Mazda 6 Tourer Review and Prices

The Mazda 6 Tourer is a stylish estate car that combines a plush, well-equipped interior with a sporty drive. It’s a bit of a left-field alternative to the likes of Ford Mondeo Estate or Volkswagen Passat Estate but certainly deserves to be on your shortlist.

The Mazda 6 has been around since the early 2000s but this model was first introduced in 2012. Since then it has been given a couple of mild upgrades but a bigger range of updates came in 2018, which included a redesigned grille, an improved interior and changes to the engine range and suspension. A new 2.5-litre petrol engine, matched to a six-speed automatic gearbox, was also added to the Mazda 6 range.

A suite of updates to the exterior design in 2018 gave the Mazda 6 a much-needed refresh. The mesh grille looks sporty and is connected to the redesigned headlights by a strip of smart-looking chrome trim.

The rear lights have been redesigned too, and there are new designs for the alloy wheels – SE-L Nav+ and SE-L Lux Nav+ get 17-inch wheels while the top two trims get 19-inch alloys.

Slip into the driver’s seat and you’re faced with a dashboard covered in lovely soft-touch plastics, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and an 8.0-inch touchscreen that allows you to change and set up the car’s infotainment system. You can also switch through the various menus with a rotary controller between the driver and passenger seats.

Speaking of seats, the driver’s seat should be a comfortable place to spend time in. Every Mazda 6 comes with lumbar support – which helps reduce stress on your back during long journeys – and the steering wheel moves for height and reach. Step up to SE-L Lux Nav+ cars and above and the driver’s seat adjusts electronically and has a memory function too.

It’s lovely inside the Mazda 6 Tourer - that interior could give the BMW 3 Series Touring a run for its money, never mind a Mondeo Estate

Passengers in the back don’t get such a great deal. Knee room is OK, but if you’re over six foot, headroom is a little tight and a tunnel in the middle of the floor means anyone sitting in the middle seat won’t be particularly comfortable. Generally, a Skoda Superb is roomier.

It’s a similar story for Mazda 6 boot space. Seats up, the estate has a 522-litre boot – but a VW Passat Estate has 120 litres more. Flip the rear seats down and the Mazda 6 Tourer’s load space goes up to 1664 litres. That’s a pretty useable space but a Mondeo Estate has 1780 litres, while a Skoda Superb Estate’s boot is a massive 1950 litres.

At least flipping the rear seats down is a simple job – just tug on a lever in the boot and they tumble forward with a satisfying thunk.

There are just four trim levels to choose from – each with an impressive list of standard features. As such there are few extra options to pay for, and only one option pack so deciding which suits you best is easy. SE-L Lux Nav has probably the best balance between price and kit.

The Mazda 6 Tourer manages to be comfortable and quiet to drive, but you’ll have more fun in the Mondeo.  There are three petrol engines and two diesels to choose from – the 2.0-litre 165bhp petrol is the best to go for if you don’t drive too many miles. The lower-powered of the 2.2-litre diesels is the best bet if you are a high miler. All engines can come with either a manual or automatic gearbox, except the top-of-the-range 2.5-litre petrol, which is auto only.

The Mazda 6 scored five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests when it was last tested in 2013. The tests have since got tougher but the Mazda 6 still has an impressive list of safety kit and driver aids. Every car gets Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist. Every Mazda 6 also gets a heads-up display so you don’t need to look away from the road ahead for sat-nav instructions or speed limits.