2018 Mazda6 review from Family Wheels

[@Unchainedmaple888]

I'm eagerly waiting for Mazda's new products. 2019 is gonna be a huge year for them. They are gonna introduce a new generation Mazda 3, Skyactiv X, and their first hybrid vehicle. And then, in 2020 we should see an all new generation Mazda 6 where the new platform will allow it to have AWD. So excited :)

[@adam1abe]

Here in EU mazda offer already AWD with 6! but i'd wait for the skyactiv X and the hybrid (or hybrid lite!) model. here in Sweden it makes a huge deduction i car taxes!

[@FenderBassMan]

In November 2019, I took advantage of "black Friday" deals and acquired a 2019 Mazda6 (after having driven a Dodge Challenger R/T, I do miss some things about the R/T). I have the Grand Touring Preferred and am beginning to fall in love with its features, especially the silky-smooth acceleration of the 2.5L turbocharged engine. Actually, I find most everything "silky-smooth" about it: the design, the fit and finish, the layout of the interior, the gratifying whir of the sunroof opening. Though I've owned "nice" cars before, without hesitation the Mazda6 is the best riding, smoothest, expertly engineered vehicle I've driven. While the heavenly metallic red model wasn't available, I'm satisfied with the model in snowflake white pearl...along with the sexy white parchment leather seats that fit like a dream.

[@mikeandjuliesmith4595]

I have the Mazda 6 2018 GT. Love this car. NO CVT.(Yeh). No Auto stop on on the engine (dumb feature on any car). Heated Wiper blades!. More features then I can name. The media centre should be faster. (has Apple and Goodle which is nice). This is the first car that I have not had to bring back to the dealer for a fix for anything since pick up.

[@Magnetorheological]

How fast does the infotainment boot in this car if I may ask? I have a 2017 GT and sometimes it takes up to 30-40 seconds to completely boot, and I can't use the reverse camera in the meantime. I'm contemplating trading in to a 2018/2019 which is why I want to know. Thanks!

[@mikeandjuliesmith4595]

@@Magnetorheological The reverse camera works right away. However, it still 30-40 secs min to become fully usable. Which ok, provided you are on the radio station you want. I have however, missed too many news broadcasts to mention.

[@izmeft7836]

Goodle 😂

[@tonybennett638]

Here in Australia and hundreds of years after COVID... may be not so much looking 2022 bought one has the base model and still now above the rest.

[@FamilyWheels]

Congratulations and thanks for watching.

[@alwaysgrowing369]

Amazing car. great job mazda.

[@jamesbell1834]

I find the infotainment system pretty good. It isn't as good as equivalent BMW or Audi but it is not miles off the mark, in my opinion. I don't use the touch screen, even when stationary as the swivel wheel gets me to the functions I need quickly even when stationary. Why bother poking at a screen? I am always surprised when reviewers say it is difficult to use but then they use a lot of systems. I personally prefer infotainment systems that offer both a swivel wheel and touch screen rather than touch screen alone. I hate taking my eyes off the road to poke at a screen. Also the Mazda 6 has decent voice control for making calls. In addition to accessing your SMS the system can access emails. I also like using Stitcher.

[@TheAdventureAuto]

I just reviewed this vehicle too and man it is a looker. Mazda is no longer just trying to be a premium brand, theyre a full on premium brand. Their powertrains will soon catch up to the looks and the 3 will be looking just as good as the rest.

[@johncipolletti6139]

I drove expensive Cadillacs until 2016. I have now owned 2 Mazda 6 Signature cars (latest 2018). Here is the major problems in this car. It is over $50,000 less then the equivalent Cadillac. The problem is what are you going to do with all this money saved? Also, you are going to feel guilty because you use little gas. The car seldom needs service. Oh, the red paint NEVER needs waxing only washing. Finally, people keep standing in front of the car wondering what kind of car is this.

[@mountainhobo]

12:15 "I asked Mazda if there was any chance they would ever bring the wagon back to Canada, and it wasn't an outright no" - No company rep, ever, will give you an outright no on the question of future product availability.

[@FamilyWheels]

I guy can dream!

[@mountainhobo]

Indeed. And btw, I do share your views on station wagons and view modern crossovers as just another form of it, albeit with compromised handling.

[@davect01]

So true

[@vince7349]

Yup still dreaming of wagon version for canada .

[@nkdadson9962]

Great job guys!

[@davect01]

I always appreciate your family focus on the cars you review. Being aware of the wear and tear from kids getting in and out is often forgotten

[@FamilyWheels]

Thanks, Dave... that's the focus!

[@artyhedgehog]

Thanks, man! I guess your video just finally settled my mind not to buy white interior version. Was actually struggling about that as I wanted light interior, but on the other side I'm not tidy and also I'm more in love with beige interiors - not straight white or grey.

[@Trades46]

The fact Mazda wants a slice of the entry level luxury pie here is obvious - this is almost Acura TLX or Lexus ES level quality, features and powertrain options. I did test driven the earlier 2017 Mazda 6 GT and it was a great car to drive. With the turbo engine it solves the greatest issue I had with the car - lack of top end grunt. However I'm not as convinced it is worthy of $38,000 since it fights against cars that are a step up - even against European cars at that price range.

[@yongutsa]

A question for Family Wheel, Would you buy Mazda 6 2.5 Regular Engine or Accord 1.5T?

[@FamilyWheels]

Depends what transmission you like. The Honda comes with a CVT, the Mazda a six speed auto (I think from memory of the 2018). The Honda will get you better fuel economy but the Mazda a bit more down low torque. Both reliable engines though.

[@yongutsa]

@@FamilyWheels I don't like CVT, so it would be Accord Sport 1.5T manual vs. M6 2.5L

[@FamilyWheels]

Or the accord 2.0 turbo comes with 10 speed auto

[@khoaphan8490]

Wow I’m jealous that you guys have so many standard features on the base trim than us Americans. However the US Mazda 6 still looks awesome with a lot more features than the Accord/Camry and way better looking.

[@FamilyWheels]

Yeah, Canadian trims often wind up with better standard equipment but higher starting prices.

[@referenceplz5547]

Hello Paul, big fan. Thanks for all the insightful videos. I have one question, if you were to purchase a new vehicle you would use during winter time which type of rust proofing would you go with? Thanks in advance and keep up the good work.

[@FamilyWheels]

This isn't something I've ever looked into. Sorry.

[@JakeDrives1]

Rustproofing is a money grab. ANY well maintained vehicle should be able to go 8-10 years in a salty/snowy climate without showing visible rust. some are far better than others. I highly recommend a good coat of wax in the fall and wash the vehicle at minimum once a week in the winter time with an undercarriage blast. Also, know that salt rots a vehicle actively above freezing.. so If you're parking your salty car in a heated garage it's accelerating the rusting process.

[@referenceplz5547]

Thank you very much Jake for your reply!

[@Crosshead1]

Such a pity you guys don’t get the Mazda6 Wagon we get here in Oz. With the 2.5 litre turbo, it’s the killer of the pack, arguably even better looking than the sedan and far more practical as a family car. Maybe one day you’ll get lucky.

[@FamilyWheels]

Man, I would LOVE to have that car here!

[@thevoxdeus]

I was thinking "heated seats front and rear on the base trim? That's not right." But then I thought: Canada. So of course that makes sense. Also, the 2.5T engine adds 40 hp on regular gas (up to 227 hp). But you get another 23 hp (up to 250) with premium gas. So you can kind of adjust your hp as needed.

[@FamilyWheels]

Gotta' keep those Canadian butts warm. The premium card is always a way to crank up your performance but it adds a lot to your operating costs!

[@cicada3312]

I hate auto start stop, good thing they don't come with that

[@bill7481]

Great review, Paul! Thank you. The giant blind spot to which you referred seemed to come from the rear-facing seat you had in the outboard seat. Do you think it's due to the rear seat angle or the lack of space for a rear-facing car seat? Mazda has been promising ACP and AA for some time now. I will believe it when I see it. Like you, I would love to see Mazda offer the 6 wagon in North America. Great work, man! Thanks for the review.

[@WorksOnMyComputer]

I think he was pointing to the space around the C pillar.

[@FamilyWheels]

That's exactly right, Daniel. The blindspot has nothing to do with the car seat.

[@Dreamcatcher_SilentNight]

best car in its segment.

[@dalefullerton4553]

I had one of these for 3 years (2.2 Diesel Sport UK) great car, full of equipment, lovely to drive, objectively beat the Germans at everything. Made no difference, all my friends said I should have got a base 3 Series or A4!

[@l4gtimes]

Don't listen to the eurosnobs...

[@sakal88]

Japanese cars are tin cans, they cant compete with the germans. Mazda is also well known for its bad paintwork and rusty cars.

[@WorksOnMyComputer]

Perceptions are interesting. In Australia the Mazda would rank above the Euro's in many respects like value and reliability. Euro cars like VW and Merc are popular, but most objective buyers of these cars only plan to own or lease them during the warranty period, as they have reputations of being unreliable and expensive to repair as they age.

[@sakal88]

I need to replace my 9Y old Skoda Octavia 2 1.9 TDI. I test drove a Honda civic 1.5 petrol sedan. The car is beautiful but the noise coming from the outside or tires was insane. Driving in older cars like the Accord or H-RV I noticed that the cars are extremely noisy, the closing door sound is like from a tin can, the cars jump on the road like there would be no wight to them. Sorry, but an old cheap Skoda outclasses a new Honda? Thats a bad JOKE! Mazda does a better job but still it cant match VW.

[@deasystems]

"Mazda is also well known for its bad paintwork and rusty cars." And Ford is well known for selling you cars in any color you want as long as it's black. Sheesh…keep up, Mark.

[@shitakkebye]

カッコいい❣️

[@meugzy]

Best in class so luxurious.Good review thank you.

[@swanblake]

Babs absolutely not best in class. Have you heard of Toyota and Honda?

[@meugzy]

Blake Swan Yes this car looks good inside and outside.The quality is more like audi level .

[@tacocruiser4238]

Car manufacturers need to understand alot of people don't want turbos or direct injection. Too many headaches after 2-3 years. The engines get clogged with carbon deposits after 50,000 miles and the turbos break down after 100,000 miles. Bring back the large displacement, naturally aspirated V6 engines with port injection. Or at least adopt the D-4S technology from Toyota.

[@FamilyWheels]

In the push for better fuel economy and lighter cars, smaller turbos are taking over. If you want to hear the different mindsets from Honda and Toyota on this, I got some statements from both companies that I read during our review of the two Accord engines that are available. Take a look!

[@mountainhobo]

"In the push for better fuel economy and lighter cars, smaller turbos are taking over" -- But in real life, as you acknowledge at 7:10, it does not work. In many countries in Europe you pay lower taxes if you buy smaller displacement engine because bureaucrats are not capable of thinking through complex scenarios and need simplistic metrics. That's what is driving this push toward costlier and more complicated engines that in real life do not provide the benefits they promise, and in many cases make things worse. For example, direct injection tends to increase the amount of NOx produced. All of those engines will be far more expensive to repair, which will limit the effective lifespan of these vehicles, which means more new cars will have to be produced with additional impact on the environment.

[@davect01]

It is that push for offering better power while keeping the cylinder count low is what is giving us so many turbos

[@redwhite_040]

@Michael Cline, You are so damn right. I live in Netherlands, Europe. And almost all new cars over here have small engines with turbo's. Except Mazda and hybrids from Toyota, Lexus, Kia, Suzuki etc. The problem is, those small engines with turbo's should be fuel efficient but in real life they are not. Because people want some power they continiously need to use the turbo. And that means they use a lot more fuel than what is promised on paper. An skyactive engine from Mazda with a bigger engine is more fuel efficient and more reliable. Most small engines with turbo's break down before they reach 100k/150k kilometers.

[@RickTorn]

Direct injections don't clog after 50K miles.

[@jeffreyc.mcandrew8911]

I'm concerned that the 187 Horsepower would not be enough passing power. Can you add any information on this?

[@adeeo]

I have the 2.2 Diesel with about 180 HP (haven´t driven the 2.5 Petrol) and I am so happy with the engine's performance. Have had the Mazda6 for 4 years now and I still love it. Suppose that these new models are much better with all its improvements.

[@mbenton6]

In sports mode it feels quicker... similar to v6

[@swanblake]

Great review Paul. Love it when you review fun to drive cars. Just makes it even more interesting. I'm was really let down by Mazda on this one. I had put money down for the 2.5L turbo at a local dealer. When they announced no manual transmission option on the turbo engine, I cancelled my order immediately. Mazda really isn't for the enthusiasts anymore. I love how everyone says but no one buys manuals, well they lost one sale here for not offering a manual transmission option. Mazda lost me for life. No longer the zoom zoom company. They promised a diesel, they promised Apple Carplay, I'm. It ho.ding my breath. I actually heard from my Mazda dealer they will charge you about $1k to retro fit Apple Carplay on this brand new model

[@deasystems]

"I actually heard from my Mazda dealer they will charge you about $1k to retro fit Apple Carplay." And I heard your dealer is making things up. We'll know soon…

[@motakai3898]

The current manual can't handle the 2.5 Turbo's power & TQ. Not worth a full transmission redesign finacially for a single vehicle's engine that is OPTIONAL.

[@koolkitties8552]

I heard they will upgrade the apple carplay for free

[@thevoxdeus]

I have the GT Reserve trim, which has the turbo and automatic transmission. I drove stick daily for 20 years previously, and I don't miss it. I have immediate control with the paddle shifters, and frankly the engine is so torque-y that there's rarely a need to downshift anyway.

[@K03sport]

I'm eagerly awaiting the Mazda6 wagon in the States in Touring trim w/a manual at/or the same price as the sedan. I would be at Mazda's showroon and buy it no questions. Mazda, bring the #mazda6wagon to the States!

[@ohcanadaeh]

Do you have plan to do a review on the CX5 ?

[@FamilyWheels]

I'd love to! I missed the CX-5 media vehicle when it as last in town (holiday time) so hope to get in one again soon.

[@IceWilly1]

Thank you very much for this review. I am considering this car and one of my main concerns is car seats. Assuming I pick the seats carefully, is there any reason you believe this could not manage 3 across the back? 1 rear facing (could be in center or passenger pos.), 1 convertible, 1 booster. I am 6ft and this would be our secondary vehicle. I want the looks and luxury options, but Legacy or accord may be a better car seat option.

[@FamilyWheels]

Three car seats across the second row will be a challenge, I think. I also don't believe there are anchor points in the middle position so you'd have to use the seat belt technique. But if your car seats aren't the really bulky, wide style, you might be able to get away with it. Let me know how it goes!

[@sovannt8392]

This .. or the BMW F30 Msport?🤔

[@koolkitties8552]

Love that color. Its looks darker than the red in the U.S..

[@FamilyWheels]

I know... it was a really beautiful tone.

[@auronedgevicks7739]

this review is very different from your typical reviews. Lots of stats but not enough about the car itself

[@ademolamorgan5481]

Thank You

[@valera5689]

Nice car😲😲😲😲

[@BruceWayne-tp6uo]

Mazda 6 😙😙

[@BB-mt2xb]

M A Z D A

[@bosccoh]

give it AWD and I would buy it. would rather stick with the accord/camry otherwise

[@mbenton6]

Bosco Han that's what g hectoring is for... Toyota is cheap as hell

[@Unchainedmaple888]

Wait for 2020. The reason why the 6 doesn't have AWD right now is because the platform doesn't allow for it apparently. In 2020 there will be an all new generation Mazda 6. New platform, Skyactiv X with more horsepower and better fuel economy even without a turbo, all new infotainment, and fingers crossed AWD.

[@TheSQL-Lover]

The Honda and Camry are not AWD. That will increase the price dramatically and add lot of weight. Get a Subaru.

[@dadtips4924]

So cheap in canada, here in the philippines they cost so much due to forex

[@UncleBuckle50]

Gorjesus!

[@hemmay]

Great review and you actually pronounce it 'Mazda' NOT 'Marzda'!

[@jessicahicks5797]

lmao

[@BanBiofuels]

In your comparison for looks you neglected to mention the 2018 Hyundai Sonata, which I think looks better than the Mazda 6 or any sedan in the affordable class of vehicles. The Sonata's infotainment system is the best, the back up camera system is as good as any, and in the USA you can buy a Sonata for thousands of dollars less than a Mazda 6. In the USA Mazda dealers give lousy discounts, but Hyundai dealers will sell you a car for up to 15% off MSRP and sometimes even lower. The Mazda wins on road handling and is a better car for people who like to break the speed limit and go around corners really fast. If you want to drive four full sized adults from coast to coast in comfort, then the Sonata wins for it's smother ride, bigger trunk, and more back seat space. JD Power rates Hyundai more reliable than Mazda or Honda and you get a far longer warranty. JD Power - www.jdpower.com/press-releases/jd-power-2018-us-vehicle-dependability-study

[@FamilyWheels]

Good point, Christopher... I forgot to throw the Sonata into the mix, too. Thanks for writing!

[@ragon5237]

Hyundai salespeople like to laud and point out that they are ahead of Japanese competitors on JD power as they even print out that sheet and religiously show them everywhere inside dealership. Just saying. You don't see Toyota Honda Nissan or even Mazda doing that because they know well their vehicles are well built and don't have to slash heavy price to sell.

[@tacocruiser4238]

vandee lore Let's not pretend that Toyota has not been milking it's famous "reliability" reputation for many years. Why do you think Toyota dealership almost never give good deals and Toyota doesn't bother providing the stuff that people really want (fun cars to drive, modern infotainment, blind spot monitoring)? They don't have to give you good stuff because they are "reliable."

[@BanBiofuels]

Nissan has never had a reputation for reliability. I grant you that the current lower reliability rating for Honda and Toyota are mainly because of the poor reliability of their infotainment systems and other bells and whistles, although the Honda CVT transmissions have been very problematic and expensive to fix. Basically, if you want reliability don't get a turbo and keep everything as simple as possible. The Sonata comes with a proven reliable 6 speed automatic and no turbo. Hyundai has their electronics nailed down tight. Who is the king of televisions? It's not Japan; it's Korea. Does any other car company have it's own steel mill and can thus save money on production? I am just saying at current pricing Hyundai sedans are a true bargain if you add everything up, especially if you get the SE model, which has everything you need for under 20K out-the-door price.

[@koolkitties8552]

Christopher Calder 20k out the door? Where? Not where I live. Sonatas are ok and sell pretty well but this Mazda looks more upscale.

[@jamescrump8482]

Hate the back of it

[@Josh-179]

Really? Best looking rear end of any sedan.