Best behaviour

Roomy and attractive, the long-running Mazda had good road manners, sporty handling and peppy performance

NEW

It’s not that long ago that Mazda was a basket case and its future was in real doubt in this country. But then came a most remarkable turnaround that had the brand Zoom-Zooming to the top of the popularity charts with buyers lining up to buy into the brand.

In 2002 when Mazda replaced the worthy but dull 626 with the Mazda6, the first of a new range of models that simply transformed the brand from dead cold to cool.

The Mazda 6 was an all-new mid-sized model that offered a choice of sedan, hatch and wagon body styles, a range of models that stretched from basic to prestige, and from 2006 the choice of petrol and diesel engines. Models in the range were the Limited, which was the entry model, the Classic midranger, and the Luxury and Luxury Sports that had heaps of standard features.

All agreed that the Mazda6 was attractive, it was roomy for its size, comfortable and refined, and had good on-road manners, sporty handling and peppy performance.

At its launch the only engine available was a 2.3-litre fourcylinder petrol engine that revved nicely and had a good torque spread, but a year later Mazda added a punchy fourcylinder turbo-diesel engine to the range.

From the get-go buyers of the petrol engine had the choice of a conventional four-speed sports-shift automatic or a fivespeed manual, but the fourspeed was dropped in 2005 in favour of a five-speed selfshifter.

Those who chose the turbodiesel engine when it entered the market had to endure a sixspeed manual; there was no auto option available.

A Series 2 update arrived early in 2008 and brought with it a roomier cabin and greater comfort, a little more power from a 2.5-litre engine, and improved on-road dynamics.

NOW

Most of the faults reported by the trade are really regular wear-and-tear issues, like brakes and tyres, rather than problems per se, but it’s worth noting that the earliest examples of the model are fast approaching the twilight years of their usable life.

It’s not unusual to see odometer readings of 300,000km plus in very early cars, which brings into question the merits of buying a car with such a high mileage.

It’s not to suggest that the Mazda6 is a trouble-prone car, it’s generally not. However, any car that has done that many kilomatres is surely more likely to break down and cost its owner plenty in repairs than a similar car that’s covered less distance.

The lesson to be learned if you’re buying an older example is to buy one with the lowest odometer reading you can, one that is in the best possible condition given its age, and has been well maintained by a caring owner.

Mechanically the Mazda6 is sound, no question, the engines are robust and give little trouble if well maintained. With that in mind it’s important to ask for a service record that verifies regular servicing.

The service intervals are 10,000km/six months, which is more frequent than some other brands.

It’s best that a dealer service the diesels because of the reset requirement for the diesel particulate filter.

OWNERS SAY

Alice Benson I did over 110,000km in my 2011 Luxury and just loved the way it drove. It had a feeling of quality and was big enough for four adults inside. My only issue was a noisy shock absorber that took some time to resolve. Keith Flower I bought my 2010 Luxury Sports in 2015 with 83,000km on it. It’s an awesome car, comfortable, smooth. My only complaint is that it’s a little thirsty. Jason Cooper My 2011 Luxury Sports hatch is a beautiful car. It’s comfortable and has been very reliable. The only thing I would say is that the headroom in the rear is not good if you’re tall. Lynn Evans I’ve got a 2007 diesel and love it. It’s got plenty of space for the dog, pram, baby bags and so on. It’s got a huge boot and it’s very economical. My only problem is the DPF, which has blocked up twice, and is expensive to service. I won’t get another diesel in a hurry. Ray Billson I bought a 2010 Series 2 Classic in 2014 and have found it a breath of fresh air after years of driving Camrys, Corollas, Accords, Lancers, Pulsars and many other cars. I like the driveability and performance of the torquey 2.5-litre engine.

SMITHY SAYS

A well-rounded mid-sizer that should be on your shopping list.