2023 Mazda6 20th Anniversary Wagon Review

Way back in 2002, Mazda’s rebirth was travelling at full speed. Gone was the trusty-but-bland lineup of the late 1990s and cars like the Mazda2 had just hit the market. While the popular Mazda3 was yet to launch, the Mazda6 gave the brand a new lease on life thanks to its funky styling and keen driving dynamics. Fast forward 21 years and – despite the SUV boom – the Mazda6 is thankfully still around, offering buyers still-handsome styling and fun driving dynamics we’ve become used to from the nameplate, but with a whole lot more luxury, technology and performance than before. Is the Mazda6 still a good buy in 2023? We tested the 2023 Mazda6 20th Anniversary wagon to find out.

Despite sales figures showing that since 2012, the Mazda 6 has sold approximately 112,000 units less than the CX-5 mid-size SUV, Mazda’s most successful product of the last few decades globally, with 150,000 sales versus 38,000, the Mazda6 is still an important product in the local Mazda lineup. Even though it’s been on the market in its current generation – albeit with two major facelifts since 2012, it still offers the latest tech and the excellent quality that we’ve come to know and love from Mazda. Is the Mazda6 still worth your consideration?

Price & Equipment: 8/10

Sitting atop the local Mazda6 lineup, the 2023 Mazda6 20th Anniversary wagon is priced from $54,935 plus on-road costs (or around $61,000 drive away, depending on location) – though you can get into an entry-level 6 wagon for around $42,000 drive away.

Standard equipment on the Mazda6 20th Anniversary wagon includes dusk-sensing automatic LED exterior lighting, auto wipers, 19-inch wheels, a sunroof, roof rails, keyless entry and start, heated and auto-folding mirrors, tan-coloured nappa leather and suede upholstery, ventilated and heated front seats, a heated leather steering wheel, a 10-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat with memory, a six-way electric front passenger seat, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, satellite navigation, digital radio, a 231-watt 11-speaker Bose sound system, heated outboard rear seats, four USB-A ports, a wireless phone charger and LED cabin ambient lighting.

Safety equipment includes six airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB) in both forward and reverse, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, lane trace assist, a heads-up display, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, blind-spot monitoring with rear-cross traffic alert, driver attention alert, traffic sign recognition, Matrix adaptive high beam functionality, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree parking camera. The 6 range received a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2018.

For colour options, the Mazda6 20th Anniversary is only available in either ‘Artisan Red’ or ‘Rhodium White’, both of which add no cost. Tan is the only interior option on the 20th Anniversary.

Despite what some might say, there are still some reasonably priced wagon options on the new car market. The closest rival to the Mazda6 wagon is the Skoda Octavia, which is priced from $42,490 drive away in entry level Style 110TSI form – though the hot RS is closer matched to the Mazda6 20th Anniversary and is priced from $57,490 drive away. There are other options too, like the Citroen C5 X, the Peugeot 308 and 508 Sportswagons, as well as the Volkswagen Golf, Passat and Arteon – though be quick if you want a Volks-wagon as they’re unfortunately being dropped from Australian showrooms soon – plus the Subaru Outback and WRX Sportswagon.

Against the Octavia RS (with the Premium Pack for a total price of just shy of $63,000 drive away), the 6 20th Anniversary offers reasonable value for money, though if you don’t need the extra bling of the 20th Anniversary, the lower-spec Atenza (around $58,500 drive away) or GT SP (around $55,000 drive away) can be had for less cash. Both the 6 20th Anniversary and Octavia RS feature a similar level of equipment like Matrix headlights, electric front seat adjustment, heated front and rear seats and 19-inch wheels. The Octavia RS adds an extra zone of climate, USB-C ports, a larger 10.25-inch central screen, a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, an electric boot lid and extra safety kit like nine airbags. The 6 is priced less than the Octavia and features a sunroof and a premium sound system over the – more expensive – Octavia RS, but overall, we think the Skoda is slightly better value thanks to a longer equipment list.

Performance & Economy: 8/10

Under the bonnet of the 2023 Mazda6 20th Anniversary is the same turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that’s also found under the bonnet of the lower grade GT SP and Atenza models. It makes 173kW of power (at 4,250rpm) and a strong 420Nm of torque (at just 2,000rpm) – 7kW less but 50Nm more than the Octavia RS – and is only available with a six-speed automatic transmission. In Australia, the 6 is front-wheel drive only, while the former twin-turbo diesel engine is no longer available.

The engine in the Mazda6 20th Anniversary is nicely punchy – its peak torque hits at just 2,000rpm, for example – and it sounds reasonably good as well. It’s not fast in the same way that the Octavia RS is – Mazda doesn’t quote a 0-100km/h time but it feels to be around the seven second mark, which is at least 0.3 seconds slower than the Skoda – but it provides quiet grunt and is not flashy or overly sporty.

The only available transmission featured in the Mazda6 range in Australia is a six-speed automatic, which is a gear or two less than some rivals, but is still an excellent transmission. In typical Mazda fare, it’s quite reactive to driver input, while it can also be shifted with paddle shifters in sportier driving. It’s definitely not as quick as the seven-speed ‘DSG’ dual-clutch automatic in the Octavia RS as it gives more of a sports luxury vibe than the Skoda’s sporty attitude, but at low speeds, it’s more predictable.

The claimed combined fuel consumption for the Mazda6 2.5L turbo is 7.6L/100km, with claimed CO2 emissions of 178g/km – more than the claimed 6.8L/100km and 156g/km ratings of the Octavia RS, though that car is a lot newer than the 6. In our testing, we achieved just above 10L/100km in mostly urban driving but it can be a lot thirstier than that if you aren’t careful. Helping running costs is that the 6 can run on 91RON regular unleaded – unlike the Octavia RS that needs premium unleaded – and it has a 62-litre fuel tank.

Ride & Handling: 9/10

As with the original first- and second-generation Mazda6 models, the 2023 Mazda6 20th Anniversary wagon drives very well. It’s still a keen handler – but it also rides quite well, and unlike previous shape Mazda6 models, it’s quite refined as well with good noise and vibration suppression. The ride balance is a touch firm thanks to the large 19-inch wheels, but it’s otherwise comfortable.

Get the 6 on a backroad and it can be quite fun. It’s not as sharp as the Octavia RS, but it’s also more comfortable. In addition to the low road noise levels, the 6’s active safety kit is well tuned and its visibility is reasonable too – though we wish Mazda would stop persisting with the flat driver’s side mirror as it can be a bit dangerous. If you’re wanting to tow, the turbo Mazda6 models can tow a 1,600kg braked trailer with a 120kg tow ball download maximum.

Interior & Practicality: 8/10

The interior of the 2023 Mazda6 20th Anniversary is not the newest on the market, nor does it offer the most up-to-date technology. But it’s very well finished, reasonably practical and generally just a classy space to spend time. There’s rarely a material inside the 6’s cabin that’s even remotely hard to touch – the dashboard and door tops are covered in soft touch plastics while the nappa leather and suede trimmings on the seats and lower dashboard all feel lovely.

The front seats in the Mazda6 20th Anniversary are quite comfortable and offer a good range of adjustment – plus, they’re both heated and cooled as well. We love the 20th Anniversary logo embossed in the front headrests as well, while the tan colouring looks great.

Centre of the 2023 Mazda6’s cabin is an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation and digital radio. It uses Mazda’s older ‘MZD Connect’ software and really, that’s the biggest weak link with the car. It’s a touch slow to use and the graphics are dated, but at least it now has smartphone mirroring – if only the grainy screen quality was better. We hope Mazda is able to fit the newer ‘Mazda Connect’ system from its newer cars to the 6 soon.

The Mazda6 20th Anniversary includes a 231-watt 11-speaker sound system that offers a good level of punch and is quite configurable. We quite like the Bose units in modern Mazda products.

The 6’s front cabin is reasonably practical with a big centre box underneath the centre armrest, door pockets, a tray underneath the dashboard with a wireless phone charger and a reasonable glovebox.

The back seat of the Mazda6 wagon is not the roomiest in the segment, it must be said, but it’s on par with the Peugeot 508 (but tighter than the Octavia). It’s well featured with door pockets, map pockets, air vents, two USB-A ports in the centre armrest, cup holders and heated outboard seats. The soft touch plastics from the front seat continue to the rear, which is rare. The space comfortable for two adults, while there are two ISOFIX and three top-tether points for mounting child seats.

The boot of the Mazda6 wagon measures 506-litres with the seats up and 1,648L with the rear seats folded – less than the Octavia’s 640L/1,700L boot, but still larger than the 438L/1,340L boot in the CX-5. The boot is well finished with hooks, side storage and remote releases for folding the seats, while there’s a space saver spare wheel underneath the floor and the boot cover is attached to the boot – though the tailgate annoyingly doesn’t operate electrically.

Service & Warranty: 8/10

Like other new Mazda products, the 2023 Mazda6 20th Anniversary wagon is equipped with a five-year/unlimited km warranty with five years of roadside assistance. Five years/75,000km of servicing costs $2,505 ($501 per service).

Skoda bests Mazda with its seven-year/unlimited km warranty and up to 10 years of roadside assistance (if serviced through a Skoda dealership). Skoda doesn’t publish pay-as-you-go service pricing any longer, but a five-year/75,000km service pack costs $2,600 ($520 per service).

The 2023 Mazda6 20th Anniversary Wagon DiscoverAuto Rating: 8.2/10

Overall, it’s not difficult to see why the 2023 Mazda6 20th Anniversary should be on your new family car shopping list. It’s well priced, practical, great quality, well equipped, nice to drive and reasonably good value for money. It also looks great and although it’s getting on in years, it’s still a great all-rounder that’s been kept up to date nicely by its maker.

Of course, it isn’t perfect thanks to a somewhat tight second row, an engine that can be thirsty and an outdated infotainment system but there’s no doubt that that it’s superior to an SUV for family car motoring. It offers a larger boot, better practicality and superior driving dynamics than something like Mazda’s own CX-5. Our advice is to put an order in ASAP as we aren’t sure how much longer the Mazda6 will last – but with SUV sales so high, we’re lucky enough to still have it on sale.