more about this model
Pros Spacious interior, huge trunk, strong V6, refined ride, above-average handling.
Pros Less sporty than expected, poor fuel economy, delayed downshifts, some cheap interior materials.
By now, most non-cave-dwellers are aware that Mazda is the self-proclaimed performance brand from Japan. Generally speaking, Mazda's got a point, as most of its cars are indeed sportier than rival models. However, the 2009 Mazda 6 s doesn't quite fit the mold. Make no mistake -- this 6 is one of the best midsize sedans on the market, thanks to significant bumps in size and power relative to its predecessor. It's just no longer the sports car in sedan clothing that Mazda's marketing mavens make it out to be.
For most shoppers in this segment, that's probably just fine. Let's face it -- if you're in the market for a midsize sedan, attacking apexes like Helio Castroneves probably isn't high on your to-do list. The previous-generation Mazda 6 is a case in point: It was arguably the sportiest midsizer on the market, yet the U.S. version sold about as well as pork sandwiches in Peshawar. That's why Mazda bit the bullet with the new 6, transforming it into precisely the sort of big ol' family sedan that American consumers crave.
To be fair, Mazda hasn't sacrificed every ounce of the 6's sporting DNA at the altar of mainstream appeal. The car remains an above-average handler, with sure-footed grip and good body control for its class. However, unlike the smaller and friskier Nissan Altima, this supersized 6 never acts like it wants to play. The engineers may have been aiming for "bigger Altima," but they ended up with "sporty Accord" instead.
As noted, though, that's likely more than enough for the average American car shopper. The 2009 Mazda 6 s offers plenty of power and plenty of space, and its reasonably capable handling is just icing on the proverbial cake. Fuel economy and interior quality are a step or two behind class leaders, but otherwise, this Mazda is a strong contender. Japan's performance brand has learned its lesson: In this country, bigger -- not sportier -- is usually better.
Performance The front-wheel-drive 2009 Mazda 6 s Grand Touring is propelled by a 3.7-liter V6 that churns out 272 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic with manual shift control is mandatory with the V6. Our test car hustled from zero to 60 mph in an extraordinarily swift 6.4 seconds, dispensing with the quarter-mile in 14.6 seconds at 96.5 mph. The V6 isn't as smooth as the best engines in this segment, but what it lacks in refinement, it makes up for in brawn.
The six-speed automatic transmission comes with a manual-shift mode that's activated by sliding the lever into the manual gate. We like the way Mazda sets it up -- push forward for downshifts, pull back for upshifts. Pity that Mazda didn't add a "sport" automatic mode to speed up downshifts, though, as they're so slow that you can almost hear the transmission protesting, "Wait a minute.... Do you really want that much power?" Disappointingly, manual mode doesn't help matters -- shifts arrive just as slowly as they do in Drive.
Handlingwise, body control is laudable for a big sedan, with markedly less body roll than the similarly sized Honda Accord. However, the 6 falls short of Nissan's athletic Altima, which has become the dynamic benchmark for this segment. There's a noticeable dead spot in the 6's steering while cornering -- you can wiggle the wheel left and right midcorner without altering your path, in stark contrast to the Altima's impressively tight rack. The Mazda's tiller isn't very communicative either, and steering effort is too light at speed to be sporty. Perhaps most damningly, the 6 never feels smaller than its size -- you always have the sense that you're piloting a large vehicle. On the bright side, the turning circle is notably tight for such a large car.
With EPA fuel economy estimates of 17 mpg city/25 highway and 20 combined, the 2009 Mazda 6 is about as thirsty as they get in this segment. We observed an even 20 mpg, not bad considering that our shoes are encased in lead.
Comfort The 6 is impressively composed over bumps despite its standard 18-inch tires. The ride is firm without being harsh -- not quite BMW-like, but perhaps closer to this ideal than any other family sedan. Road noise, however, was more intrusive than we'd expect of a car in this segment.
The front seats have clearly been designed for ample American posteriors, so slimmer drivers should be prepared to slide around a bit in enthusiastic driving. There is also a distinct lack of lateral support, an odd oversight in a sedan with sporting pretensions. The rear seat, on the other hand, is beyond reproach, with ample head- and legroom even for 6-footers. Indeed, the upsized 6's generally commodious interior is one of its strongest selling points -- this is a big, roomy, comfortable car.
Function Most of the 2009 Mazda 6's controls are logically arrayed and easy to use, though the buttons on the right side of the center stack -- such as the tuning knob and the disc-selection button for the CD changer -- are too far away from the driver for comfort. The lukewarm breeze produced by our test vehicle's air-conditioner did a poor job of cooling down the all-black interior on hot days. As is typical of Bose-branded Mazda stereos, the one in the 6 is underwhelming, with a generally muffled sound and weak bass response that'll have you doubting there's a subwoofer at work.
The optional blind-spot warning system is quite useful, however, emitting a clear beep whenever you start to change lanes with a vehicle in your blind spot. It can be overzealous, frequently beeping even when the vehicle is more than a car length behind you, but overall we found that it added to our peace of mind.
In our real-world usability tests, we found that the 6's trunk would please even the most prolific mafia hitman -- its cavernous 16.6-cubic-foot capacity made our standard suitcase and golf bag look puny. Moreover, the deck lid is propped up on non-intrusive hydraulic struts, which can't be said for many competing sedans. We had no problem fitting our child safety seat in the 6's expansive backseat.
Design/Fit and Finish The 2009 Mazda 6 is 7 inches longer and about 2.5 inches wider than its predecessor, and its wheelbase has grown by more than 4 inches. Nonetheless, Mazda has largely preserved the car's tight styling. The exterior design is distinctive for this class, particularly from the front, where the 6 incorporates some design cues from the RX-8 sports car. Inside, however, the odd decorative trim pieces resemble piano black trim that's been mauled by a bear. There's a lot of faux chrome trim on the dash, as well as a shiny Mazda logo on the steering wheel, and you'll be cursing the resultant glare when the sun's shining.
Interior materials are a mixed bag. The emergency brake handle is made of chintzy hard plastic, which is disappointing considering how often one uses it, and the center armrest is thinly padded. The dashboard is covered with a supple soft-touch material on the passenger side, but the rest of the dashboard and center stack is all hard plastic. The Altima and Accord both feature higher-quality materials. Fit and finish was satisfactory on our test car, but we did notice a persistent UDR (unidentified dash rattle).
Who should consider this vehicle Midsize-sedan shoppers who like the formidable size of the Honda Accord but want extra helpings of style and sportiness should consider the 2009 Mazda 6 s Grand Touring.
Others To Consider
Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima.
Read our Mazda 6 Long-Term 20,000-Mile Test
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
Used 2009 Mazda 6 listings and inventory:
Shop Edmunds' used car, SUV, and truck listings of over 6 million pre-owned vehicles to find a cheap used and certified pre-owned (CPO) 2009 Mazda 6s for sale near Ashburn VA. There are currently 282 used and CPO 2009 6s listed for sale in your area, with list prices as low as 3,995 and mileage as low as 50,064. Simply research the type of used car, SUV, or truck you're interested in and then select a vehicle from our massive database to find cheap pre-owned vehicles for sale near you. Once you have identified a used vehicle you're interested in, check the Carfax and Autocheck vehicle history reports, read dealer reviews, and find out what other owners paid for the used 2009 Mazda 6. Then select Edmunds' special offers, perks, deals, and incentives to contact the dealer of your choice and save up to 220 on a used or CPO 2009 6 available from one of 2,630 dealerships in your area.
What's a good price on a used 2009 Mazda 6 ?
Save up to $219.6 on one of 6 used 2009 Mazda 6s for sale at dealerships within 25 miles of Ashburn, Virginia with prices as low as $3995 as of Apr 26, 2018, based on data from 6 dealers and 20 consumer-driven dealer ratings ranging from 5 to 5 out of 5 stars.
Price comparisons for used 2009 Mazda 6 trim styles:
The used 2009 Mazda 6 i Sport is priced around $6495 with average odometer reading of 168535 miles.
The used 2009 Mazda 6 s Touring is priced around $7985 with average odometer reading of 84842 miles.
Shop with Edmunds for perks and special offers on used cars, trucks, and SUVs near Ashburn, Virginia. Doing so could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Edmunds also provides consumer-driven dealership sales and service reviews to help you make informed decisions about what cars to buy and where to buy them.
What options are available on the 2009 Mazda 6?
Available Mazda 6 2009 Submodel Types: Hatchback, Sedan, Wagon
Available Mazda 6 2009 Trims: Touring, Grand Touring, Grand Touring Reserve, i Grand Touring, Sport, Signature, Touring w/Prod. End 09/17, i, Grand Touring w/Prod. End 09/17, s, i Sport Value Edition, s Grand Touring, Sport w/Prod. End 09/17, i Sport, i Touring, i Touring Plus, s Sport, i Grand Sport, s Touring, s Touring Plus
Exterior Colors: Jet Black Mica, Deep Crystal Blue, Snowflake White Pearl Mica, Machine Gray Metallic, Soul Red Metallic, Sonic Silver Metallic, Soul Red Crystal Metallic, Meteor Gray Mica, Blue Reflex Mica, Titanium Flash Mica, Liquid Silver Metallic, Glacier Silver Metallic, Onyx Black, Tungsten Gray, Ebony (Onyx Black), Ebony Black, Ingot Silver, Polished Slate, Steel Gray Metallic, Autumn Bronze, Fireglow Red, Redfire Metallic, Sangria Red Mica, Sepang Green Metallic, Silver Metallic, Volcanic Red, Black Cherry Metallic, Brilliant Silver Metallic, Comet Gray Mica, Dark Cherry Mica, Kona Blue Mica, Performance White, Smokestone, Squall Blue Pearl
Interior Colors: Black leatherette, Black leather, Sand leatherette, Parchment leather, Parchment premium leather, Deep Chestnut premium leather, Sand cloth, Black premium leather, Gray cloth, Almond leather, Black cloth, Beige cloth, Gray, Sand leather, Black , Black cloth, Gray , Beige, Black, Gray cloth
Popular Features: Post-collision safety system, Back-up camera, Pre-collision safety system, Automatic Emergency Braking, USB Inputs, Keyless Entry/Start, Heated seats, Navigation, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Leather Seats, Cooled Seats, Heads up display, Parking sensors, Upgraded Engine, 360-degree camera, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Aux Audio Inputs, Fold Flat Rear Seats, Rear Bench Seats, Stability Control, Tire Pressure Warning, Remote Start, Alarm, Power Driver Seat, Trip Computer, Auto Climate Control, Blind Spot Monitoring, Bluetooth, Multi-Zone Climate Control, Upgraded Headlights, Sunroof/Moonroof, Upgraded Stereo
Engine/Mechanics: 4, 6 cylinders
Transmission: AUTOMATIC, MANUAL
Fuel Types: regular unleaded
Drivetrains: front wheel drive
Used 2009 Mazda 6 Overview
The used 2009 Mazda 6 is offered in the following submodels: Sedan. Available styles include i Sport 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 6M), i Sport 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5A), and s Sport 4dr Sedan (3.7L 6cyl 6A). Pre-owned 6 models are available with a 0-liter gas engine, with output up to 0 hp, depending on engine type. The used 2009 6 comes with front wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 6-speed manual, 5-speed shiftable automatic, 6-speed shiftable automatic.
