Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £15,685 to £22,460
High levels of refinement, good to drive, low running costs.
Gearchange not as slick as rivals, some road noise, poor ride quality with 18" wheels.
Punchy, refined diesel is pick of the 6 range.
Big news on the safety front: blind spot cameras from mid-spec TS2 models upwards are available. These employ hidden radars below the rear lamps to detect vehicles hidden in the 6's blindspot. When a vehicle drives into this zone a warning lamp and an audible warning tells you it's not safe to change lanes.
Mazda has yet to volunteer a 6 for the globally respected Euro NCAP crash tests, but should it choose to take part we expect it would follow in the tyre tracks of the recently tested Mazda 2 supermini and Mazda 5 MPV by receiving the full five stars for adult occupancy protection.
Six airbags are standard as are stability control and adaptive head restraints.
All 6 models also have a Thatcham-approved category 1 alarm.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mazda Mazda6 Estate
wrote on 15 10 2006
wrote on 20 07 2006