About the Mazda 6
Shal Kumar purchased this Mazda 6 new with additional options for $53,000 (including all on-road costs). Shal Kumar would buy this car again because: “Awesome great all-rounder car. Haven’t had any major problems with it (comparing it to previous 2013 Subaru Premium XT). All minor problems were very quickly resolved by Mazda, free of charge. As a mid-market luxury vehicle it has all the bells and whistles I was after at the time of purchase”
How reliable has your car been? Tell us about any issues.
Super reliable. With the exception of the two side mirrors not folding fully there have been no other issues that could fault reliability of this car.
Even with the side mirrors I contacted Mazda and they told me to bring the car in, had a look, and changed both actuators and the mirrors were like brand new.
What do you think of the ownership experience with your car?
Ownership experience has been great. The current market for second hand cars is amazing so I have made a regretful decision to sell once my new car (Genesis GV70) is in the country.
Otherwise I would keep the car, it’s an amazing vehicle to drive and so very comfortable.
How has the purchase and aftercare experience been with your car?
It’s been really good, but I did get annoyed for the first three to six months of buying the car because Mazda would always call me and ask about it. So, I had to tell them to stop calling me and if there were any issues I’d call them.
Otherwise it’s been great. Even with the car being four years old now I still get treated as if the car is brand new by Mazda (if I ever have to take it in).
Are you happy with the price and features of your car?
Initially, I thought $53,000 for a Mazda was a little overpriced. I was actually going in to buy a CX-5 and walked out with a contract for the 6. When you look at other mid-market luxury cars I don’t think anything else comes close the style, design and solidity that this car offers for that price point.
Features are great but are starting to show their age (no Apple CarPlay when I bought it).
What do you think of the performance and economy of your car?
Performance can be really good at times but after having the car for four years I note when I put in 95 it can be a little sluggish, it performs really well with 98-octane fuel. Economy is pretty good for a car this heavy with a turbocharger it does well, especially because I can have a heavy foot at times.
What do you think of the technology in your car?
I think I mentioned before technology is good but starting to show its age. I don’t know if it’s reasonable to expect Mazda to pay for upgrade to Apple CarPlay but I wish this car had that.
The cameras that are used on the car are pretty low quality. Like you could go back 10 years in time and still get better quality reverse cameras than what’s on this Mazda (I know this for a fact because my mate has a HiLux which at 6-7 years older is much clearer).
What do you think of the ride comfort and handling of your car?
Here’s another let down. With all this rain NSW is experiencing it’s really testing cars suspension. It can be really rough at times with all these potholes and with low profile tyres it exacerbates that feeling.
The car handles very well, I have given it plenty around corners and it pretty much just sticks to the road.
Do you have any additional comments about your car?
I’ve dropped a few negative comments in here but I wanted to be clear that the car is a great all rounder whether you have a family or you’re a solo rider.
If I wasn’t buying the Genesis I’d keep this car, not just because of the car but because of Mazda’s superior support network.