Mazda 6 2003-2008 review

Mazda 6 is a sharp-looking, mid-size car with sporty handling and comfortable ride. It's a well-built vehicle with above-average reliability. Mazda 6 is available as a sedan, hatchback or wagon, with 4-cylinder or V6 engine. Introduced in 2002 as a 2003 model, Mazda 6 was available only as a four-door sedan. The hatchback (Mazda calls it "5-door") and wagon body styles were added for 2004. Scroll down for photos.

Overview

Mazda 6 2004. Click for larger photo

Mazda 6 interior. Click for larger photo

The 2003-2008 Mazda 6 has front-wheel drive with the choice of a 2.3L 4-cylinder or 3.0L V6 engines. Mazda 6 Wagon comes only with a V6. Transmission choices include a five-speed manual and four- or five-speed automatic. A 6-speed automatic transmission is available on late models.
Inside Mazda 6 looks very sharp. Front seats are supportive and comfortable even on long trips. The red-lit instruments look crisp. The controls are well laid out and easy to operate. The storage compartment at the top of the dashboard is very convenient. I really like the sporty steering wheel with audio controls at your fingertips. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes. The visibility is good all around. The rear seat space is sufficient. The 60/40 split rear seat folds flat easily. The available 6-disk Bose® audio system with 4 speakers, 2 tweeters and subwoofer sounds excellent. The subwoofer is installed inside the spare tire. Out of many cars I have driven, surely this Mazda 6 has one of the best sound systems. See more interior photos below.
On the road, Mazda 6 is fun to drive. The ride is solid and very comfortable. The handling is excellent, great on curves. It's a pleasure to drive the Mazda 6 on a highway - the car feels very stable. The steering is precise and responsive, almost sports-car like. The 3.0L V6 engine is very smooth, with a nice sounding tone when accelerated. The 2.3L 4-cylinder feels adequate. The cabin is very quiet, even when driving on a rough road. One small complaint, the turning radius could be better.
The ABS system was optional on early models, standard from 2005. Traction Control, side airbags, side curtain airbags are standard from 2007. In the NHTSA frontal crash tests, the 2003-2008 Mazda 6 scored 5 stars for both the driver and the front passenger. In the side-impact crash tests, the 2003-2006 models without side airbags received three stars for the front seat and four stars for the rear seat, while the 2006-2008 models with side airbags received four stars for both the front and the rear seat. For more details, visit Safercar.gov.

Engine

Mazda 6 3.0L V6 engine. Click for larger photo

The 2003-2008 Mazda 6 comes with two engine choices: the 2.3L 160-hp 16-valve 4-cylinder and the 3.0L 220-hp 24-valve V6. Both are good and fairly reliable engines if maintained well. Both engines have a timing chain; there is no timing belt. The 4-cylinder engine offers better fuel economy and is easier to work on. For example, if you want to replace the spark plugs, they are easily accessible on the 4-cylinder engine, but on the V6, you'd have to remove the intake manifold to get to the rear-bank spark plugs.

Pros

- Stylish, sporty look
- Well-designed, sharp-looking interior
- Excellent handling
- Comfortable, quiet ride
- Available as sedan, hatchback or wagon
- Variety of available options
- Available Bose audio system sounds great
- Reasonably priced

Cons

- Fuel economy for a V6 model
- Turning radius is wide
- Models without side airbags scored poorly in the side impact crash tests

Overall

The 2003-2008 Mazda 6 is a Driver's Car with sporty styling, great handling and comfortable, quiet ride. Besides a sedan, you can buy Mazda 6 hatchback or wagon and either one looks very good. Mazda 6 offers generous level of standard and optional equipment and an available 6-disk Bose audio system sounds excellent. I recommend a 4-cylinder model, as the V6 is quite thirsty. If safety is important to you, look for Mazda 6 with side airbags; without side airbags, Mazda 6 scored poorly in side-impact crash tests. Overall, Mazda 6 is a very nice, well-built car with above-average reliability. Both the 2.3L 4-cylinder and the 3.0 V6 are good engines, but lack of maintenance could lead to problems. I drove Mazda 6 for more than three years and other than a ripped through air conditioner hose, one wheel bearing, one ignition coil and one trunk lid shock it didn't have any problems.

What to look for buying a used Mazda 6

Check used car history records. A history report may help you to uncover some of the problems the car might have in the past. Here is the link: How to check used car history
Check the service records if available - it's better to buy a well-maintained vehicle.
Test the air conditioner. If the "check engine" light is on, have the problem checked out with your mechanic before buying a car. A blue smoke at a start-up may indicate engine problems; avoid such a car. A very low oil level may indicate excessive oil consumption.
Read more what to look for when buying a used car. Before buying a car, have it properly inspected by a mechanic. Check our step-by-step used car buying guide for more information. Some models may be costly to insure. Check the insurance quotes first.
Consider an extended warranty to protect from unexpected repair costs.

Mazda 6 problems

A bad ignition coil can cause engine misfiring with the trouble code P0300 (Random Cylinder Misfire Detected) or one of the P0301, P0302, P030X codes (the last digit points to the number of the cylinder misfiring). If you are replacing the ignition coil, it's good idea to change all the spark plugs if they are old.
Humming or growling noise coming from one of the wheels could be caused by a bad wheel bearing.
A clunking noise from the steering wheel could be caused by lack of lubrication in the intermediate shaft splines in the steering column; there was a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) on this issue. The repair is fairly simple; visit your Mazda dealer.
Another TSB describes an issue with knocking or squeaking noise from the front when driving over bumps caused by a lower arm bushing. The repair involves replacing the lower arm bushing with a modified part.
In 4-cylinder models, unstable idle and stalling can be cause by a dirty throttle body; there was a TSB on this issue. If you need a repair manual, here is the link: Where to find DIY repair information.

Maintenance tips

Regular oil changes are important. Check engine oil level regularly; running the engine low on oil could lead to serious problems. Synthetic oil can offer extra protection for the engine.
Change transmission fluid regularly using only original Mazda transmission fluid.
Use original Mazda parts. You can find maintenance schedule, recommended fluids and fluid capacity in the owner's manual. Have your car inspected, at least once a year, in a garage on the lift (e.g. when doing tire rotation) to keep it safe. Read more Car maintenance tips. If you have a Check Engine light coming on, read here Check Engine light. Here is the information on Engine Trouble codes. Applying the car wax every three-four months will help to protect the paint finish. Read How to wax a car. Read more How to keep your car running longer.

2005 Mazda 6 specifications

Mazda6 Photos

2004 Mazda6 Sport Wagon GT. See the large photo Mazda6 Interior. See the large photo 2004 Mazda6 Sport Wagon GT 2004 Mazda6 Sport Wagon GT Front view Rear view Mazda 6 Instrument cluster. See larger photo Mazda 6 center console Rear view 2004 Mazda6 rear seat The Bose Subwoofer placed in the spare tire Mazda6 sedan. Photo: Mazda Canada Mazda6 hatchback. Photo: Mazda Canada

2004 Mazda6 Sport Wagon GT. See the large photo