Mazda 6 GG/GY (2002-2007)

14yo manual Mazda 6 GG sedan is a joy to drive – I purchased my 2006 Mazda 6 GG (series 2) Classic Sports 6 speed manual sedan 18 months ago with around 75000km. I have driven it for a further 35000km and it has been outstanding for it's 14 years of age. I use it for commuting in moderate traffic conditions in surburban Melbourne and weekend trips. In heavy traffic I can let the clutch out and… Read more

let the car crawl along in first gear without touching the throttle - a dream for a manual. I like to drive and feel the controls. The steering provides good road feedback - I see some other reviewers say the steering is heavy... it is similarly weighted to a 3 series 323 BMW I owned previously (I paid more than double the price for second hand). The pedal placement is excellent. The gearbox and clutch are easy to use. I fitted Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalan RE003 not long after purchase and they still have plenty of tread after 35000km. It feels like it has plenty of life in it and I plan on handing it down to my son when he gets his licence. The GG model is fun to drive (if you like driving) - providing you are not looking for outright acceleration or speed. We also own a GH manual luxury hatch. It is a different type of car to drive, a bit more disconnected from the road and quieter. It has other attributes that appeal to my better half. Horses for courses. It has steering wheel controls for the stereo and cruise control. No Bluetooth on a car of this age. Fold down seats means you can load a full sized bicycle without taking off the wheels - if handle bars are not too wide.

OK in general but the air conditioning keeps breaking and autolock played up – It's a 2006 vintage and a 2.3L wagon. Fully optioned. I bought it in 2016 from a well cared for owner. It had only got 65k on the odo. Pristine condition, not even a single scratch on the body. Still got a new car smell. The plastic wraps on the doorstep were still there. I wonder whether the car was ever driven if hadn't look at the odo. Anyway,… Read more

mechanically sound, did a full service including transmission oil change.

One year down my ownership, the air conditioning no longer cold. Took to the mechanic and the condenser was corroded and had a hole, so I was told. Changed that, then the year after, compressor problem, not cold again, changed it, then the fans at the front of the car broken, not cold, changed that. I must have spent thousands on the various trips to the mechanic just to address the air conditioning problem.

Then the autolock played up. If you want to open the tailgate, you can only use the key's remote. That means you have to stop the engine and take the key out. Worse is that it suddenly goes into "anti-hijack" mode. That means the car will lock itself and only can unlock using the key, even if you are inside! I was told this was designed to save you from someone jumping into your car hi-jack you. I don't think I am important enough for this car. I won't be hi-jacked. Rant over. Still a good car to drive.

Great car. Practical yet satisfying, with few weaknesses – The Mazda 6 is a great all-rounder. It does everything it's designed to do pretty well and nothing outright badly. In addition to being reliable everyday transport, it's a lot more fun to drive than I expected any affordable front-wheel-drive sedan to be. While it's not especially fast - any 6-cylinder Commodore or Falcon will outpace it - the… Read more

Mazda 6's 2.3L 4-cylinder is more than adequate. It has pretty good power and torque for the car's weight. Around town it feels swift and nimble, and it remains capable on higher-speed country roads.

The engine is paired with a 5-speed automatic transmission, which is a pretty impressive unit for its age. It's well behaved and unintrusive in regular driving, and it's reasonably quick to downshift when you want more go. It doesn't stubbornly cling to the high gears for too long like some autos I've driven. The transmission is also smart enough to sense when you're braking down a hill and will downshift to help slow the car with engine braking. You can also do this yourself by using the manual override.

Where it really shines is in the corners - It has exceptional handling for a non-performance car. Even under heavy cornering, it remains very flat and stable, with minimal body roll. Only when pushed very hard will it start to understeer. The handling is enhanced further by the car's very good steering. Whether taking curves at speed or just driving around the suburbs, the steering is accurate, consistently weighted, and provides a good amount of feedback. The steering is a bit on the heavy side (by power steering standards), requiring a bit more effort than in most cars to turn the wheel at low speeds, but I enjoy it that way and it's a small price to pay for the general goodness of it out on the road. This car's steering remains my favourite of any car I've driven, including much newer cars.

The ride is a bit on the firm side - a luxury car this is not - but it's still reasonably comfortable over bumps, it's not at all hard to live with. There is also a fair bit of road noise at highway speeds. I can still hold conversations with my passengers without having to shout, so it generally doesn't bother me much, but if you spend a lot of time on coarse chip surfaces at 100+ km/h, I could imagine it starting to wear on the nerves after a while.

On the inside, the seats are firm and suppportive with good bolstering. I find them to be comfortable enough for long-trips. The controls are well-laid out and easy to reach, instruments are easy to read, and there are plenty of adjustments to make including height and reach adjustments for the steering wheel. The cabin is fairly spacious for the size of the car, and leg and headroom are pretty good, although it might get a bit tight for the rear passenger if someone over 6 ft were in the driver's seat. My family being of average height (5'11'' at most), we had no issues. Cargo space is ample, and the seats fold down in the typical 60/40 split for even more cargo capacity. Loading large objects through the sedan's narrower boot opening can be tricky, so if shifting a lot of big things around is a priority you'll want to go for the hatch bodystyle, as that solves that problem nicely while being just as good a car as the sedan.

My family has owned our Mazda 6 since 2014 and shared it between three drivers including myself. In that time we've put 32,000kms on it in mixed urban and country driving, with an average fuel consumption of 8.7L/100km. That bests the official estimate (9.5 combined) by a fair margin, and I can get it down lower still if I make an effort to drive gently. Unfortunately, it does require premium unleaded, so it does cost a bit more to run than some of its competitors. Reliability has been excellent. Though it's an 11-year old car now, it's always started on the first try and has never stranded us. Besides scheduled maintenance, the following repairs have been done:

1.) New fuel pump (preventative maintenace due to age).

2.) Replacement thermostat (it was stuck open, causing the engine to run too cold).

3.) Replacement of worn-out front control arm bushings.

None of those things were show-stopping and could have been delayed further if necessary. Parts and service aren't particularly expensive, but they are slightly dearer than the equivalent Toyota or Hyundai. I think it's worth it, as the car is that much better.

So, to sum up:

Pros:

+ Good engine and transmission performance.

+ Above average handling and steering.

+ Reliability.

+ Styling, inside and out.

+ General practicality, especially in the hatchback version.

+ Decent fuel consumption.

+ Full-size spare tyre.

Cons:

- Road noise at high speeds.

- Requires premium unleaded.

- Low beam headlights are a bit weak.

I would buy a Mazda 6 again.

The Sort of Car Everyone Really Wants – The Mazda6 is the sort of care everyone really wants to own: totally reliable, good handling, practical, good on fuel and easy to service and repair yourself. Every now and then carmakers produce a car that has none of the irritations that go with car ownership: minor electrical faults, a component that needs to be replaced more often than it… Read more

should, noisy on the road and so on; the Mazda6 is one of them.

Expect 6.8 litres per 100 kilometers if you live in a rural area (that's over 42 imperial mpg). Not bad for a mid sized 2.3 litre car. Handling is excellent, as good as a 3 series BMW without the eye watering expenses that come with the latter. The car has a comfortable driving position and good vision all around. There is plenty of room inside and a decent sized boot. It also has all the things you need like good air conditioning/climate control and none of the things that you don't like heated seats and other useless items which bust and cost a month's pay to fix.

These cars are relatively easy to work on. You don't need an extensive set of tools and there are plenty of aftermarket parts available so you don't have to be robbed by the stealership for a water pump or a set of shocks. Furthermore, there is quite a bit of space in the engine bay and underneath so you don't need to be a octopus to change the plugs or oil filter.

This model dates from the time when Ford effectively owned Mazda and used a lot of Ford parts (my one even had Ford branded plugs in it). A positive outcome of this relationship was that Ford showed Mazda how to build a car that was not as bland as a microwave oven. Another plus is that these cars are actually made in Japan which is an indication that the overall quality should be pretty good.

The six speed manual will be much better in every respect than the auto. I believe the autos in the 3 and 6 of these years used a Jatco transmission which is best avoided. The model after used an Aisin transmission which should be okay. Nevertheless, check carefully by make, model and where it was made to avoid pain later.

Hope this helps someone...

Ultimate sleeper car – This car is amazing. I have an 07 series 2 classic sports sedan, it now has 225k just reconditioned the 5 speed sports shift auto. It is so much more than just a car. Handles incredibly, acceleration is totally insane. Well not many cars will take you off at the lights but on the other hand with the variable cam timing it just purrs along when you… Read more

need. Maintaining 110kmh up a hill like M1 for instance takes no effort. It is also quite economical even if you are giving it the business. Love my Mazda.

Best value for money ever – Bought this Sedan GG 2l Gasoline born 2002 from the first owner 5 years ago. 127000 Km on the clock, it now shows 195k. When I took the car over, it was in immaculate condition, as it is nowadays. Never had any trouble, only to change a bulb, tyres and one minor and common issue (clogged air throttle valve), a 20 minutes job. Had it never… Read more

serviced, just one oil change and one single adjustment of the oil level. Ok, I'm an elderly and gently driving person. And the car is kept in garage and not used in winter time. But it looks and drives almost like new despite its 18 years and high mileage. A very persuasive experience.

Mazda hit it out of the ball park with this car – I bought this car new in 2005. We had it until 8 months ago when it was written off @120,000 km's- the airbags deployed but no injuries thankfully. I had the 5 speed auto in sedan with optional 17 inch rubber and Potenza tyres. The handling on this car is outstanding. How good? Well at the time it, car press reviewers pulled cornering g's… Read more

that matched the BMW 3 Series, which was the benchmark for mid-size sedans.

The 2.3 litre engine has this nice sporty growl at around 4000 rpm's, and it loves to rev there.

Literally not one repair needed other than service- I did the coolant, transmission flush, brake fluids on time. Air con worked flawlessly.

The boot is massive, bigger than my brothers E-Class of the time. The interior space as well is huge for a car this size

some say its noisy inside but if you buy a sedan and not hatch, and put some nice wool seatcovers its no noisier than a camry or corolla of the same vintage.

Adequate, but nothing more – My wife and I bought our Mazda 6 new in 2008 and sold it last month after 10 years service and 95,000 kms. It had an easy life and was always serviced on time. It was an adequate car, but not outstanding. Reading the previous reviews here, our car shared nearly all the faults commonly reported by other reviewers. Some of them I regard as… Read more

pretty significant and these were enough to put us off buying another Mazda.

Positives

Stylish design that has aged well. This model still looks quite contemporary despite its age. Awesome boot space. Everyone loved the stereo. It had a high quality interior that was still as good as new when we sold the car. Not a single squeak or rattle in the interior after 95,000 kms. Very relaxing highway cruiser.

Negatives

Heavy steering and heavy fuel consumption in city driving (around 11.5 to 12 L/100 km). It felt more like a truck than a car at low speeds. The auto was lazy and the car took a while to get going. As other reviewers have noted it was EXTREMELY heavy on tyres. We went through 5 sets in less than 100,000 kms. The last set (Bridgestone Potenza's) only lasted 15,000 kms. The back window motors died at around 50,000 kms. The radiator needed replacing at 90,000 kms. The front suspension arms and bushings were groaning and needed replacement when we sold it. There was a shudder through the transmission for the last 10,000 kms that was probably engine mounts needing replacing. It idled like a diesel truck when cold and no mechanic could fix it easily which is why we finally got rid of it (thermostat?). The worst fault was the paint, Mazda Stormy Blue. This paint was not much better than crayon. I actually think Mazda forgot to put a layer of clear coat on our car . The slightest event such as a twig landing on it would cause a scratch through to the undercoat. There was a line of scratches on the back spoiler where I saw a small bird land and take off. We tried to get Mazda to fix it under warranty but they said it was our fault for not applying the after sales third party paint protection. I've since learned this is completely false. Speaking of the Mazda dealer, a large franchise in the Melbourne eastern suburbs, they were useless. Parts were expensive and the servicing cost way more than our current Euro car.

My wife had a soft spot for the car as it brought both our children home from hospital as babies, but now the car's gone I'm not really sure why we persevered with it for so long. I certainly don't understand the large number of glowing 4-5 star reviews despite the many common problems reported here.

Great car, comfortable and smooth – I got the car and it only had 26k on it Transmission and engine were very smooth It had alot of power fir a 4 cylinder engine which i didnt expect. Took it with the family to Canberra and back for a day drive and it was beautiful on the hwy so i took it to Wollongong, the Entrance etc It had alot of boot space Sound system was the best Biggest mistake i made when i sold it  Show details

Perfect for your first car – Generally reliable car but with age it declines. Have had multiple trips to the mechanic for leaks and replacing air filters. It really started to decline in health at 150,000 KMs. I drive the car on a daily basis. The car is serviced every 10,000 KMs at ultra tune. The drive is smooth and feels like luxury without the dent in your wallet  Show details

Great all around car – Had it at 85000km now 120000km. Only spend $800 on new radiator and coolant flush as the original leaked. Other expense are just normal serving cost and and replacement cost for brake and belts etc. No other problem mechanically. Since 110000km i have been driving it very hard around the back roads so far it still holds fine no problem what so… Read more

ever. NOTE: I do service it everything 6000km religiously and run 95 or 98 premium and add new transmission fluid everything 40000km. Overall i love this car a lot, there are still few nice ones on carsales but i think after 1 or 2 years this car will probably be gone as the age goes up to 15 years even for my 05 model. My rules is buy a 8 to 10 years old car , run it for around 3-5 years then just dump it. So i can spend my money on food. :D

Love the Mazda 6! – This Mazda 6 was my third car and I absolutely love it. It's so smooth to drive and handles very well. It takes off quickly at lights and lives it up the zoom zoom Mazda slogan. The fuel is efficient. I drive it everyday and only have to fill up around every 3-4 weeks. The engine is very quiet and the brake system is well designed. I've had… Read more

this car for 1 1/2 years and haven't had any major issues.

The boot is huge.

The sound system has nice bass.

It would be great if it had bluetooth but it's a 2007 model so it wasn't as popular back then. It could be customised for this option by a mechanic.

In the end, I would recommend the Mazda 6 to anyone looking for a new car.

Really Fuel Efficient and a Pleasure to Drive – My first ever Mazda. Low KMs and tidy. I don't think I will ever own anything else. Fuel efficient. Easy to drive. I own a wagon but even then it's not huge and I find it easy to reverse parallel park. Plently of leg room in the front and back. So far so good. Let's see what this year brings.  Show details

Mazda 6 – The driving experience is great i love this car and I really especially love the inside of it and mine is a manual so of course it drives really well and the air con works great and only costs $70 to fill up my tank which lasts quite a long time!!  Show details

Very reliable car – My 2007 Mazda 6 luxury sport has 366,000 kms on the clock and has never let me down. My mum brought it new and passed it down to me in 2012 and I can honestly say I never want to get rid of it. If your looking for a reliable and comfortable car that wont cost you a fortune to buy , maintain and fill the Mazda 6 is definitely worth a look at. I want to keep mine for along as I can. :)  Show details

Great Car Nice Features – What a Car!! I purchased used 2004 Mazda 6 Sports luxury hatch Automatic with 134000 km odo. I was having limited budget but needed a car as family was moving in from abroad.I was skeptical about the performance when I was given the car for a test drive. When I got in the car and went for a spin and decided to make her mine. Believe me, this is… Read more

really the best for its age.

It had all the luxury features - electrical adjustable driver seat, sun roof, leather seats and electrical windows. A/C is powerful too. Boot opens fully to accommodate big luggage. Good legroom too. One can enjoy manual shifting of gears in addition to the auto gear. good disc breaks that gives confidence to floor the accelerator and she responds really well for that. Easily catches up 3 digit mark and is very steady in that range. She came with bose music system with 6 CD changer. They should have provided Aux cable, it would have been better. But cant ask more for the 13 yr old beauty.

I have clocked almost 2k kms till now and she never let me down at any point of time. My kids enjoy the sun roof the most. Mazda 6 rocks!! I would recommend to buy an used Mazda 6 Luxury Sports!

2003 Lux Sports. Mazda 6 – Great car! I absolutely love it!!!! It is perfect for myself and my son, however my partner is 6ft4, and he struggles to fit in the car, however it is for me and not him. The boot space is great, and I can fit so much in there, pram and tonnes of groceries. I have the Luxury Sports Model, and the only negative/con is that it needs premium… Read more

everything (service parts, petrol, oil) so it gets quite expensive around service time, and when it needs to be filled.

Costs me about $70 to fill the tank.

Absolute Gem – I purchased a used 2005 Mazda 6 for the purpose of small trips from A to B. The car has been perfect. Not one hitch in all my time driving it (That was the car's fault). The drivers seat is comfortable and the adjustments that can be made to it are great, The car has leg room and none of the boys have complained. Th only thing that i wish was made in the old Mazda's was an AUX!  Show details

Great for new drivers and economical as well – I recently moved to Sydney for post-graduate education and I was looking for a reasonably priced car that is roomy as I am a bit on the larger side. When I found this silver sedan that was well-maintained by its previous owner, I bought this up immediately and I have been loving it since then. Running costs are low, its a reliable vehicle with… Read more

ample leg room and the only problem I faced was some noise from the tyres during parking. Other than that, I'm very happy with this car.

Amazing Car – I bought this car in 2008, I loved it from the day I picked it up. I recently replaced this car, but owned it for 8 years, and did about 160,000km in it. I owned it from 76,000 km to 240,000 km. This car made me realise how much I enjoyed a spirited drive along a curvy road. So nimble and agile. It went around corners like it was on rails. Was so… Read more

much fun to drive. On one occasion, I went for a drive across the Alpine national park, from Bright, up Mount Hotham, across to Dinner Plain to Omeo, from there to Falls Creek, Mount Beauty and back to Bright. Did this following a friend in an XR8 Ute, and was able to keep up with him all day, he had the extra power out of the corners, but I could accelerate longer, break later, and carry more speed through the corners. Was a very fun day. It's just at home on the freeway as it is in the mountains.

The entire time I owned this car, it never stood me up. Up to 200,000 km, only requiring routine maintenance, and a few small things here and there. At 200,000 km service, I did need to get the A/C regassed, and a few suspension components needed replacement, which I put down to the way I drive, and the mileage on the vehicle.

Interior was functional and comfortable. Plenty of room in the drivers seat for my 6'4" body. Very comfortable on a Long drive, which I did quite a few of in the time I owned it. The sound system was OK, but I felt it needed upgrading.

A couple of small detractors for this car. It had a tendency to wear out tyres, I would get about 30,000km to a set of tyres, some of that is probably due to how I drive. Also, it was a bit less fuel efficient than I was expecting, getting average of 8.5-9 L/100km, although, with careful, efficient driving, I was able to get that down to 7.5. The 4 speed auto could have been better, when slowing down to corner, out of the corner it would often not grab the gear you wanted, requiring a second change when the accelerator is pushed. For general driving, I got used to it and drove accordingly. For a spirited drive through the mountains, I would always use it in manual mode, giving me total control of gear selection.

All in all, this was a great car and I loved it. When I sold it, there was a couple of minor issues with it, including creaking ball joints in the suspension and the interior display was showing erratic characters. Basically, I was about ready for a new car, so these issues, while not major, were the catalyst for me to replace it. I loved the car so much, the a newer Mazda 6 was my first choice when I did go shopping, and I ended up getting a 2013 Mazda 6 Touring to replace it.

Very reliable family car – I bought the car in Jan 2007 when it was about 1 year old and with about 10000 km on it . It was used as a Mazda company demo. It's handling very well and running very smooth better than my other car which is a 3 years old compact SUV in terms of driving experience. We use it mainly for suburb driving like going to the train station,shops and… Read more

school. Now after 10 years, it only has 73k kilometers on it. I get it serviced according to the book. The service cost is just like any other average car if you go to a local mechanic. Apart from oil,filter and type replacement, the only problem I got was late last year one day the engine light was on. it turned out one of the coils worn out. That's all after 10 years. I am so glad we have this very reliable car.

My only complain is the air-con which can be better. It's slow and not that powerful since day one. But that's not really a bit deal for us. Of course being a basic edition, nothing fancy inside the car. It has boring dashboard , cheap sound, no leather seat, no bluetooth,no SAT NAV. But we didn't pay the price for these features anyway. It needs 95 petrol but it doesn't bother us as we don't drive a lot.

I would buy another Mazda when this one retires.

Great Car – Purchased in Jun 2009 with 53,000ks. Has just turned over 275,000km. The perfect sized car for me. It goes well - it`s "sweet spot" is actually above the 110kph limit - and it loves the curves - surefooted over even poor quality country roads. Steering has great feel although you do get torque steer under some conditions. Comfortable over long… Read more ·  1

distances and will swallow a lot of gear. The fold down seats go perfectly flat for a huge load area. Plenty of room and I like the glassy cabin, great for vision everywhere except D pillar. Even after nearly 8 years I still often take "the long way home" with this car. Road noise is an issue over 100kph, as are rattles from the tailgate and rear seats (but this car has seen a lot of work). Interior good but the leather seats are only partial leather, and the front driver`s seat has split, as has the gearshift boot. Very reliable overall - I`ve replaced CV joint boots, rear shocks a few years back and recently had to replace fuel pump and a driveshaft. Got nearly 150,000km out of pads and discs and tyres an easy 80,000km. Battery lasted 6 years. Servicing costs OK but parts can be exxy. External trim items are now not available or really exxy (door window moulds are flimsy and harden and chip, look terrible). Paint is now starting to fail which is a good innings for a car that has rarely seen a garage. Gearshift was average and I had learnt to live with it - but as part of the recent driveshaft replacement by a non-Mazda mechanic, they topped up the gear oil. Must be different to OEM as it shifts sweetly now...clutch has been shuddery from new under some conditions and the pressure plate is weak when changing gears under rapid acceleration, although in normal driving it`s fine. Sychros are fine, a/c is good though takes a while to cool the car on a hot day after being parked. Engine mounts probably due, as are front shocks and rod ends. Beware of the low profile tyres and soft rims on country roads - I have killed tyres and rims on potholes - I have increased tyre size to 225/45 R 17 and they look better and correct the huge speedo error. I can still get 7.2lt/100ks on a highway trip, fully loaded with a/c on. Bose stereo from 2003 doesn`t accept bluetooth etc unless you are handy with a soldering iron, and radio reception is average - it`s probably my biggest annoyance with the car as a whole!

Best car I ever had , reliability wise – I bought the is Madza 6, 2005, GG series ( May 2005 updgrade) , 2.3 l engine, 5 speed automatic. I bought it second nad 3 years ago at 84,000 kms. I now have 148,000 kms. This car is just amazing....."touch wood" ....NOTHING has gone wrong at all and it has been working extremely well. Ir runs very smoothly and ALL elements of the car have… Read more

working extremely well. That includes the engine itself, transmission, air cond, all electrics, cruise control. The handling is just perfect, not too soft , not too firm. I have to say that I service it religiously every 10,000 to the exact specs of the Mazda maintenance schedule by a very good fully qualified mechanics. The only downside is that it works only on PREMIUM fuel, 95 octane which is on average 15c dearer a litre. I get a petrol consumption of average 6.7 - 7 l/100 kms on highways and 7.5-8 l. in the city.

A lovely car with severe problems – The 2006 Mazda 6 diesel was lovely to drive... until the problems made themselves apparent. It is powerful, economical, practical (I had the station wagon) and comfortable. It had all the options. But then that damn DPF light came on and the debacle began. Having spent $1400 not having the problem fixed (usually by having re-gen burn done that… Read more

meant the light went off temporarily), I finally had it diagnosed. This curiously agreed with the initial diagnosis by the local Mazda dealer that the injectors needed replacing.... at a charge of $7000. Thinking this bogus, I attempted other avenues until the final diagnosis, and a charge of $4000. It's only a temporary solution as the injectors would need to be replaced after another 100,000 kms.

I had bought the car because I saw it as a reliable, economical and practical long term prospect, it being a diesel. But the prospect of replacing the injectors again, as well as the DPF itself ($2000 minimum) meant that I would not only be spending more than the car was worth to keep it going but also the ideal of economy would be lost. So I recently sold a car I paid $11000 for 2 and half years ago for.. $1500.

The Mazda 6 is not alone with these problems. Car makers are selling diesels in normal urban style cars with emission controls that make them useless as normal cars. A great concept has been trashed.

Diesels newer than mine appear to have the same problem. And don't expect any help from the manufacturer.

Good – I had a Mazda 6 2005 limited..Fuel pump had to be replaced at 140 000km which was $540,Clutch gave up at 210 000km Mazda dealer asked for $2000 !! dont go there..Its been fixed for $750 in other words shop around.Engine mounts had to be replaced at 230 000km which was cost of $400 so in another words once you reach 200 000km or its probably… Read more

good time to say good by to it!Other than that no other engine issues .Very fuel efficient and reliable car.Parts expensive though.

Never fails, solid performer – Fantastic car, Purchased from a dealer in 2013 with 69,000km on the clock now at 97,000, In that time serviced it twice at a total cost of $600, extremely practical with rear seats folding flat can fit a timber 180cm long tv unit, or go camping and sleep in the rear, great looks 10 years later, and zero breakdowns. 700+km per tank have had over… Read more ·  1

900km on a tank on the highway also, also good safety and features even today.

I think my next car will be a mazda 6, but likely to drive this at least 5 more years .

Good & Bad – I bought the car 5yrs ago @ 130k, my service gripes are as follows: 150k - new shocks + brakes + rotors + fuel pump + transmission flush (+/-$2k) 175k - new front control arms and bushings (+/-$1k) 200k - power steering flush ($100) 215k - new alternator (even though it wasnt the problem of the tapping noise in Drive/Reverse - turned out to be… Read more ·  2

a minor bearing in the belt mechanism in front of the alternator on the left of the engine.....) [$600]

225k - new engine mounts ($400)

235k - slight leak @ rear engine seal as on last service the mechanic overfilled oil :( [6hr job to change a $20seal as the transmission has to be removed, its only a few drops at this stage so hopefully nothing major once the correct oil capacity is filled on the next service - quoted $600]

Its an absolute gem on the highway, I have done return trips from NSW to QLD and it has never disappointed.

Overall I like the space, power, comfort and highway fuel economy it has to offer, its a tough decision whether to sell it now or keep it as I will be lucky to get $4k considering all the service inputs that have been done. I currently use the car as an everyday work commute in Sydney traffic and I get 8km's per litre.

diesel particulate filter issue – I bought this car 3 years ago private. Apart from DPF issue it is fantastic car nothing to fault very fuel efficient and very great look inside and out. Running cost is reasonable and nothing gone wrong apart from consumables. But diesel cars have this DPF filter for fuel emission but if it blocks it cuts the turbo and car goes into the limp… Read more

mode and the cost of repair runs into 3- $4000.

Also at each service you have to re set this filter otherwise after 13000km it start blinking and limp mode .... and if your car not been serviced by Mazda then you cannot reset and Mazda asks big dollars to just reset (max 2min!). I had to trade my car for petrol one because of hassle and cost for this issue. Mazda in their manual etc. never talks about this. It is well known problem worldwide.

2007 Mazda 6 Diesel – I've had this car for 3 years now, and I just love this car. It's got plenty of space for the dog, baby, husband, pram, baby bags and so on. The boot is huge, and mounting brackets to fit the babyseat helps to increase usable boot space. It's super economical, although since I started getting it serviced at a Mazda Dealer, I now only get… Read more

650-700km/tank. I used to get 750-800km/tank... not sure what's going on there...

My only complaint is the DPF. This dam thing has blocked up twice - even after we changed to get the overpriced Mazda servicing. After a quote of $7k to replace or $1,500 to clean - it's an expensive problem. I love the 6, but will not be getting a diesel again in a hurry.

Pretty much perfection – I own a 2005 Mazda6 Classic Hatch with the 5speed auto. I have just gotten my red P's and this car is far better than any of those at my school. From the exterior its stylish, sophisticated and looks like it wants to be driven now! I have put SP23 alloys onto mine, so it looks even better. The interior has a very good simple yet luxury layout.… Read more

Sport seats, multi-function steering wheel, 6stacker CD player, it is very far advanced for a '05 model. The engine has power, even though its a 2.3L 4 cylinder. And fuel wise, just amazing. I have just used the standard unleaded, and am currently receiving 880km to a full tank. Highest range I've gotten is 967km. Its very impressive. They may be more expensive then a holden or ford or something, but mazda especially the '6' has more standouts than other cars.

Good wagon – I bought a second hand 06 wagon as I upgraded from a camry wagon and Toyota no longer make them- stupid, as their cars are amazing. This Mazda wagon seemed like a good alternative and its pretty good. Its quite economical and doing highway ks its even better. Its got lots of power and having the manual options on the auto gearbox is great. The… Read more

car looks good too.

Update Dec 2017- just clicked 240 000ks and has not missed a beat. Regular servicing done and I now realise how great these cars are. I'm currently looking at upgrading to the newer model after test driving a few SUVs such as the forester and realising the don't even come close to the power and style of the 6 wagon. Great looking, economical Reversing is horrible- no room to see. There is no aux option for connecting a smartphone and a new stereo can not be fitted due to the climate control dash- very frustrating and I wish I had known this before I bought this car as I would of tried to of bought the later model.

If only the gearbox was made properly – bought second hand mazda 6 sport luxury recently, it has 120 000k and made in 2005. extremely comfortable and very good looking. unfortunately after a couple of days the gears started grinding when going from 2nd to 3rd. after doing some research on mazda forums worldwide it seems like a massive problem across the globe. basically the… Read more

synchroniser is dodgy and mazda has refused to recall it on this issue.

before you consider buying this, just google transmission problem mazda 6 and check for yourself. soooo many people are having the same issue.

cars rent made to last forever, but for the price, you should have reliability. like subaru and toyota give you. everything except transmission dodgy synchroniser in gearbox.

Love it – Have had this since 2009 (it was 2 years old when I bought it) and love it, although it is now starting to look a bit old. Best car I have ever had, economical, safe, fun to drive, pretty spacious rear wagon area (I have two pet greyhounds and both fit). The electronics are a bit dated now but I can't hear anything with the child in the back… Read more

anyway!! Soon be time to upgrade to a slightly newer model but I would never buy an SUV, always go a wagon. Economy of diesel (although the price of diesel has doubled since I bought this car), quiet for a diesel. Love my manual, very gutsy and fun to drive. I would love to be able to remove the cargo cover flap but retain the barrier. The flap decreases the boot space and gets in the dogs' way, but if I remove it I lose the cargo barrier which keeps pup safely in place. Had an issue with the DPF light coming on and powering down when I drove over 100 km, but it turned out it was a valve stuck open- a simple fix after a few service mechanics tried but could not find the porblem.

Lost – Was a lovely car, But seems not very safe. I was in a car accident, animal collision which caused me to then roll my Mazda 6 luxury sport, Hatch back. I got reasonably hurt and still dealing with issues. But no air bags deployed, and apparently there wasn't enough damage, well I'm now assuming enough damage would mean I'd have to been dead… Read more

and car a little worse off... But still than, would it really result in air bags deploying??

Air bags deploying may have reduced my injury.

Just so let down, lost my dream car and haven't been the same since. Lovely car, fuel effiecent... Dream car Sensors must be set in wrong spot for air bags

DONT BUY A MAZDA – i have owned a mazda 6 since 2005 and frankly its terrible. i have a friend who also has one and her headlight keeps on blowing and Mazda cant fix it. My car has had transmission problems (a very common issue if you read all the reviews) since about 90,000kms and it cant be fixed without a new gearbox. I have now, at 137,000kms, had the air con… Read more

fail. i spoke to the guy who does the warranty work for Mazda, and he said that this is normal as Mazda have big air con problems - he said they fix heaps of them under warranty and what's more, when they are out of warranty they are very expensive to fix. As a result, my Mazda's up for sale immediately. What's worse is that Mazda's own service centre said that they dont have the ability to diagnose the air con problems so its an expensive fact finding mission. Mazda also completely replaced all of my brakes at around 30,00kms under warranty as they were vibrating. i have also had two engine mounts replaced after 100,000kms. it was good until around 90,000kms see experience - transmission problems, engine mounts need replacing, brakes had to be replaced under warranty, air con has failed and diagnosis/repair is an expensive exercise