2007 Mazda 6 TS 1.8 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Decent car, all things considered...

Faults:

General wear and tear - new brakes, some suspension parts, etc. Minor cosmetic rust on arches.

General Comments:

A nice car to drive, very spacious and comfortable. Modern and quality interior is very upmarket. Looks as good as new when I bought it at a few years old and 20,000 miles on it. Now on 85,000 and still looks much the same, aside from the rusty arches - a known weak spot on these cars. Nothing serious though - purely cosmetic and can be touched up - don't let it get too bad.

On the outside the car looks great with alloy wheels and dark blue paint. Rear visibility is a little limited, but you get used to it.

1.8 petrol engine pulls fine and does near 40 MPG as expected. Would prefer the 2.0 petrol though for the sake of more performance. Have been advised by friends with the diesel version of this car to avoid the diesel like the plague - lots of reliability issues on that engine.

On the whole though my Mazda has not caused me any major trouble and I would recommend it to anybody. Had a Mazda 626 in the 90s and that clocked up mega mileage without serious issues, so I hope this car proves to be the same.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th September, 2016

30th Sep 2016, 14:21

Is the rust issue on Mazda 6s really that bad? Kind of reminds me of the problem Mercedes had with some cars in the late 90s - I think it was due to cheaper paint, so cosmetically they looked real bad after only a few years, but it was not as bad as it looked - the chassis frame and all other important parts stood up against rust as good as any car.

I wouldn't worry about it unless it starts failing MOTs with severe rust on the underside... which on a 2007 car is unacceptable if that does happen in my opinion. Yeah that was a while ago now, but this is still a modern car by anyone's standards, so it should hold up.

In reply to 30th Sep 2016, 14:21

1st Oct 2016, 17:48

I had a 2005 facelift Mazda 6. Superb car in many ways and looked great too. However, rust was awful for such a young car. Japanese cars always have been bad, but all the underside was rusting away... advisory after advisory about it on the MOT. Gutted as it was looked after well. Shouldn't be surprised though as my 2003 Mazda MPV needed £800 worth of welding to get through its MOT also. Perhaps my previous Volvos had just spoiled me... 20 years old and no rust on any of them. If you look around, almost all Mazdas from 2002 - 2006 are rusting somewhere on them...

2007 Mazda 6 TS 2.0 diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Very nice

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

This is a very good car, looks great and goes well, it is by no means a fast car, but the 140+ horsepower turbo diesel engine is faster and more economical than anything I've driven before. I'd heard modern diesels were good, and my god they have come a long way since the 80s/90s.

This is a 2007 model Mazda 6, last of the old shape before they changed to the current model. Being a TS, which isn't a base spec, but not a particularly high one either, it has decent equipment, is comfortable with electric windows/mirrors, air on, cruise control, all things you expect from a modern family car.

Compared to its rivals, the Ford Mondeo and the Vauxhall Vectra, I'd say the Mazda is just as good if not better. I've had Mondeos, Vectras, and even an old Mazda 626 from the 90s, the previous model to this car, but it would be unfair to compare it to those cars, which were good in their day, but outclassed by the newer generation of cars.

I test drove other cars while looking for this car, had a few grand to spend for once, and decided on the Mazda for its low mileage and condition, but it did also drive better than similar cars I test drove. I hadn't really had a modern car before this point, so obviously it left a good impression on me.

At time of this review it is 5 years old, but it's still as good as a new car to me; as I mentioned before, in the past all I could afford was £600 runabouts from the good old 80s/90s. What impresses the most is the engine as I mentioned at the start, with its 6 speed box, it's quick and economical, and averages 47 MPG or more, which is what you need in these tough times, when fuel is around £1.50 a litre!

In short, any Mazda 6 built from 2002 to 2007 with low mileage and service history - I'd say go for it, you won't be disappointed.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th May, 2012

6th Apr 2014, 09:00

I wrote the original review here for this car almost 2 years ago. I have since sold the Mazda... expensive problems with injectors, DMF (clutch) and DPF (diesel particle filter)... this car was driven correctly, serviced on time and still gave these 3 expensive problems.

Don't get me wrong, my comments still stand, the Mazda 6 (02-07) is a fantastic car, but a little research and my own experience show the diesels are to be avoided. Main dealers very expensive, but some independents don't know this car well (don't know why - this model has been around since 2002!).

I'd have a 1.8 or 2.0 petrol in a heartbeat, but a diesel - never again. The cost of repairs far outweighs any savings made by the fuel economy, thus defeating the purpose of a diesel! Very disappointed.

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