Buying a used Mazda6 (2002-2007)

Occasionally car-makers come up with a product that stuns both automotive rivals and the car-buying public. Mazda’s 6 was such a car. With good looks, a well balanced chassis, frugal diesel and potent petrol turbo engines, the 6 range had wide-ranging buyer appeal.  

The Hiroshima-based marque’s intent was to produce a car that maintained the old model’s inherently conservative values, but incorporated a sporting flair that would attract younger, more prestige-oriented buyers.

The 6 was launched to the world’s media in Rome, underlining its newly internationalised flavour, and subsequently released in Australia as a three-level range comprising Limited, Classic and Luxury versions. The latter pair was available as a sedan or hatchback and there was also a

Classic-level station wagon. Luxury Sports models came only as a hatchback.

Six-cylinder engines were optional in some overseas markets but all Australian-delivered 6s used a 2.3-litre, double-overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine developing 122kW. A four-speed automatic was the typical transmission, with a five-speed manual available on Limited, Classic and Sport.  

Prices for the Limited with manual transmission started at $28,270, with the Luxury Sport automatic running to more than $43,000. Clearly, the 6 wasn’t pitched at budget-conscious buyers.  

What it did provide at every level was quality construction and even the entry-level car came with dual air-bags, air-conditioning, ABS braking and remote central locking.

At the top of the range, the Luxury tossed in a mass of comfort-oriented gear including electrically-adjusted leather seats, a full complement of air-bags, in-dash CD stacker, sunroof and fog-lights.

Three years later Mazda added to the range, launching a stunning response to Subaru’s dominance of the turbo-sedan market, the 6 MPS. This high-performance variant extracted an additional 69kW from a turbocharged version of the 2.3-litre engine, harnessing the power via a clever all-wheel drive system. A six-speed manual transmission was mandatory and despite its $48,600 list price, MPS buyers still needed to find an additional $6000 if they wanted the Leather Pack, comprising leather trim, sunroof and other goodies.

Mid-2005 also brought an upgrade to the entire 6 range and a slight reduction in list prices. Most significant among the changes to these later GG Series cars were the inclusion of head and front-side air-bags on all models, a five-speed automatic replacing the four-speed, and a six-speed manual option for all but the Luxury versions.

A year later came the 6 Diesel which sold as a hatchback or station wagon and with six-speed manual transmission only. The 2.0-litre diesel was turbocharged to deliver 105kW and the wagon, without leather upholstery, cost almost $3000 less than the hatch.

Mazda’s projected sales for the diesel 6 were fewer than 50 per month but that seems to have been well-and-truly achieved, with plenty of 2006-08 models available for used car buyers to choose from.

The interior needs a bit more space, especially across the cabin to allow for seats that don’t constrict the fuller-framed driver. Tall rear-seat passengers would also appreciate some additional head-room and a better view past the large front seat head-rests.

The basic 2.2-litre engine is fine but you occasionally find yourself willing it to produce an extra 15-20kW. The sports-oriented MPS is an option in these circumstances, of course, but its ride is firm and that 190kW arrives fairly brutally.

These are minor gripes however, in an overall package that’s pretty much as good as they come in the medium-car realm.
Performance from cars with the standard petrol engine is reasonable; the five-speed manual comfortably breaking 10 seconds in 0-100km/h acceleration tests and the automatic about a second slower.

Wring the neck of an MPS from a standing start and it will stop the clocks in a neck-snapping 6.5 seconds or zip from 80-120km/h in just 3.6. The all-wheel drive system and extra body stiffening sees weight soar to a porky 1639kg, or 200kg more than the Subaru Liberty GT. Despite this, the benefit of six gears versus the Subaru’s five saw the Mazda consistently ahead in drag-strip testing.

The 6’s greatest attributes come via a blend of informative steering, suspension compliance and body control. These cars can be tossed through bends without making the occupants feel they’re on a fun-park ride and the body remains virtually flat in everything bar the tightest of tyre-scrubbing hairpins.

Most owners will be happy with the levels of grip delivered by non-turbo cars but those who aren’t can spend $10,000 more for the opportunity to experience the power and enhanced traction of an MPS. The ‘on-demand’ all-wheel drive system transmits power through the front wheels until sensors detect a loss of grip, at which point drive is channelled rearwards.

Cars with the non-turbo 2.3-litre will run on 91RON unleaded fuel and achieve 8.5-11.5L/100km, depending on traffic conditions and transmission choice. Turbos require 95 Octane and will use 11L/100km on the open road but up to 15L/100km in traffic or when being pushed.

The diesel is the one to buy if distance between fuel stops is a priority. With a 64 litre tank and owners reporting 6.0L/100km or less on the highway, a 1000km range between fills is achievable.

The six-speed manual runs super-high gearing so trying to hold sixth or even fifth gear on any kind of climb hurts consumption more than dropping back to fourth and letting the 360Nm of torque do its work.

Accompanying the wagons’ sporty shape is reasonable load-space and a nifty mechanism (shared with hatchback versions) that stows the rear seat in a single action with the pull of a lever.

ALSO CONSIDER: Subaru Liberty, Toyota Aurion, Honda Accord Euro