Mazda Mazda6 2006Change

This is my second 2006 Mazda6 GT wagon. Both have been excellent cars: Practical, reliable, and comfortable, but also fun to drive.

My biggest complaint is fuel economy. In mixed driving, I average 20 U.S. MPG. Not horrible, but not nearly as good as most newer cars that are comparable in size.

I wanted a practical car that had a manual transmission. The 6 wagon was one of the few options that met my needs. I also wanted as many amenities as I could get. The GT comes very nicely equipped with heated leather seats (power driver's), auto climate control, a sunroof, Bose audio system, etc. Mine has both the performance package (which adds 18" wheels and xenon headlights) and the navigation system that is mounted in the cubby at the top of the dash.

The interior design is very clean and the ergonomics are great. The one miss is the heated seat buttons that are hidden on the centre console; because you can't see them, you can't see the button lit up when they are on. My girlfriend tends to leave the passenger side one one.

We have two dogs so the cargo space of the wagon is a necessity. There's plenty of room back there for the dogs, and the fact that you can fold the rear seats down from the cargo area is an awesome feature.

The V6 is very smooth but I feel like it could use a bit more low end torque. The manual shifter and clutch are both smooth and feel good. The motor/transmission mounts feel a bit weak though; I think I will replace them with aftermarket parts at some point.

All in all, a great car that offers a lot of value on the used market.

Did not enjoy this car at all. It had the speed when needed, but used up gas what felt like more than an average v6 engine. There were constant problems with the engine, and had to replace the struts twice. Did not drive the car very hard to warrant having to replace the struts twice. I also had a major issue with rusting along the t bars by the windows and in the wheel wells. Also up close, there were many rust spots beginning to form (where there were not stone chips). On the hood there were lots of stone chips, more than the average car. I was told that mazda uses one less paint coat than other makers – not sure if this is true but it would answer why there were more than average stone chips. Did not keep the car very long as I was not impressed with it.