Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

Of all cars I have owned this one is the delight.

The interior is very nice while not being that of a BMW, Volvo, or the like.

The engine performance for a 2.3 litre straight 4 is just out standing (Semi-Auto version).

The handling is not ‘sporty’ but is responsive. If you take the car to ‘manual shift’ mode it is great fun... Kick the boot down and shift around 5000 RPM for a fun ride.

Mazda services are a bit (not too bad) expensive.

But I have found a good mechanic that is more than capable of handling the service of the car at a better rate while keeping up with service requirements.

If you are looking for a ‘family’ car, this will meet your needs.

If you are looking at a car that meets your family needs but you want fun when out on your own, this is what you are looking for.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong mechanically, although the clutch will need doing soon at a relatively low 55000 miles.

The rear wheel arches are showing signs of corrosion.

Alloy wheels are corroded, a common problem I gather from reading other reviews on here.

General Comments:

The petrol Mazda 6 shares its engines with the Ford Mondeo; the 2.3 is just an enlarged version of the 2 litre found in both models, but I am happy that it does not share the rear subframe and poor rear brakes of the Mondeo.

The performance is OK, but I would expect a quicker 0-60 than 9 seconds from the alleged 164 bhp motor.

The Mazda has excellent handling for a car of this size, although I do find the power steering a bit light at higher speeds. And there is a lot of road noise.

The interior is a bit dark like most japanese motors, but I like the fact it has an electric sunroof and climate control, the Bose sound system with 6 in dash changer is very good also. I am not impressed with the fuel computer which only reads litres per 100 miles; what's wrong with mpg which we all understand.

Fuel consumption 25-27 urban 34-38 motorway, the car does seem to rev high at motorway speeds, but I understand the later versions have a 6 speed box, which will help quite a lot.

Overall I am very happy; it's just a shame about the minor corrosion issues.

Faults:

-Sound from the trunk and from one of the front seats.

-Little strange sound from the engine on low RPM (500-1000 RPM).

All this was easily fixed by the dealer.

General Comments:

This is a very good and reliable car.

It looks cool and sporty, among boring VW and Toyota models. The car is a head turner, and people really like this car here in Norway.

Great handling, very fun to drive! Nice interior, nice to look at and easy to use. A great family car, highly recommended.

Engine: 1.8, 120 hp. Strong enough, and one of the best in its class.