Used Mazda 6 Saloon 2013-2022 review

It would be fair to say the 2007-2012 Mazda 6 always lived in the shadow of the iconic Ford Mondeo. It did, after all, use the same underpinnings as the Mondeo for two generations, and it was the Ford that seemed to dominate the non-premium executive car market in those years.

However, those days are long gone. The Mondeo is no more, and nor is the Mazda 6. But it's worth remembering that Mazda enjoyed great success with this third 2013-2022 incarnation. It was all Mazda's own work and the firm managed to create a very good all-rounder that now makes a really good used purchase.

To start with, the Mazda 6 received new engines: a 2.0 petrol in 143bhp or 163bhp guises or a 2.2 diesel with 148bhp or 173bhp. Combined with Mazda’s concerted effort to reduce the car’s weight, these engines make the 6 very efficient – especially the less powerful diesel offering.

The most widely available trim level is SE-L, which comes with some useful options such as front and rear parking sensors. SE Nav and SE-L Nav have sat-nav and Sport Nav gets a heated steering wheel, heads-up display, electric memory seats and traffic sign recognition.

Whichever trim level you find on the forecourt, you will get a DAB radio, Bluetooth, cruise control, 17in alloy wheels, a leather gearlever and steering wheel, USB connection and, on 2015 cars onwards, that 7.0in touchscreen. This was improved further in October 2016. The infotainment system is backed by an easy-to-use rotary controller and additional shortcut buttons placed just behind the gearlever.

On the road, the 148bhp 2.2-litre diesel pulls strongly once you get it up to around 2000rpm, giving you plenty of oomph in the mid-range to make good progress in a relaxed fashion. It’s happy to rev freely and it’s smooth, too, without the usual clatter you associate with diesel engines.

The more powerful version of this engine has 173bhp, but produces more boom in the process and this is combined with higher CO2 emissions. The 2.0-litre petrol engine also comes in two states of tune but, with less shove than the diesels, it needs to be worked harder to make progress.

Ultimately, the 6 is a pleasant and fun car to drive, with light but predictable steering, but push it hard and the front wheels start to run wide before rivals such as the Ford Mondeo and Skoda Superb in tight bends.

The ride can get a bit choppy over scraggy town roads, especially with the larger wheel options – something we’d recommend avoiding – but it settles down at motorway speeds. This helps to make the 6 a decent cruiser with little road noise to disturb your peace, but you do have to put up with a flutter of wind noise from the door mirrors.

There were improvements made to the interior over the years, too, which feels more upmarket than that of rivals such as the Mondeo and Vauxhall Insignia. While there are still some cheap and flimsy plastics around the centre console, most of the dashboard is finished in high-quality materials and all the major buttons and controls have a nicely damped action to them.

The interior has lots of storage space, including a large glovebox, big door bins – which can cope with one-litre water bottles – and a boot that can handle two large suitcases. What’s more, the 6 comes with a 60/40 folding rear seat as standard to help increase usable boot space. It is hindered by the saloon body shape, as you only get a narrow aperture to load through – a problem that does not affect the 6’s hatchback rivals.

What’s more, head room in the rear is a bit limited if your passengers are tall. If this is likely to be a regular issue for you, you might want to look at the Skoda Superb instead.

In 2018 Mazda introduced a facelifted version that had been freshened up inside and out. There was a new 2.5-litre petrol engine, and the previous 173bhp 2.2-litre diesel was tweaked to increase power to 181bhp. Meanwhile, suspension tweaks aimed to improve ride comfort and the steering was made more responsive.

If you're interested in buying a used Mazda 6, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classifieds site here.

Around £6000 will get you an early 2013 Mazda 6 with a higher mileage. Spend between £7000 and £10,000 and you will have a much greater range of SE and SE-L spec cars dating from 2014 and 2015. Spend between £10,000 and £12,000 on a 2016 model, or between £12,000 and £14,000 on 2017 or 2018 cars, between £14,000 and £16,000 on post-facelift 2018 cars and some from 2019 and between £16,000 and £18,000 on good 2019 and 2020 models. Spend a little bit more on the last 2021 and 2022 models.

As a general rule, you will find that there are greater numbers of diesel examples than there are petrol ones. This is not to say that petrol cars aren’t worth considering, especially if you don’t go on long journeys. It’s just that the 148bhp diesel offers a nicer, more relaxed driving experience with its greater torque.

MPG

Happily, not all that much when compared with its rivals. The least efficient petrol engine offers 47.9mpg combined, under the older NEDC tests, but the diesel we recommend is rated at 68.9mpg. Admittedly, these figures won’t be reflective of what you can expect in the real world, but even then the Mazda 6 is an efficient choice.

Under the later, more realistic WLTP tests, the post-facelift 2.0 Skyactiv-G averages 42.2mpg and the 2.5 Skyactiv-G 38.2mpg.

Road tax

Road tax cost will be £20 per year for the 148bhp diesel manual, but bear in mind that this does go up considerably for the automatic, which costs £115 – the same as a 143bhp petrol with a manual gearbox. Before the 1 April 2017 tax change, the most costly tax-wise was the automatic version of this petrol car at £135; anything registered afterwards will set you back £155 per year, no matter which version it is.

Cars registered after April 2017 will be charged at the current flat rate. This is currently £190 a year.

Servicing

Mazda does offer fixed-price maintenance; this will give you a price menu of how much common maintenance operations such as changing the brake discs or pads are, which you can then use to compare prices with independent garages in your area. Mazda also offers extended servicing plans to cater for different ownership and usage requirements, and the 6 should be about average for the class in terms of servicing costs.

Reliability

The Mazda 6 emerges as a dependable choice in our latest 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey, with real-world owner reviews highlighting its solid mechanical reliability. Owners report minor issues mostly related to electronic components and infotainment systems, which, while annoying, are generally not severe.

Feedback on dealership experiences is predominantly positive, with many owners appreciating the professionalism and efficiency of service received. Some inconsistencies and repair scheduling delays were noted but these did not broadly impact the positive views of the dealer service.

Discover more about used Mazda 6 reliability on our dedicated reliability page.

Our favourite engine is the earlier 2.2-litre diesel with 148bhp, which has enough power to make it a relaxing cruiser.

The most widely available trim level is SE-L, which comes with some useful options such as front and rear parking sensors. Whichever trim level you choose, you will get a DAB radio, Bluetooth, cruise control, 17in alloy wheels, a leather gearlever and steering wheel, USB connection and, on 2015 cars onwards, that 7.0in touchscreen.

Our favourite Mazda 6: 2.2d SE-L 148bhp

The Ford Mondeo has the benefit of being a hatchback, which makes it more practical than the Mazda 6, plus it handles better too. The downsides are the rather cheap-feeling interior and complicated multimedia infotainment system.

The Skoda Superb is huge inside. Luxury limousines struggle to offer more back seat space. It isn’t quite as good to drive as rivals, though, and its diesel engines sound a bit more gruff.

The Vauxhall Insignia is great value. It has a smart interior and, like the Mondeo, a hatchback to aid practicality. However, it’s rather bland to drive and suffers from noisy diesel engines.

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If you're interested in buying a used Mazda 6, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classifieds site here.