Overview

What's New for 2013:

• Expanded availability of 18-inch aluminum wheels
• Mazda 6 s Touring Plus trim level discontinued
• Last year before complete redesign

Exterior Features
The 2013 Mazda 6 is a 5-passenger sedan offered as the Mazda 6 i or as the Mazda 6 s. The Mazda 6 i is equipped with a 4-cylinder engine and is available with a choice between Sport, Touring, Touring Plus, and Grand Touring trim levels. The Mazda 6 s has a V-6 engine and is available only in Touring Plus and Grand Touring trim levels.

Standard equipment for the Mazda 6 i Sport model includes 16-inch steel wheels and plastic wheel covers, auto-off headlights, and power exterior mirrors.

Interior Features
The Mazda 6 i Sport comes standard with air conditioning with a pollen filter, power windows with one-touch operation for the driver's window, power door locks, remote keyless entry, cruise control, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, outside temperature indicator, and a 6-speaker stereo with a CD/MP3 player and an auxiliary audio input jack. The Mazda 6 i Sport also has cloth seats with a manual driver seat height adjuster, 60/40-split folding rear seat, floor mats, trunk mat, illuminated visor vanity mirrors, sliding sunvisor extensions, and an overhead sunglasses holder.

The trunk offers 16.6 cubic feet of space, more than many competitors. The interior is roomy, falling just 1.5 cubic feet short of the EPA's full-size sedan classification.

Optional Features
The Mazda 6 i Touring replaces the Mazda 6 i Sport's standard manual gearbox with an automatic transmission, and adds fog lights and 17-inch aluminum wheels. Additional equipment on the Touring trim includes Bluetooth connectivity with streaming audio capability, 8-way power driver seat, sliding center console armrest, trip computer, CD changer, and upgraded interior trim including a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.

The Mazda 6 i Touring Plus includes 18-inch aluminum wheels, power sunroof, anti-theft system, electroluminescent gauges, turn signal repeater lights in the side mirror housings, exterior ground illumination, and a blind-spot monitoring system.

The Mazda 6 i Grand Touring trim is equipped with leather seats, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bose Centerpoint surround-sound system, cabin welcome lighting, and a color multi-information display with a rearview camera system. To this, the Mazda 6 s Grand Touring adds a V-6 engine and dual exhaust outlets with chrome tips.

Mazda offers several options for the Grand Touring trim levl. An optional Technology package adds Mazda Advanced Keyless Entry and Start, automatic xenon headlights, LED taillights, rain-sensing wipers, and heated side mirrors with auto-dimming glass on the driver's side. This option package also includes a power front passenger seat, memory for the driver seat, auto-dimming rearview mirror, universal garage door opener, and satellite radio. The Navigation package provides a touch-screen navigation system with real-time traffic.

Options for all 2013 Mazda 6 models include premium White Platinum Pearl or Fireglow Red paint, and extra-cost accessories include a rear spoiler, splashguards, satellite radio, remote engine starting, cargo net, auto-dimming rearview mirror with a compass, and a universal garage door opener.

Under the Hood
The 2013 Mazda 6 i is equipped with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine generating 170 horsepower at 6,000 rpm (168 hp in Partial Zero Emission Vehicle trim) and 167 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm. A 6-speed manual gearbox is standard on the Mazda 6 i Sport. All other Mazda 6 i models are equipped with a 5-speed automatic transmission with Adaptive Shift Control and a manual shift gate. The automatic is optional on the base Sport model.

The Mazda 6 s is equipped with a 3.7-liter V-6 engine generating 272 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 269 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm. A 6-speed automatic transmission with Adaptive Shift Control and a manual shift gate is standard with the V-6 engine.

Fuel Economy
EPA fuel-economy estimates for the 2013 Mazda 6 are:

• Mazda 6 i with manual transmission: 21/30/24 mpg (city/highway/combined)
• Mazda 6 i with automatic transmission: 21/30/25 mpg
• Mazda 6 s with automatic transmission: 18/27/21 mpg

Safety
In addition to 6 air bags, the 2013 Mazda 6 is equipped with standard traction control, stability control, and a 4-wheel-disc anti-lock braking system. Get the Touring Plus or Grand Touring trim, and a blind-spot monitoring system is standard. Additionally, the Grand Touring offers a reversing camera and rain-sensing wipers.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the 2013 Mazda 6 a 4-star (out of 5) overall crash-test rating. However, the Mazda 6 gets a 3-star frontal impact protection rating for the front-seat passenger, and a 3-star side-impact pole test rating.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the 2013 Mazda 6 a "Good" rating for moderate overlap frontal-impact protection, "Good" rating for side-impact protection, "Acceptable" rating for roof crush strength, and a "Marginal" rating for rear-impact injury prevention.