2013 Mazda6 Review

Pros: Performance, refinement and fuel efficiency of both 2.5 petrol and 2.2 diesel engines; smart interior design; plentiful cabin space; looks stylish in both sedan and wagon forms

Cons: Intrusive road noise and firm ride on 19-inch wheels; not as dynamically sharp as previous 6s; sedan has longer cargo space than wagon; sedan boot's gooseneck hinges

By Jez Spinks | October 05th, 2012

FIND DEALS

Our Rating:

Performance, Ride & Handling	3.5
Comfort & Interior	4.5
Quality & Design	4
Value & Features	4

It wasn’t so long ago that the arrival of a new-generation medium car would have struggled to stir any interest, but the segment has enjoyed a heyday period since the first Mazda6 of 2002.

A decade on, we find ourselves on the north-west outskirts of Paris for the third instalment of the mid-sized Mazda, with the temperature of anticipation warmed by the company’s claim that the new 6 is its most technologically advanced model yet.

The 2013 Mazda6, which will reach Australian showrooms in the first quarter of next year, sits on the same architecture as the CX-5 SUV but using a variety of unique components.

It makes the new 6 the second Mazda to be built from the ground up with the company’s range of fuel-efficiency-focused measures – such as body, chassis and drivetrains – that sit under its so-called Skyactiv umbrella.

One Skyactiv technology making its debut in the Mazda6 is a kinetic energy recovery system called i-Eloop.

It involves a black, square tube-like capacitor that stores electricity generated under deceleration and braking, and saves battery life and engine power by using it to power various electrical components, such as air conditioning and audio.

Mazda says it saves about 10 per cent in fuel use and works in tandem with the iStop engine stop-start system, with both contributing to much improved consumption for the Mazda6 – giving it Toyota Camry Hybrid-beating figures in diesel format.

Mazda Australia has opted for the higher-power version of the Mazda6’s twin-turbo 2.2-litre diesel, which doesn’t have the sub-4.0L/100km of the lower-power unit but should still undercut the petrol-electric’s 5.2L/100km for the Australian fuel test cycle.

The alternative engine is a new 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol, which with 141kW has 12kW more power than the diesel but has a torque count that is inferior by some margin – 256Nm v 420Nm.

In the Mazda CX-5, the 2.2-litre turbo diesel is a vastly better performer in almost every measure than the 2.0-litre petrol offering, but it’s not such a clear choice in the Mazda6.

The Mazda6 2.5 brings ample performance and refinement to the class, with the refined four-cylinder revving out sweetly with a purposeful note. Shifts from the six-speed automatic are smooth, and drivers also have the option – and it’s the best one for corners – of manually changing ratios via paddleshift levers.

The new organ-style accelerator pedal also incorporates a noticeable kickdown détente, which when engaged brings comfortable overtaking performance.

Both the petrol auto and diesel manual we tested accelerate from 0-100km/h in the same time of 7.8 seconds, according to Mazda. The diesel auto that will come to Australia takes 8.4sec.

There’s a greater mid-range surge of torque from the turbo diesel, as expected, which pulls well from low revs and makes passing other cars more effortless.

Mazda says it has focused some of the development on making the new Mazda6 quieter than before.

On the 19-inch wheels that were fitted to both variants we tested, however, road noise was an issue, and especially intrusive whenever the surface changed from smooth to coarse.

We’ll have to wait to try the Mazda6 on the 17-inch and 18-inch wheels that will also be available in Australia to see if they will improve matters.

If Mazda’s engineers were aiming to generate plenty of grip from the 19s, they’ve at least succeeded there.

The signs from the launch drive, however, are that the Mazda6 has lost some of the dynamic magic of its predecessors.

The new 6 handles well, don’t get us wrong, and it will still be one of the best-driving medium cars on the market in 2013.

It’s just that in the context of generations one and two that set the segment benchmark, there’s slightly less disciplined body control, with noticeable lean through corners and steering that, while praiseworthy for its weighting and smoothness, lacks the crisp directness and initial response we’ve come to love on the outgoing Mazda6.

The springs and dampers are set up slightly stiffer on the wagon, and it feels slightly firmer than the sedan that also rode on 19s and also a touch busier on rough roads and less absorbent over sharper bumps.

In both models the suspension became slightly floaty over the French drive route’s most undulating roads, further adding to the overall impression that Mazda has aimed to dial back the 6’s sportiness in favour of extra comfort.

There’s also no mistaking this is a big car. The Mazda6 has grown again and now exceeds 4.8 metres.

The sedan, you may be surprised to learn, has a longer body than the wagon. That’s essentially because the four-door is focused on the US market whereas the wagon’s target is Europe.

And as well as growing in size, the Mazda6 has grown in maturity.

The medium car’s relationship with the CX-5 is visible as well as hidden, with the medium car’s interior based heavily on the SUV’s design.

The 6’s dash architecture is naturally lower, and there are neat, exclusive styling touches for the medium car – such as the coloured faux-metal trim on the dash and character line that runs through an upper section of the door trim.

Soft-touch materials are in important areas where parts of the body interact with the car, such as armrests and upper dash, but aren’t liberally applied.

The HMI – for Human Machine Interface – controller, inspired by BMW’s iDrive system, also carries over from higher-spec versions of the CX-5.

The controller can be operated as both a rotary dial and joystick to make navigating through the colour menu display utterly intuitive. It’s also surrounded by shortcut buttons.

It adds a dash of sophistication, as do the number of new driver assist technologies available that include lane departure and blind spot warning systems, headlights than can peer around corners and switch automatically between high and low beam, and automatic braking functions that can operate from both 15-145km/h and 4-30km/h speed ranges to help avoid collisions if the driver has been distracted.

The sedan has the bigger cabin, making use of its 80mm-longer wheelbase. It creates an additional 30mm of legroom in the rear seat and it’s noticeable when jumping between the two.

There’s still decent knee room in the wagon, and both body styles offer a good amount of space for heads and feet.

The sedan’s 489-litre boot is deep and there’s a longer load length than the wagon when the 60/40 rear seats fold virtually flat via pull levers in the boot.

The wagon’s boot is larger at 522 litres, though, and its seat release levers look smarter and automatically collapse the seatbacks. It also has a wider aperture and the sedan’s gooseneck-hinged boot lid isn’t ideal.

Our test cars were equipped with compressor tyre inflator kits, though a full-size spare wheel will be made available in Australia.

Mazda Australia isn’t revealing pricing yet for the new Mazda6, but has said there will be no sub-$30,000 ‘stripper’ model. Current pricing starts at $31,450 for a 2.5-litre petrol sedan.

Some question marks remain about noise refinement and ride quality – especially the firmer-tuned wagon – for Australian roads, though there’s otherwise plenty of overwhelming evidence that the Mazda6 will again be at the pointy end of the picks of the medium car class.

Owner reviews of the MAZDA MAZDA6 Add a New Review

2009 MAZDA6 DIESEL
By Anthony James Schultz

2005 MAZDA6 LIMITED
By Michael Teychenne

2008 MAZDA6 LIMITED
By Steven Palegeorge

5reasonreviews.com

Shame it’s not as dynamic as the old one…

Will be interesting to see how this does versus the CX-5 and other new compact SUV offerings
- Nasal Explorer
  
  Wouldn’t it be more relevant to see how it goes against other mid-size sedans? That is, cars in the same class?
  - 5reasonreviews.com
    
    Yep – fair comment
    
    I was thinking more in terms of sales volumes and if the 6 will feel the pressure from people choosing a compact SUV rather than a mid-size sedan
  - Norm
    
    I think the comparison to the CX 5 is a very valid one. That is after all the crux of the changing market.
    
    Seems to me that when Aussies want to go bigger than a small car these days – they’d rather go up than out?
    
    That doesn’t mean it has to be an SUV of course but at the moment that seems to be the option available.
Al

I think it looks great and interior looks like a great step up.

My biggest fear is that Mazda had the mindset that bigger is better. The car is nearly as long as a commodore. (4.8 v 4.9m) and I’m sure people buy this car because they wanted a medium size car not a large family car. Obviously there are other reasons as wellHopefully this doesn’t turn out like the Rav4s, where people initially bought them because they were quite compact and small, and now they have balloned out to a much larger car.
Jutzek

How is a car at 4,865mm considered medium sized anymore?
The ‘full size’ Aurion is 4,835mm…
- Henry F
  
  Agree.. These cars are getting bigger and bigger with each release. The last of the Mazda 626s was around 4.5 metres long. They seem to catering for the super size me crowds..
  - Force-15
    
    You mean the USA right? With the previous generation Mazda 6 a larger sedan variant was sold specifically in the USA, so in an effort to minimise the number of body styles produced only one large sedan is being offered worldwide. This also explains why there’s no longer a hatchback (which I reckon is a shame).
    - Henry F
      
      Interesting to see there was a longer version of the 6 for the US!
      
      Again, it’s part of a trend manufacturers are following of getting bigger and bigger. Not all parking spots in big cities are proportionally getting bigger year after year!
- MisterZed
  
  Not sure what planet you’re living on, but the Aurion is another name for a V6 Camry, which is a mid-size car.
  - Huwtm
    
    As you stated both the same car and both are FULL size cars. They lost their medium stus a model back, but some who right stories about these things can’t seem to get their head around it. Width wise they are over 1.8 metres which is full size. The next class down are now medium but are still being called small. For example the Focus is 1.79 metres wide, and the Astra is over 2 metres wide and more than 4 metres long. Which means they are hovering around the large car dimenssions. Which explains their popularity, why go over the top, when you can get what you want in a “small car”?
    - Huwtm
      
      Corrections, don’t know how I did it but right should of course be write, and stus should be status – sorry
      - MisterZed
        
        The current 2012 Camry is actually 5mm shorter than the 2002 Camry, 10 years and 2 generations ago, so there goes your argument.
      - Huwtm
        
        Length isn’t always the bench mark – don’t forget width. Camery and Mazda 6 have gone from 1690, the Japanese stipulated width to over 1800 (over 6 foot wide), generally considered the width of a large car. When you are getting anywhere over 4.5 metres for a car you aren’t talking small or medium 5mm is nothing. It just shows the first American camry was almost at the mark all those years ago.
      - MisterZed
        
        By the way Huwtm, the Astra is not over 2m wide. It is 1814mm wide, but I know where you got the figure of 2m from – some articles incorrectly state the width by including the exterior mirrors. Mirrors are not meant to be included – width refers to the width of the body. To put it another way – a LandCruiser 200 series is 1970mm wide – are you suggesting an Astra is wider than that??
      - Huwtm
        
        Mr Z you are right of course, thanks for the correction, I took the measure of the Opel web site, including mirrors seems to be european trate, (I thought of calculating back but reconsidered) My point still stands, 1814 mm, is still large car width, small cars aren’t small when they are as wide as a large car and almost as long. I think the jetta would be an example. The Golf has grown so large that by the time VW added a boot it became a full size car, and so they made the Jetta a stand alone car. To answer your question, no I’m not suggesting that, I was referring to cars not trucks. At 1970mm, it shows how much space those trucks take up.
- Henry Toussaint
  
  Even the Optima is longer than the Aurion, 4,845!
Wile E Coyote

Sedan seems to be almost as big as Commodore and Falcon.
Not good for them.
Andrew

Why 19 inch wheels? Any car would have a rigid ride with that. I thought Mazda would be more sensible.
- JooberJCW
  
  19 is an option they did the review on (obviously Mazda would want to showcase the model with the slickest options), they’ll be 17 and 18 variants for those less for show and more on comfort.
burpturtle

It looks beautiful and should sell a lot for that alone.
- Zaccy16
  
  yeah it looks fantastic, love the wagon
- Aussie
  
  I think so too but wonder if Mazda are still opting for ridiculous 10,000KM service intervals. If so they will lose business to their competitors.
  - Sydlocal
    
    What is really annoying is that in most other countries, Mazda have a 12 month/20,000km service interval….
Shak

That Mazda bugbear of intrusive road noise rears its head again. Discounting that and the growth spurt, the car should do well for Mazda, and deservedly so, it seems from the review that the car has what it takes to be a big hit.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=737660467 Kit Ho
  
  If the roadnoise is anything like the current 3 then they have a big problem, it’s just now right when you have to raise your voice to talk to your front seat passenger.
  
  On a 3 it may be forgivable, but on a 6 it’s ridiculous
Schn

0-100km/h in 7.8 seconds for a car this size from a four cylinder. That’s pretty good. Even though the interior is a bit too black, I still think the design is one of the best in the segment. But, once again, Mazda still can’t solve their road noise issue, which honestly, from experience, gets really annoying over time, especially when you’ve been in much quieter cars.
Pauy

this car really isnt medium sized anymore.

Accord Euro
Kizashi
Maxima
Liberty
IS250

are what i would consider medium sized.
- Mazda 6
  
  Really A Maxima at 4850
WayneTSV

Well, from reading this article it appears that Mazda still has a thing or two to learn in regards to NVH…which is a pity. I’t getting tiring hearing this issue pop up over and over again since at least the 3′s release in 2003.
It’s an extremely well designed car otherwise, and will redefine the medium-to-large segment yet again.
I wonder how the Malibu will fare against it?
- Monk
  
  Malibu’s main competitor will be anything less ugly and awful.
- http://profile.yahoo.com/6E2XXNUG3KJMCOCFAJIZYF5EOE Daniel
  
  The other question mark is over the headlights. Mazda 6 standard headlights, not the top of the range model, have been ordinary to poor, compared to the locals for illuminating a country road.
  - Sydlocal
    
    I have found the low beam is quite good in the GG, however the high beam is absolutely hopeless…
- DanielD
  
  NVH is an issue with Mazda’s going well back into the early 323 Astina days.
  
  I don’t know why Mazda Australia don’t get a bunch of engineers from Japan out here and not let them leave for home, until they have a solution for this. While they are at it, they can also learn to make headlights that aren’t just pretty, but actually work as well as the locals on country roads at night. Granted there aren’t that many wallabies and kangaroos to worry about around Hiroshima but given how big a market we are now for them, it would be nice if they considered country driving in their designs more.
  
  Really they are the only two areas were I have always felt the Mazda’s I have owned have let me down (we’ll ignore the awful cost cutting of the 90′s).
  
  The early reviews pointing at a loss of some of the cars handling is a worry too. I will happily forfeit the look at me 19″ wheels for a better suspension setup. We can hope that the Australian versions are more tuned like the previous two generations. I do worry that this generation is going to be fundamentally compromised to please American buyers.
Latin Fish Names

I only like the looks of the wagon… Too bad there is no hatch. My guess is that this will be an expensive car… These days a Passat is great buying and offers similar efficiency. VW are now getting aggressive on pricing and spec and Mazda as well as the rest of the market will feel the heat.
- Mazdaman
  
  hopefully they learn their lesson when they launched the series 2, they hiked the price at the launch on 2008, sales slowed and they had to do price cuts a few months latter. Great for buyers because you could screw the mazda dealers when they had excess stock sitting around
Igor

Nice, classy looking car, inside & out…nav screen looks a bit small though.
I’d take the diesel even though it’s under powered compared to some.
Aok

I get fed up with journalists complaining about Mazda’s so called NVH, Mazda benchmarks their new models against every other brand, naturally ANY car will respond to different road surfaces with tyre/road noise, you can not have low profile tyres without some intrusion…Can journalist PLEASE use a ‘Db Meter’ and tell us how ‘bad’ it is via a Db reading when this vehicle is tested in Australia, then please compare the competition on the exact same roads at the exact same speeds with the same Db meter, using your dyno but and ears is just guesswork.
- Shak
  
  It doesnt really matter what ‘meter’ Journos use, because a person going to test drive isnt going to do the same. The sounds Journos naturally hear, and the seat of the pants feelings are more important to highlight in a review, because many customers will experience the same things on their test drives. Australia is a place where we dont have very many smooth hotmix roads, and the majority of country roads are all coarse chip, so road noise is a big factor.
- R32
  
  There’s a reason why it comes with a Bose sound system
Luke Brinsmead

It looks more Germanic. Aiming for the Euro market big time.
- Mike
  
  I don’t really see a close resemblance to any current ‘Germanic’ cars. It’s pretty distinctly Mazda.
  - Wile E Coyote
    
    Bit of Jag in the sedan profile
    - Phil
      
      Jaguar is British.
      - Dominique Vøn Hütch
        
        Yes it is.
      - Phil
        
        Thanks for the confirmation.
      - Clem
        
        Jaguar is belong to India now.
      - Shak
        
        Jaguar is still British.
      - Ranald
        
        But many British (and indeed many Australians) see themselves and are described as ‘Anglo-Saxon’. The Angles and Saxons were Germanic tribes. Therefore Jaguar before becoming an Indian brand was a Germanic one. Luke is correct.
      - Phil
        
        Well, if we’re going to get into technicalities, Luke never mentioned Jaguar in his post, so for you to use Jaguar as an example to ‘prove the validity’ of his post makes no sense. Also, what he posted regarding the looks of the vehicle was simply his opinion and since it was an opinion on a subjective matter, it can neither be correct nor incorrect.
  - Yogi
    
    The interior looks quite Germanic with the switch gear, layout, etc.
    - Ranald
      
      Yes the interior does look quite bland and dated. Volkswagen-like it could be described as. Germanic indeed.
  - Luke Brinsmead
    
    What I meant was Mazda probably took a long hard look at BMW interiors to get their interiors up to scratch for the discerning euro market.
    - DanielD
      
      Actually all generations of Mazda 6, but especially the first and now this latest, have borrowed heavily from Audi for styling direction.
      
      Yes its a Japanese spin on it and Mazda do insist on putting in styling cues from their old cars too, but the cues are there.
- LeStori
  
  It’s Japanese all right. Straight out of the multiple design team studio. A different design team for front, middle, rear and interior and one ‘smirking’ face.
  - super_hans
    
    I dont see the smirk on this model, if anything the lower airdam forms more of a snarl. Think I prefer the new Ford Fusion though
- F1orce
  
  It’s a Mazda and looks like one.
Andywcustom

I expect to be in a market for an new wagon in 2013 and with the new ford mondeo wagon failing to materialise in Australia for some time, the new Mazda 6 Wagon will become a serious proposition – good looking vehicle
O123

I wanna see a hatch with the wagons wheelbase
Able

I have to admit I’m disappointed Mazda. No manual transmission is a huge negative, especially for a brand that prides itself on having cars that are sporty and dynamic. I loved the first generation 6, I liked the second generation 6, and I don’t really like the third generation model. It’s just not that appealing to me at all, much like the current Liberty and Accord Euro – their predecessors were far, far superior!
- Legnab
  
  Tis a worry , the manual is an endangered species , a lost driving skill for many .
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Karl-Sass/100000921334936 Karl Sass
    
    Right you are.
- Simon
  
  Agree totally, they were far more unique, looked better and from sounds of it were more exciting to drive. Don’t know why they can’t offer a manual option… soon it will cost more to have a manual than automatic and that will be the premium ‘Option’ you have to tick! lol
- http://ozmazda.com/ OZM
  
  I have been a loyal Mazda owner for over 30yrs and this soft approach to the latte sipping yuppie auto drivers will see them loose many sales with no MANUAL…..WTF are you thinking Mazda…..we aren’t all bloody lazy.
  - DanielD
    
    The harsh reality is with only 5% of previous 6 sales being a manual, you may not buy another Mazda, but they are unlikely to miss you if you don’t.
    
    Simple fact is Mazda Australia don’t believe in giving buyers much choice. You only have to see what other markets can get as accessories on their cars to see that.
    
    I own two Mazda 6′s one manual and one auto and I would like to see the manual stay on the books, even if you had to special order from the factory to get one, but thats just not the distributors style in Australia.
- Sydlocal
  
  I agree Able, however manuals barely make up 5% of current total Mazda6 sales. I find it funny that they were bagged for not bringing out an auto diesel previously, now they are getting bagged for not bringing out a manual! LOL
  - http://ozmazda.com/ OZM
    
    The enthusiast drivers never whinge as it was the yuppie sipping latte office nerds that aren’t man enuff to drive a manual….actually Mazda didn’t have an auto box strong enuff to handle the torque as they didn’t want to de-tune it. As for your figures……thats all it is figures….I still cant get over how people whinge about bluetooth…..aren’t you suppose to be concentrating on drive and not worry about talking on the phone or what F*#king track u want to listen too……
- Mazda
  
  It is not a problem of Mazda but the majority of Australian incompetent or lazy drivers. I would never buy one automatic….
Aussie

Significant improvements (power, fuel economy, safety features) over current model. Bravo Mazda.
Edward

Lets hope they bring the MPS. It was always such an interesting car…

Sadly, wheel diameter is on the rise. My Civic Type R has 19′s as an option from the dealer, which is absurd for a medium hatch.
June

They should do a AWD version of the new 6 wagon.. similar to the Outback. It would look stunning slightly raised with larger tyres
http://www.facebook.com/antmindel Anthony Mindel

I cannot wait to see what the next Accord Euro will look like,although thats at least a year away,as they have always been direct rivals…and this Mazda looks super sexy,WAY better than the current model.
- James
  
  Agreed – both have kept raising the bar against one another. Nothing like a bit of healthy competition to push each firm to make even better cars.
- MisterZed
  
  You can’t wait? Let me tell you now – it’ll be bigger, slower, and more bland than the current model. That’s the direction Honda have been going in the past few years.
  - Shak
    
    Well, if the New Seppo Spec Accord is anything to go by, the Euro will in fact be smaller, faster, and more tech filled than previous generations.
    - MisterZed
      
      Perhaps, but it’s still very bland and it has a CVT – ergh. The new Euro will probably get a CVT too, as Honda seem to only be using their new 6-speed auto in their V6 models.
    - MisterZed
      
      But he said he’s waiting to see what it LOOKS like. The new US Accord looks no better than the current model – more of the same blandness, which is what we’ll see with the Euro most likely. Oh, and a crappy CVT instead of a decent 6-speed auto, because for some reason Honda are only using their new 6-speed auto with V6s.
      - Zaccy16
        
        i dont understand honda at the moment, why not the 6 speed auto? the current 5 speeder they use in the accord euro is still better than the cvt!
Eric V

Beautiful looking car, and I love the interior.
Having just visited Hiroshima I now understand why Mazda are not good with NVH, the roads there are brilliant.
Maybe they should do some development work in Frankston to improve their NVH.
F1orce

You can’t complain about these gooseneck hinges as they’re covered and will not crush the stuff in the boot/trunk.

A area of major concern amongst American consumers.
- aranciata-oz
  
  Fair point the gooseneck hinges are covered, but they have sapped about 50L of space … Mazda may have goosed it because of the extra cost of providing mini gas struts if cantilever hinges are used …
Norm

I wonder what the price point will be for the wagon against something like the Skoda Superb?

For me it would be an easy choice if Skoda went down the Mazda route of smooth no fuss fully automatic transmissions. Alas….
Legnab

Extensive road test over on autoblog for this nice looking vehicle .
Simon

Despite the economic benefits… I wish they didn’t create this same platform for the US and other markets.
GIG

I really hope MAZDA make it RWD like TOYOTA Mark X and NISSAN Skyline…
Michael

Ugly put a Hyundai badge on it as that is what it looks like…
- JamesB
  
  You’re retarded.
Sumpguard

I’m not fussed on the styling. The previous gen was a better looker.
aranciata-oz

WHAT … IS … THE … PROBLEM … with carmakers STUPIDLY returning to GOOSE-NECK hinges in their boot at every new model???? “GOOSE” in more ways than one!!! The 2005-2009 Hyundai Sonata’s excellent external tiny cantilever hinges got GOOSED on the replacement i45 … now the Maz6 … will Maz3′s cantilever hinges go the same way? Unbelievable when even a 1992 jelly bean Mazda 121 had these easy but smart cantilever hinges.

Admittedly this may not be an issue for most people, but for a lot people like myself who want to squeeze luggage (prams, luggage) into the boot without fear of the gooseneck crushing laptop screens (yes it’s happened to people I know) when the boot closes, and the constant need to rearrange stuff in the boot to accommodate the intrusive gooseneck hinges, it’s just STUPID LAZY BACKWARDS engineering. SURELY there’s a reason why they’re going backwards … what is it? Anyone know?
- Scout392
  
  Did you even read/look at the review???
  
  There is picture there showing the hinges and they are coverd in.
  
  So you can happly fill your boot and close it, knowing crushed lap tops will NOT happen.
  
  Eric
  - aranciata-oz
    
    My faux pas … thanks for pointing out … just got a bit a carried away at them going backwards .. I did see the pics after I read the review (and yes I based my comments based on the review summary!) … but I still think it’s a cheap regressive step that robs the boot of 50L of space.
- Amlohac
  
  Cheaper, the dont have to use two gas struts now. Might seem small, but that small amount over thousands of cars could add up.
  
  But youre right gooseneck struts are stupid, the current gen 6 doesnt have them. They are killing boot space by using them and having to cover them up to protect gear you put in the back.
  
  However, being that the new 6 WILL be bigger, perhaps they really havent killed any boot space?
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Karl-Sass/100000921334936 Karl Sass
    
    Gooseneck hinges still have struts. I used to agree with you but the issue is when they put normal hinges on they need to be mounted on a lip of the boot, meaning the boot opening is noticeably smaller. It’s a trade off either way.
    - aranciata-oz
      
      Aha … that may well be the reason … good input Karl … kinda makes sense, for I recall the opening of my previous Mazda 3 sedan was a little small, leading to a buyer saying no for that main reason.
      
      Having said that, my Sonata’s boot opening is still decent, but it’s got me thinking … will check things out next time before I tut-tut all the Camrys Kizashis i45s Accords Jettas every time their. Lboots are opened
      …
    - Sydlocal
      
      Not all goose-neck hinges have struts Karl. In fact many of them use thin metal bars/rods attached to the goose-neck that are anchored underneath the parcel shelf etc. These thin metal bars/rods are under tension when the boot is closed. When the boot is unlocked, that spring tension pushes on the goose-necks which causes the boot to open. There are many different variations of this “spring loaded” method and this, along with various torsion methods are way more prevalent than gas struts on goose-neck hinges.
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Karl-Sass/100000921334936 Karl Sass
        
        I wasn’t aware of that, all the ones I’ve seen had struts. Thanks for the correction.
whatthe…

In profile the wagon is a copy of the Volvo V60. Ikea rules!
Spook

Received an email from Mazda about a competition to win a Mazda6 Diesel GT sedan, with the prize value stated as $56K. That seems pretty expensive to me. A top of the range diesel GT CX-5 with tech pack is only approx $52K on road. Hmmm…
- falcodore
  
  I got the same email, i also remember the comp to win the CX-5 and they stated the same price as in this comp but the CX-5 ended up costing less. It’s just a ballpark figure they use as they can’t UNDERestimate the price of the car.
J Broady

We had the 1st generation sedan, but always needed a wiper on the back window. Bought the 2nd gen hatch to get that wiper, But of course, no hatch = no wiper again, but do we want a wagon? or do we look at all others available again? Any car must have full size spare, won’t consider anything without that.

There is a large blind spot at the back of most cars these days, you could certainly miss seeing a small child when reversing. I would hate to reverse into a child in the driveway, which does keep happening every year. So we had a reversing camera installed by the dealer before the car was delivered, and won’t consider any car without a camera installed. I would prefer that to be a normal feature though.
- MisterZed
  
  Er, why exactly would a sedan need a rear wiper??
  - DanielD
    
    Not sure if its the roof line or the rear glass angle but the first Mazda 6 sedans really did have a problem with rear visibility in the rain. My MPS 6 is the same.
    
    Must have been recognised as an issue as the Japanese 6 sedan did in fact have a rear wiper like the hatch has here.
- Huwtm
  
  I agree about the rear wiper, being able to see behind you when it’s raining is very important, reversing etc. Again why all cars should come with a rear camera.
  
  But why do you keep backing over kids. Where do you get them from to do that?