gripes, the six is effortless to get along with; what’s more, brainy materials and nicely damped controls make it feel classy inwards.
Effortless to drive 6/Ten
Strong diesels; limited visibility
M azda offers the six with a pair of Two.0-litre petrol engines and a pair of Two.2-litre diesels, and it’s the diesels that suit it best because you don’t have to work them as hard.
T he weaker of the two diesels is particularly good; while it’s ultimately slower, it pulls strongly almost regardless of the gear you’re in, whereas the more powerful diesel requires extra gearchanges to keep it in its sweet spot.
Both diesel engines and the weaker of the two petrols can be specified with an automatic gearbox; you might want to go down that road if you find switching gear a chore, because the manual gearstick is fairly stiff.
It’s effortless to see out of the front of the 6, but your rear view is fairly limited due to a shallow rear window. The front and rear parking sensors – standard on the mid-spec SE-L model upwards – are very welcome, and if you can spread to Sport Nav specification, you’ll get a reversing camera too.
Joy to drive 7/Ten
Good apart from the steering
T he 6’s steering offers little in the way of feedback, and its lightness can be disconcerting at times when you’re pushing on, especially in petrol versions.
At least the responses to your inputs at the wheel are quick and consistent, and the car’s rigid suspension helps it stay composed in corners.
Throw in strong grip and punchy diesel engines that make overtaking effortless, and the six can be an pleasant car to drive. However, it isn’t as involving as a Ford Mondeo or a BMW 3-series.
Reliability 8/Ten
Mazda’s customer satisfaction record leaves room for improvement
The Mazda six finished a very respectable 23rd out of one hundred nine cars in the two thousand fourteen JD Power customer satisfaction survey.
W hat’s more, Mazda ranks 7th out of thirty nine manufacturers in the Warranty Direct Reliability Index, which is based on warranty claims.
It’s just a pity Mazda offers only a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. Buy a Hyundai i40, and you’ll get a warranty that lasts for five years, with no mileage limit.
Fuel economy 8/Ten
C lose to the very best
T here was a time when the Mazda six was head-and-shoulders above the rest of its competitors for fuel consumption, but the rest of its class has now caught up.
That’s not to say that the six is falling behind, mind you; with a figure of 68.9mpg, the entry-level diesel model is still as economical as the equivalent VW Passat, and more so by a whisker than a similarly-powered Ford Mondeo.
That said, there are more efficient versions of the Passat, Mondeo and other rivals available with smaller, less powerful engines; an option not available to six buyers.
And you must stick with the standard manual gearbox if fuel economy is a high priority; diesel versions of the six average a much less amazing 58.9mpg when fitted with the optional automatic.
Affordability 8/Ten
Makes a fine company car choice
Fuel economy and CO2 emissions are directly linked, so the Mazda six is one of the cleanest big saloons you can buy as well as one of the most efficient. This in turn keeps company car tax bills low.
Albeit the six isn’t especially cheap as a private buy, its comprehensive specification makes it decent value overall, and it will hold its value much better than a Ford Mondeo or Vauxhall Insignia.
F ixed-price servicing is suggested as an option. And Mazda promises to match like-for-like quotes for servicing from independent garages.
Safety 7/Ten
Lots of standard safety kit, with the option for more
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